Yahoo Autos 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter First Drive Review: From 4WD to AWD
STUTTGART, Germany — Mercedes-Benz’s cars have come a long way since the 1990s in terms of design, performance and ergonomics. In that same time period, the Sprinter van may as well have moved to a different planet. Like all older apartment-sized vans, early Sprinters were truck-like and not always easy to drive. The current model feels more like a jumbo SUV, and replacing the part-time four-wheel-drive system with a full-time all-wheel-drive setup softens up even the most hardcore member of the lineup.
Mechanical cross-pollination
New for the 2023 model year, the Sprinter’s optional all-wheel-drive system is literally car-like: it’s an evolution of the 4Matic all-wheel-drive technology we know from some of Mercedes-Benz’s SUVs.
"It’s the same system you find in the GLE and the GLS," explained Florian Hofmann, the manager of technology communications for Mercedes-Benz Vans. "The transfer case is based on the GLE’s but it’s adapted to Sprinter conditions. We now use the Mercedes-Benz parts because the performance is better and it’s cheaper. And, it’s not so often that you can have a better system for a better price."
Starting at the wheels, backtracking the horsepower’s path leads you to a multi-clutch transfer case with a torque-on-demand function, a nine-speed automatic transmission (the V6-powered 2022 Sprinter came with a seven-speed unit), and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine called OM654 internally that Mercedes has offered overseas in several models (including the C-Class, E-Class, GLC, and GLE) since 2016. It develops 170 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque in its standard state of tune, but buyers who need more can order a “High Output” evolution of this engine that bumps these figures to 211 and 332, respectively. Significantly, the 2.0-liter turbodiesel replaces the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, which put 188 horses and 325 pound-feet of twist under the driver’s right foot, for the 2023 model year.
In its most capable configuration, the turbodiesel-powered Sprinter offers a 6,812-pound payload rating; that’s well into heavy-duty pickup territory. It can also tow up to 7,500 pounds. On the gasoline side of the range, the only engine option is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder tuned to 188 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Exclusively offered with rear-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic gearbox, this engine gives the Sprinter 4,453-pound payload and the ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Part car, part van
Step up – way up – into the cabin and you’re greeted by an assortment of familiar parts. Mercedes hasn’t put its dashboard-wide Hyperscreen setup into the Sprinter (at least not yet) but the three-spoke steering wheel’s shift paddles and touch-sensitive buttons, the air vents and many of the switches come from the car side of the portfolio. The intuitive, touchscreen-based MBUX infotainment system trickled down from there as well. It’s when you sit in the driver’s seat (which was heated in my tester) that you realize you’re definitely not in a car: you may as well be navigating a cargo ship, except instead of looking out at the vast emptiness of the sea you’ve got a view over a vast sea of late-model crossovers.
The all-wheel-drive system’s components live under the body so the Sprinter’s cavernous cargo capacity remains unchanged. In its biggest configuration, the panel van offers up to 533 cubic feet of cargo space and a 61-inch loading width. Put another way, you can put a classic Mini in the back with room to spare.
The simpler way to leave the pavement
From the driver’s perspective, the all-wheel-drive system’s best attribute is its simplicity. It’s always on, there’s no need to shift into four-wheel-drive when the going gets tough and it pulls the Sprinter through slippery terrain while you focus on keeping the front end pointed in the right direction. On a short off-road course on the outskirts of Stuttgart, the all-wheel-drive Sprinter effortlessly performed a near-360-degree turn in a pit full of mud and had enough traction to reverse up a steep, muddy hill.
