So the call came down for a volunteer to test drive a new Mercedes-Benz. On a racetrack, no less.
“There will be a skid-pad test, too,” I was told by the editor.
“You had me at Mercedes,” I said.
“Great, you can do it. Enjoy the van.”
I was just envisioning sliding a powerful saloon over water-soaked tarmac when that three-letter word struck me: van.
A van. On a racetrack. It’s not exactly the combination that I was thinking of. A van conjures up images of soccer moms driving leisurely or chilled-out surfers heading to the beach. The only van that might inspire thoughts of daredevilry would have B A Baracus from The A-Team behind the wheel.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is not that kid of van. With the smallest model coming in at three tonnes and the largest at five, the Sprinter is primarily aimed at commercial trade. The aim was to make it still be a Mercedes – and that sounds like a pretty big job.
At the unveiling of the latest version of the van, on the grounds of the Yas Marina Circuit, the standard-issue Sprinter certainly looks more than just a “box-on-wheels”. Its slab-sidedness can be forgiven somewhat, for it’s a slave to its function – and it’s meant to have many functions. But forget what comes behind the B-pillar and it looks like a C-Class saloon from the front – albeit a little taller – including a new grille that “is more upright and self-assured,” says Christoph Walther, head of sales and marketing for Mercedes’ vans in the Middle East. “Inside, you may even notice some touches that are familiar to the previous-generation S-Class.”
And that, really, is the key here.
The Sprinter simply looks like a Mercedes, inside and out. From the bumper to the headlights to the front wings, all the way to the treatment of the rear lights and nomenclature, there’s no mistaking this vehicle as anything else but a Benz.
So the looks are Mercedes-esque. Now it was time for the skid pad and slalom – surely, this is where the plot begins to unravel. A van. On a racetrack. Really?
But for a three-plus-tonne vehicle, the Sprinter is surprisingly nimble. Through a short slalom course, the Sprinter drives more like a large car than a commercial van. A slip to the left here and bob to the right there is more the driver’s fault for trying to get the tail-end to swap around. But with strong braking and finger-light steering – along with Mercedes’ excellent traction control – any issue is easily corrected. Plus, the slab-sides of the vehicle are a huge help in knowing where the wheels are in regard to a corner. No, it’s never going to carve up roads like an SLK, but quick, point-to-point turning is, again, more akin to the S-Class than you would expect.
It feels like a Mercedes. And that is exactly what those engineers from Stuttgart are hoping for.
The Sprinter boasts the same safety features that you would find on any of Mercedes’ saloons or coupés, including Crosswind Assist, which helps maintain the lane in a strong wind. There are also blind-spot assist and collision-prevention assist, which warns and assists with braking when the Sprinter senses the driver is closing on a vehicle in front too fast. Lane-keeping assist and high-beam assist are also part of the package, and one has to think that, while the Sprinter is at a “premium price-point”, as Walther put it, all those safety features may perhaps make it more affordable in the long run for the buyer as a preventive measure to crashes, part of Mercedes’ vision of having “a world of accident-free driving”.
While the driver’s cockpit is well-optioned, behind it is a blank canvas. Think of the Sprinter as being the ultimate à la carte affair, albeit from the commercial van standpoint. That means that there are four lengths available, three roof heights and a truck bed, if so ordered. In its maximum capacity and length, it can be configured to carry 22 people in comfort and safety. It will be offered here with a 1.8L four cylinder, a 3.5L V6 and two versions of a 2.2L diesel; prices start at Dh146,000 and, depending on your configuration, can go as high as Dh187,000.
But, if you’re wondering, there will be no race-car configuration.
[ rbiebrichjr@thenational.ae ]
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