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MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 313

1st June 2000, Page 24
1st June 2000
Page 24
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Page 24, 1st June 2000 — MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 313
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'PRICE AS TESTED: £22,833 (ex-VAT). Includes £21,760 for basic vehicle, £216 for central locking with key, £232 for Isri seat, £270 for electrically operated windows, £190 for a radio-cassette and £165 for load bay lighting. ENGINE: 2.2-litre turbo-diesel, 127hp (95kW). GM: 3,500kg. PAYLOAD: 1,335kg (including 75kg driver). FUEL CONSUMPTION (laden): 28.9mpg (9.81it/100km).

Mercedes-Benz boffins must be worked pretty hard by their bosses in Stuttgart—the new Sprinter is bristling with more improvements and innovations than you can shake a stick at, from an ultra-quiet common-rail engine to an optional automated transmission and ABS. But how else could you improve an already excel lent product? 3 ince its 1995 launch the Sprinter has established itself as the second best selling van on the UK market, shifting more and more units each year. It nestles behind the Ford Transit which is having to work harder in an increasingly busy and competitive sector (look out for a 3.5-tonne group test in Commercial Motor). Although Tranny sales have fallen every year since the Merc was unleashed the ubiquitous Ford still holds the lion's share of the UK market—a position the Sprinter enjoys in Germany.

Could that many Germans be wrong? Is the Sprinter really worth all the fuss?

PRODUCT PROFILE

Mercedes' new common-rail engine is the biggest change for the Sprinter; it comes with variable geometry turbochargers in all but the lowest rated (Sahp) option. A solitary fourcylinder design powers the bulk of the range up to 127hp, with a five-cylinder unit stepping in for real high iinks at 154hp (there's also a i4ihp petrol unit).

Peak torque is improved over the previous old engines and is available over a wider rev range: in our 127hp test vehicle 300Nm is on tap from 1,600-2,400rpm.

The fun doesn't stop here. Other changes for the new model include a dash-mounted gear change, an optional six-speed automatic/semi-automatic gearbox called Sprintshift and an engine shutdown feature which Mercedes says can deliver fuel savings of up to 8%...one more thing for us to test.

Anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard on all models except for the two lowest ratings and come with anti-skid regulation (ASR) to boot; a system which now controls the throttle rather than just braking a slipping wheel. Clever stuff.

The options list is long and includes delights such as an uprated front axle for f342; air conditioning for £1,076; and a full steel bulkhead which we think everyone should fit, even though it costs at least £187. The Sprintshift system costs £770.

Choose from three wheelbases of 3.0, 3.5 and 4.oin; two roof heights; and four gross vehicle weights of 2,590, 2,800, 3,500 and 4,60 okg. Payload starts at 795kg and rises to 2,490kg with volumes between 7.0 and 13.4m3. Our test vehicle is the 4m wheelbase van with a high roof, featuring 13.4m3 of space and a 1,335kg payload from a GVW of 3,500kg. Chassis-cabs in all lengths and weights are available, as are all-wheel-drive variants (from £7,78o extra) for the more specialist buyer.

All new Sprinters come with a three-year warranty and free servicing for one year or up to 30,000 miles.

PRODUCTIVITY

Given the marked improvement in consumption we experienced with the Mercedes-Benz Vito when it earned its common-rail colours (CM ro-16 June, 1999), WC were looking forward to see how much more efficient the new Sprinter would be. In fact the engine returned almost identical results to the old conventional direct-injection model we previously tested (CM 5-11 October, 1995).

The o.impg difference between the two can easily be put down to experimental error, but both CM and Mercedes were not a little surprised that the results were not better. The fact that such a small engine (only 2,15icc) can produce such good results at all demonstrates how remarkable common-rail technology can be. Either way, the figure is still good; it's only topped by the Citroen Relay which continues to wear the best fuel crown. A rev counter is now standard on the re-modelled dash but unfortunately does not come with a green band to make economical driving even easier.

Payload is down on the competition and a little lower than the previous Sprinter, with our 13.4m3 brute taking up to 1,335kg. The load-bed height is inevitably a little high because of rear-wheel drive, but both the rear and side doors are well able to accommodate a Euro-pallet. Axle tolerance is very goad at 340kg, and the load bay is peppered with sturdy-feeling tie-down points.

A handle is fitted to the offside rear pillar for hauling yourself up into the loadbay (a fullwidth step can be added for £10 1). A second sliding door is handy on a van like this and is yours for bp, while central locking costs from £216.

A Thatcham-approved immobiliser is fitted as standard. The fuel filler cap remains located behind the passenger door. This is a neat security feature—if the doors are locked you can't get into the fuel tank—but having the door open when you are refuelling can be a bit awkward on a small forecourt.

It's difficult for us to tell you how the Sprinter will fare over time until we get a longterm vehicle.

What cannot be denied, however, is that a van this well put together rarely passes through our hands. It's a world apart from the rest of the market and if quality is rewarded with longevity this one will still be around after the next ice-age has thawed (as long as you remember to change your oil at ,500km or every two years).

Oh, we almost forgot the really good news. Mercedes-Benz has fitted the new Sprinter with 'gills' to increase fording depth from 25 3 ow= to more than 500mm.

ON THE ROAD

Handling is assured but bouncy. Swerve around town, in and out of traffic and the body will jump from side to side but this is never, ever a worry—it always feels safe. The Sprinter never threatens to behave badly or lose its line, only under-steering a little when pushed.

Damping seems well measured and the Sprinter needs little correction to keep it going along the straight and narrow. The van is just as happy on the motorway with crosswinds as it is performing idiot-avoidance manoeuvres: both experiences left us calm and unruffled. The whole feel is so accomplished you can soon forget how fast you are going, and the Sprinter can go fast. Take it to a track with the proper facilities, and this one will happily cruise along at 9 omph.

There is no doubt that the engine (designated OM 6 II DELA for all you anoraks out there) is amazingly flexible and powerful. You can feel all that torque the first time you pull away—you could ripple tarmac in this thing. The fact that it's used across such a wide power range, from 82hp to 127hp, is a testament to its abilities. And remember, it only displaces 2,15 icc.

Delivery of power is very smooth with little or no turbo-lag, either from a standstill or when stamping on the accelerator on the move. The new remote cable-shift gear change gives excellent feel and is well placed on the dashboard. Throw is nice and short with little movement from the stick when in gear and reassuring feedback when going through the box.

That anti skid regulation system, standard on all vans above 127hp along with ABS, should perhaps have been switched off for the acceleration tests, where times are slightly up on the old Sprinter, particularly from 0-50mph.

Going the other way down the speedo dial is another stress-free affair in the Sprinter, with the ABS system doing all the clever work and leaving the driver to stamp on the pedal. Feel is nevertheless good and the van comes to a sharp halt in a straight line every time.

All in all, driving the Sprinter is very enjoyable—relaxed and assured but with the potential for great performance.

CAB COMFORT

Mercedes-Benz has done a good job with the Sprinter's cab, from the seat fabric to the bombproof-build quality of absolutely everything. All of the plastics used are top notch and blend together to create a calm and welcoming cab.

The new instrument panel is well laid out and the dials are clear and well lit. Components from warning lights to indicator stalks and switches are sensibly placed and put together extremely well. However, you might have to stretch a little to turn up the stereo or reach the document clip.

Our seat was an optional Isri comfort seat with suspension (L232), but the standard affair offers four way adjustment with enough movement to please everyone. Three-point belts are standard for all seats, which also feature head restraints. No air bags are standard, but buyers can opt for window bags as well as the usual driver's and passengers' affairs starting from D.68.

Ventilation is excellent and features a heater booster because of the engine's high efficiency. The blower was powerful enough to keep us cool and to clear the windscreen and windows quickly.

The radio-cassette is a big improvement on other vans on the market, unless you're desperate for the Sony name or tiny buttons best suited to dexterous midgets. Operation is far easier for the driver than in others and therefore far safer—although it still falls short of steering wheel-mounted control.

Cab storage has never been the Sprinter's forte, but has been improved in its latest incarnation. Bins in the doors are still leafletthin and useless for carrying drinks, but as long as you don't fit a bulkhead you can reach around into the loadbay and feel for a bottle holder which Mercedes has bolted onto the back of the driver's seat. Something best done at the lights, we might suggest.

There are two coat hooks, a shelf to the right of the steering wheel, a hole for pennies, a clip for a pen (just one pen), and a document clip on the dash. The glovebox is lockable and has a couple of cup holders, while a toolbox lives under the passenger footwell floor. Another cup holder is to be found incorporated into the ashtray.

Although a little wind noise kicks in at around 65-70mph, the cab remains very quiet on the whole. This is no doubt largely down to the engine which makes so little noise it could be the product of military stealth technology. Tyre, transmission and turbine noise are also very limited, but without making you feel you're playing a computer game rather than driving out on the roads.

SUMMARY

As far as we're concerned the Mercedes-Benz boffins have struck gold with the new Sprinter, which surpasses its predecessor and sets new standards for other vans to be measured by. Build quality is something else and shows how refined a van can be.

Although the fuel consumption results were not as amazing as we had expected, the Sprinter proves to be a remarkable and productive piece of machinery.

• by Peter Lawton

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Locations: Stuttgart

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