30 years of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. As the first Mercedes-Benz van with a ringing name, the Sprinter revolutionized the light commercial vehicle segment in 1995. It quickly became the eponym for the entire vehicle class.
30 years of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
For 30 years, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has been a familiar sight on roads around the world. It is built on three continents – North America, South America and Europe. In Switzerland, too, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter continues to impress.
For 30 years now, we have had an icon of vans in our portfolio with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The Sprinter has been an unparalleled success story during this time and has been sold many times over worldwide. This year, we will break the five million mark for vehicles sold. For three decades, it has been shaping people’s everyday lives and keeping the world mobile. Whether in the emergency services, for delivery services, in trade or on construction sites – the Sprinter has established itself as the perfect business partner. For around five years now, it has also been available in a fully electric version, with zero local CO2 emissions.
1995: the beginning of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter era
The Sprinter celebrated its premiere in spring 1995. 1995 was a milestone year for the Sprinter in many respects. It followed on from the legendary T1/TN and was the first van to bear the Mercedes star rather than a sober letter and number code. It took over only the basic technical concept from its predecessor, with everything else being redesigned from scratch.
In 2006, the second generation of the iconic van was launched.
Customers enjoyed more variety with three wheelbases, four lengths, three roof heights, and a gross vehicle weight of 3.0–5.0 tons. Additionally, the Electronic Stability Program ESP® became standard in closed variants up to 3.5 tons gross vehicle weight. Two years later, ESP® was included as standard in all body variants up to 3.5 tons. From 2008, optional air suspension was added to enhance both comfort and safety. In 2009, BlueEFFICIENCY with a six-speed manual transmission and start-stop function improved dynamics and significantly reduced fuel consumption. In 2013, a completely new safety system, including the Crosswind Assistant, was introduced to increase driving stability. Since 2016, the Sprinter has also been available in a 5.5‑ton version, expanding its versatility.
2018/2019: The third generation of the Sprinter focuses on connectivity and diversity
The third-generation Sprinter launched in 2018, retaining its variant diversity while expanding it with front-wheel drive and a new drivetrain. That same year, it set new standards in infotainment and connectivity with MBUX, available in a commercial vehicle for the first time. Since then, the Sprinter has been able to “listen” and enables central fleet‑, vehicle‑, driver- and location-based services for greater efficiency. Mercedes-Benz Vans also improved safety with features like DISTRONIC Active Distance Assist, further enhancing driver assistance. The next milestone followed in 2019 with the first production-ready eSprinter, enabling locally CO₂-emission-free mobility for businesses.
After 30 years, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is more versatile than ever
The triad of efficiency, range, and loading volume makes the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter a versatile all-rounder. Available since last year, it comes in two body types and lengths, with three battery sizes and a range of up to 478 kilometers (WLTP). Its new modular concept allows easy adaptation to other vehicle variants, creating new opportunities for industry-specific solutions. Additionally, with a loading volume of up to 14 cubic meters and a gross vehicle weight of 4.25 metric tons, the eSprinter offers practicality comparable to its combustion-engine counterpart.
Updates for the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter and the Sprinter
Since last year, updates for the eSprinter and conventionally powered Sprinter have further improved connectivity and safety. Both models now benefit from innovations in the MBUX multimedia system, which is also integrated as standard. Moreover, the safety and assistance systems have been upgraded with additional functions, most of which are already included as standard. For example, the standard Active Brake Assist now also features a cross-traffic function. Furthermore, with the latest updates, a 22 kW AC charger and a driving assistance package can now be ordered as optional extras. The package includes enhanced DISTRONIC functions, such as route-based speed adjustment and an active speed limit assistant, ensuring even greater driving comfort.
Special presentation: 30 years of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
From February 4 to March 30, visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart can take a look at the history of the Sprinter family. On display: a first-generation Sprinter, the current Sprinter and the eSprinter. The first visitors can also look forward to a special anniversary gift when they buy their ticket. There is also a pop-up corner in the museum shop with Sprinter fan articles.
Mercedes-Benz Switzerland Ltd. is a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and the exclusive importer of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach vehicles in Switzerland. The company employs around 400 people and, together with a nationwide dealer network, supports around 5,600 jobs. For more information, please visit: www.mercedes-benz.ch.
