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Dodge Debuts Redesigned Sprinter
Buyers say they're willing to pay more to get more.
The completely redesigned Sprinter van has been introduced to North America by Dodge and Freightliner. Replacing the earlier model that first appeared here with Freightliner badges in 2003 (it was launched in Europe as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in 1995), the new Sprinter is bigger, has larger engines and features groundbreaking safety electronics.
Dodge is targeting small business owners as customers for the new vehicle. Saying these customers are prepared to pay more to get more, Dodge has announced pricing that spans $20,000 to $30,000 for a van range that has 25 different base models in 2500, 3500 and 3500 Chassis Cab configurations.
Engines are a 3-liter gasoline V6 and a 3.5-liter V6 diesel. Both are all new. The diesel is a sophisticated European-style engine, shared with the E-Class Mercedes, which produces 154 horsepower and 280 pounds-feet peak torque. The gasoline engine produces 254 horsepower and 250 pounds-feet of torque and, like the diesel, drives through a five-speed automatic transmission.
The gear shifter is mounted in-dash and there is a driver override feature that allows for up- or down-shifting manually by bumping the lever to the left or right.
New door lines aid the driver's view to the ground, and the large windshield gives an unobstructed view to the front. Side cargo doors can be specified for both sides and, at 51 inches, are wide enough to allow a pallet to be loaded at the side. The rear doors are huge and open 270 degrees, giving access to the vast interior, which offers volume from 318 cubic feet on the shorter 144-inch wheelbase to 600 cubic feet on the Mega 3500, which has a 170-inch wheelbase, plus a high roof with a further pop-up giving an extra 20 inches internal height.
The rear loading opening is 62 inches wide and 72 inches tall on the high-roof models. It features a lower step to aid climbing in at the back.
The passenger vehicles are based on the 2500 chassis and the interior space allows for easy access to the rear seats. There's also generous cargo space behind the rear row, making the Sprinter a popular choice for airport and hotel shuttles.
On The Road
There are three available driver/passenger seating options: bucket seats that can feature spring suspension, a bench seat or a bucket and a jump seat where access through the sliding-door bulkhead is necessary. For the Southern California driving introduction, bucket seating was on all the vans we drove, with the cargo van featuring a suspended seat. The steering wheel is adjustable for height and reach, and there are controls in the hub to select different pages on the driver display or operate a hands-free phone. The dash is uncluttered and easy to use, and the fresh air vents are generous and well placed.
So, with wheel and seat set, we set out first with the shorter wheelbase passenger van, with the 3-liter diesel. This proved to be an excellent vehicle, surprisingly peppy taking into account the considerable size of the Sprinter. The transmission was well matched to the engine, providing significant slowing even in fifth gear when backing off the throttle. Further braking can be obtained by nudging the shift level to drop a gear.
The all-new suspension showed it was well able to soak up some of the rougher sections on the drive through the mountains above Ventura, and the transverse composite leaf spring that is featured up front with strut and wishbone allowed for quite spirited driving with very little body lean. The rear suspension is conventional multi-leaf and on some models complemented by a stabilizer.
Swapping the passenger vehicle for a long-wheelbase, extra-tall cargo van, we found the handling even more secure, but the tight turning circle meant the big van could be handled easily on the tight hillside roads or in the traffic around Santa Barbara. Again, ride was very good, with none of the bounce often associated with a big van – especially one that has a 5,000-pound payload and a 7,500-pound towing capacity.
The big surprise with the diesel cargo van, though, was its performance coupled with economy. We cruised in to the lunch stop showing an average speed of 39 mph for the mountainous section and an average fuel consumption of 24 mpg.
In the afternoon, we blasted back down Highway 101 at 70-plus mph and finished back at the start showing 18.8 mpg in our third vehicle of the day, another short passenger van.
The afternoon run was split in Ventura for a demonstration of the adaptive electronic stability program (ESP). The system has sensors that allow it to modify the stability correction according to payload and center of gravity. In the demo, we were able to race through a slalom course, when the stability control would intervene if too much sway built up. Similarly in the lane-change maneuver, the stability system intervened to keep the van exactly on course according to steering wheel input.
Most impressive was the ability of the van to compensate for a driver entering a decreasing radius turn – such as a tightening offramp – on a wet surface. Selective braking slowed the van while keeping the nose tucked in to the turn.
Other safety features on the new Sprinter include the Add-Light system that adds nighttime illumination as the vehicle speed increases above 4 mph, or fills in light during a nighttime turn.
Inside the van are load protection tie-downs and logistic tracks with several bulkhead options to protect from shifting cargo. There are airbags, and all seats – even in the passenger vans – are three-point mounted.
We enjoyed the convenience features such as the standard electric windows and remote power door locks, forward and rear facing "park sensing," and the rain and light sensor that automatically turns on the headlamps and adjusts the sweep of the wipers to the amount of rain or spray from passing vehicles.
Conclusion
The Sprinter is the most popular van of its kind around the world. To date there have been 1.2 million sold and there is little doubt that the added size, versatility and features of the new Sprinter should make it equally popular.
In North America, unlike the other markets, the Sprinter is a unique package combining better economy than competitive full-size vans with the interior volume of a walk-in, or maybe more with this latest update.
The big mystery is why competitors in other markets – especially Ford's Transit – are not here as well. In the meantime, Sprinter has it all its own way.
– By Steve Sturgess
Executive Editor
Drive Test continued...
