ANN ARBOR, MI – Mercedes-Benz still is pondering how best to develop an electric application for its commercial customers, which could come with its large Sprinter model or a smaller van not currently sold in the U.S.
“It’s still bubbling,” Claus Tritt, general manager-commercial vans, tells WardsAuto on the sidelines of a reveal for the refreshed-for-’14 Sprinter.
“We do have in Europe a smaller vehicle called the Vito,” he notes, which is sold with diesel and electrified powertrains. “We’re throwing concepts around. You have to find the right application, the right engineering – but we’re not ready yet.”
In a previous interview with WardsAuto, Tritt said an electric-powered Sprinter for lighter city use could have the same capability as its diesel-only offerings without sacrificing payload, something a hybridized Sprinter couldn’t accomplish.
For now, the ’14 Sprinter adds a 2.1L, inline 4-cyl. diesel alongside the 3.0L V-6 diesel already offered. Mercedes officials here say the 4-cyl. powertrain provides 18% better fuel economy than the current V-6.
The smaller engine generates 161 hp and 265 lb.-ft. (360 Nm) of torque, while the larger engine produces 188 hp and 325 lb.-ft. (440 Nm). In the U.S., the 4-cyl. is paired with Mercedes-Benz’s 7-speed G-Tronic automatic transmission.
“The big challenge was with horsepower and torque,” Tritt says about putting the smaller engine, used in European sedans, into the large van.
The second engine option and overall product refresh comes as other U.S. auto makers ready new entries for the commercial-van market.
Chrysler-Fiat’s Ram ProMaster vans debut in the coming months with both gasoline and diesel engines. Ford will add a larger Transit van later this year, to be sold alongside the long-running Econoline and smaller Transit Connect.
Tritt admits the Transit Connect has been a success for Ford, but he isn’t overly worried about the bevy of new product in the segment.
“I think there is more opportunity than there is threat,” he says. Customers realize Mercedes pioneered the angled design, now seen on the Transit and Nissan NV, as well, the executive contends.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” he says. “For 10 years we’ve been the exception, but we’ve been the benchmark. And we want to keep it (that way).”
Asked by WardsAuto if Mercedes-Benz could bring the Vito to the U.S. to compete with the Transit Connect, Tritt says: “We’re looking at every opportunity to expand our family. We’ll see. Stay tuned.
“I give Ford a lot of credit. This was not a (sure) homerun for them. Nobody thought you could sell a van that size, (with) that size engine.”
The Sprinter is sold in the U.S. under Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner brands, and both models receive interior and exterior modifications.
Each retains its tall, angular styling, but the grille on the Mercedes is fashioned more in line with the luxury marque’s passenger sedans: pinched at an angle with a bolder 3-point-star logo.
“It has to fit into the family,” Mercedes product marketer Antje Williams tells reporters, reminding them the Sprinter is sold at all Mercedes dealers alongside plush sedans.
The Sprinter is offered in five iterations – crew van, passenger van, cargo van, cab chassis and MiniBus – with a range of body heights, body lengths, wheelbases and trim packages. The majority of Sprinters produced, however, are modified by upfitters approved by parent Daimler.
Mercedes executives say the new Sprinter has cut noise, vibration and harshness. It also has added a more-ergonomic steering wheel, a new seat design and optional navigation system. Also new are park assist, blindspot assist, lane-keeping assist, collision-prevention technology and highbeam-headlamp assist, which reacts automatically to oncoming traffic.
Load-adaptive electronic stability, a function that keeps the Sprinter balanced no matter the amount and type of cargo and vehicle motion, carries over from the previous model.
Production begins in September. Pricing and specific fuel-economy data will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
Chassis and engines for U.S. Sprinters are built in Europe and shipped to the auto maker’s Charleston, SC, plant, where the trucks are assembled. The auto maker has not ruled out full production in North America.
