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Mercedes spotlights Sprinter, Metric vans; Pro management

Dec. 10, 2019
NTEA Truck Product Conference 2019 coverage

Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vans provided updates on its Sprinter and Metris vans during the 2019 Truck Product Conference.

The new gas Sprinter features a four-cylinder M274 engine and 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission, and the diesel Sprinter comes with a six-cylinder OM642 engine and 7G-TRONIC Plus automatic transmission. The gas sprinter, available with 8,550-pound (1500) and 9,050-pound (2500) gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR), comes in three models—Cargo, Crew and Passenger—and the diesel version, with four different GVWRs, includes the same models, along with a Cab Chassis model with a 12,125-pound GVWR (4500).

New safety and assistance features include reversing camera with parking package, parking package with 360-degree camera, attention assist, active brake assist and active distance assist DISTRONIC. Other new features include plastic floors in cargo area, rear doors opening to sidewall, USB-C socket and wireless charging.

Model-year 2020 Sprinters will include as standard 144-inch wheelbases with standard roof on all passenger and cargo van models. The lockable compartment above the windshield was removed on all models, and the 65 mph speed limiter was removed as standard equipment on the 4500.

Sprinters feature the Mercedes Pro vehicle management tool, making the vans full connected data suppliers, Mercedes said. Pro connects companies with their vehicles, helping increase efficiency and productivity and leading to minimized and planned downtimes through forward-thinking maintenance management and clearly prepared data for business management analysis. 

Mercedes Pro is available in three packages: 24-hour optimized assistance, efficient fleet management and data interfaces for vans. Visit mbvans.com for more information.

The Metric cargo van comes with 126- and 135-inch wheelbases. The 126 includes 183 cubic feet of cargo space and a 2,425-pound payload capacity, and the 135 includes 199 cubic feet of cargo space and a 2,370-pound payload capacity. Both lengths feature a 5,000-pound towing capacity and 6,614-pound GVWR.

Available assist systems in the Metris include attention assist, crosswind assist and hill-start assist as standard features, and lane-keeping assist, blind-spot assist and PARKTRONIC with active parking assist as options.

Model-year 2020 Metris vans include an option for the MPRO communication module, standard Mercedes Pro pre-wiring and a new instrument cluster design; and Mercedes Pro is available with the same packages as in the Sprinter.

Technical information about Daimler Van vehicle platforms and capabilities, as well as upfitter specific marketing materials, is available at upfitterportal.com. Mercedes said it soon will add updated body and equipment guidelines (BEGs), parametric standard module (PSM), standard programs and more 2D and 3D data.

The PSM is connected to the body CAN and can read vehicle status information and control vehicle functions. It boasts 10 inputs (digital and analogue) and 20 outputs for user-specific components, and parameterization occurs during dealership service or by the upfitter via the Xentry Kit.

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