Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - Uses

Uses

The Sprinter is designed primarily for business, not private users, although recreational vehicle (RV) conversions are available. In the United States, the first generation Sprinters (2001–2006) were offered solely with the Mercedes-Benz 2.7 litre straight five cylinder turbocharged Diesel.

Companies such as Apple Inc. are replacing van conversions with wide bus bodies — with Sprinters with side-facing benches and tall right-side doors — as campus shuttle buses. Limited numbers of complete "wagons" (passenger vans) are being produced in Germany and shipped complete to the United States market for mostly individual and church van uses. Typical Sprinter Wagons accommodate 8 to 10 passengers, and have glass in all of the normal positions that windows can be factory installed. Vans shipped to the United States on-spec (speculation to sell by dealer/distributor) are mostly sent in Arctic White color, but many standard and a few special colors are available on these passenger vans. The Dodge dealer network for Sprinters is limited to certified locations (known as "Business Link" certified dealers, usually only awarded to "Five Star" certified dealers), and dealer knowledge is still limited in both sales and service. Special orders typically take one to three months for delivery, and make stretch out even longer, due to the assembly and dis-assembly in Germany, and exporting of parts to South Carolina for re-assembly; the exception is passenger van models, which are assembled in Germany and exported assembled.

In North America, most Sprinters are sold as cargo vans to expediters in the United States. Such expediters are similar to truck drivers, except they take smaller loads and will wait in a town indefinitely after unloading, until dispatchers find another customer nearby to transport goods. The advent of the Sprinter van with its cargo space of 13-1/2 feet (4.1 m) has allowed van expediters to take three 48 x 48 in (1.22 x 1.22 m) skids or pallets, where previously they were confined to two. A Sprinter is capable of hauling approximately 3000 lb (1360 kg) of cargo.

The vehicle has been adopted by police in Hong Kong, as an ambulance in all Western European and Scandinavian countries, Australia by all state ambulance services and as an ambulance in New Zealand. The 515 CDI has become the standard ambulance for use by the NHS in the United Kingdom.

Another market in which Sprinters are gaining ground is as van conversions and recreational vehicles. Conversions include RV's, limousines, family and luxury vans, office vans, wheelchair accessible vans, and golf vans. Sprinter RV conversions can also be called Sprinter campervans. Sprinter conversions have been produced by several RV and coach manufacturers.

Despite not being marketed as a family vehicle, a custom-modified Dodge-branded Sprinter was used by the ten-member Gosselin family, the subjects of the TLC reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8.

The 906 (second generation) was produced in Argentina only for export markets — except Mercosur markets (Brasil, Uruguay and Paraguay) — from 2007 until 2010, but in 2011 announced the new production of the second generation in the Centro Industrial J. Manuel Fangio, in Buenos Aires with the brand new OM 651 engine (also local made) and exported to the rest of America (including Mercosur markets). Since 2012, it's manufactured for the Mercosur and 40 other countries.

In Colombia, the Sprinter is the most popular van for intercity transport. The Sprinter was famous for the case of son of former President Julio Cesar Turbay, Julio Cesar Turbay, Jr. in public employ like "Contralor of Republic" had an Scandal for bought a Mercedes Sprinter with luxury accessories.

A Mercedes Sprinter is also the vehicle used by Mike and Frank on The History Channel reality series American Pickers.