Sprinter goes all-wheel drive

MERCEDES-BENZ has released an all-wheel drive version of its popular Sprinter commercial vehicles, more than two years after the current generation arrived in Australia in its various rear-drive forms.

Available across a wide range of van and cab-chassis models with various engine, wheelbase, cab and payload sizes, the 4x4 option costs an extra $22,000 over equivalent 4x2 models.

This prices the cheapest Sprinter 4x4 model at $67,990.

The new Sprinter 4x4 range the driver to engage drive to all four wheels at the touch of a button, without the need for any manual activation, providing 35 per cent of drive to the front wheels and 65 per cent to the rears.

M-B Australia says the new van will be useful for slippery, low-grip conditions such as snow, ice and mud that often limit the operational capacity of commercial vehicles.

It expects the 4x4 option will prove popular in areas such as mining, tourism, emergency services and telecommunications.

Working with the standard electronic stability control, the company’s 4ETS (4-wheel Electronic Traction System) provides the Sprinter 4x4 with electronic control to direct torque to the wheels with the greatest amount of grip, reducing wheel slip to those with less traction. The company claims this mimics the operation of mechanical differential locks, but without the penalty of their weight, cost and consequent wear.

Read more:

First drive: Sprinter sales boost is in the mail

Car review – Mercedes-Benz Sprinter commercial range