In the past week, Mercedes has unveiled the next generation of its Sprinter panel van for 2018. All the changes for the new model are listed below, it mostly includes a new design, more safety features and new engines. But the big star of the show is the upcoming fully electric version which is expected to launch in 2019.

New refreshed model

The new model, which was announced little over a week ago on 5th February is now in its third incarnation, with new engines added, along with a whole host of safety enhancements including crosswind stabilisation, collision avoidance systems, adaptive high beam, blind spot monitor, and lane departure warning systems and a self cleaning rear view camera – which can be viewed in the rear view mirror.

The new engines include V6 variants for Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. While over in North America it only is available with a six cylinder 3.0 litre turbo diesel engine or a 4 cylinder 2.1 litre turbo diesel engine.

Electric version

The electric Sprinter hit a lot of the headlines when it was announced, named the ‘eSprinter’ it is expected to have a 150km / 93 mile range on one charge, so the use case is better suited for use in cities, which should help aid the city pollution issue that is present currently.

The electric version of the Sprinter will have a 41.4kWh battery pack, but regarding the powertrain and other details – this is al the information we have currently.

Launch date and pricing

Mercedes will be launching the new 2018 Sprinter in Europe this June, starting at €20,000 / £17.500 which is actually around £5,000 less than what the old Sprinter started at.

The eSprinter will go on sale sometime in 2019.

History of the Sprinter

The Mercedes Sprinter is a very light commercial van, it was originally made by Daimler AT of Stuttgart and the configurations come in as a chassis cab, minibus, and a pickup truck.

In the past years, the Sprinter has been marketed by Mercedes Benz, Freightliner, and Volkswagen and in the United States, It is made from the knockdown kits by the Freightliner. They are now basically marketed by the Mercedes Benz.

The Sprinter is primarily designed for business purposes and not for private use, although it could be used for recreational and leisure purposes as camper vans. A typical sprinter can accommodate 8 to 10 people. In Hong Kong and Poland respectively, Sprinters are now been used as ambulances even in western Europe, Scandinavians, US, Australia and New Zealand as well.

The 515 CD1 has now become the official ambulance for the natural health service in the United Kingdom. Mercedes Sprinters are also used worldwide as a means of television production vehicle, commonly as an electronic news gathering and satellite newsgathering. In Columbia, the sprinter is widely available for intercity transport services.

Images: Mercedes