Anyway, in times when everything is in flux and nothing is carved in stone anymore, the inventor of the automobile sets a counterpoint. And presents an original outlook on the next generation of the bestseller and namesake of an entire class as a stone sculpture, in Swabian marketing parlance “The Boulder”, the rock block. It has, of course, only just shed its shell that in truth consists of plastic. And what emerges from the faux stone hints at a substantial paradigm shift.
For unlike the monobox silhouettes of the increasingly numerous and purely electric competitors, be they Kia, Farizon, Flexis or Maxus, the next eSprinter does not rely on “One-Box” design, but rather “Three-Box Design”. A fairly long hood becomes visible under the fake shell, as well as a self-confident, upright giant grille, as already hinted by the concept study “Vision V”. For the commercial vehicle one can assume that the front will not be illuminated like a “Christbaum” (Christmas tree), but will display a tough and impact-resistant “workwear-gray” to the world.
Now there's still an internal-combustion engine after all
The 650 centimeter long, 275 centimeter wide and 250 centimeter tall sculpture seems as if milled from a solid plastic workpiece and is probably good three tons heavy. The first outlines and design details indicate not only the exterior dimensions but also clearly steeper walls and thus probably a higher load volume. The form is rather bulky-strong than filigree-elegant like the current model; the next Sprinter shows clearly more edge. It is also likely to surpass the two-meter width mark by far, where the current model with its two meters belongs to the slimmer representatives, an advantage especially in city deliveries.
The hood runs flat toward the cab, the windscreen stands quite steep. Nevertheless, the model should make a big step in efficiency, especially in the case of the electric version there is still room for improvements. The mirrors, matching
the squarer look, are also rather square than upright, but they blend harmoniously into the new image. The entire window line sits lower than before, from which the advantage of a lower entry could arise.
A conventional platform will accompany the electric version
Why, then, a “space-wasting” hood? Also because Mercedes does not yet trust the “peace” with e-mobility and after initial “electric-only” announcements the partial retreat was undertaken: The VAN.EA platform (“Van Electric Architecture”) is supposed to exist after all as a “highly modern” combustion-engine platform VAN.CA (Van Combustion Architecture). One does not see a contradiction there with Benz, not least between the attributes “highly modern” and “internal combustion engine.”
Rather one sees the strategic pivot as a flexible reaction to the transformation that, contrary to the company's own earlier forecasts and hopes, is still too sluggish for the commercial customer. Going all-in risk, as Kia or Farizon do, is not something the market leader from Untertürkheim wants, not least in times when Trump cuts the power to e-mobility in the US market, which is enormously important for Mercedes-Benz Vans.
The Sprinter as a long-nose
Speaking of the US market: If you read the dimensions of the deeply drawn hood correctly, there would even be room for a (hypothetical) V8 block, at least a V6 gasoline engine for the important US transport- van market. Only this much is allowed to be teased: From 2026 the fully electric models of the Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) will be introduced for private customers. The beginning is made by the noble EQV successor VLE, in some design elements oriented toward Vision V. At a “later point in time,” as they say, the electric commercial vehicles will follow.
Much remains with the first “Boulder view” somewhat nebulous and speculative. Carved in stone is one thing: The new vehicle architecture should henceforth form the basis for all newly developed mid-size and large Mercedes-Benz Vans. It
allows a clear differentiation between privately positioned large-area sedans (VLE and VLS) and commercially positioned vans in the premium segment, the Swabians advertise.
As one would expect: developed with customers
The new transporters are also developed in close exchange with commercial customers from diverse sectors and are tailored to their needs and requirements, which goes without saying. It is also already known that the future Sprinter will offer greater drive diversity as well as lengths, wheelbases and weight variants. This should provide the right basis for different configurations and industry-specific upfits and conversions – from courier, express and parcel service to refrigerated vehicles, service and workshop vehicles, ambulances and rescue vehicles, flatbed vehicles for construction sites and passenger transport with mobility-impaired people to camper vans.
Fully connected vans
The new Sprinter will be “digital like never before.” Over-the-Air updates including driver assistance keep functions current, also a sustainability element. With connectivity and software based on the own operating system MB.OS the Swabians promise new standards. Not less than the “intelligentest Mercedes-Benz vans of all time” are supposed to emerge from the faux-stone shell, anything but “stone-age.” Through the “deep integration of the chip-to-cloud architecture” into the vehicle, actuators and sensors can be precisely controlled – from infotainment to comfort features to charging, so the claim.
That should enable new features, coordinated digital services such as VAN-Uptime or Large-Vehicle Navigation, hinting. And thanks to AI-assisted MB.OS every van should be equipped with high-performance computers connected to the MB Intelligent Cloud. The own operating system should also offer high flexibility to seamlessly integrate content from external providers. Commercial customers could use their own applications and tools—for example for fleet management or in-vehicle navigation on the head unit, in Benz look, of course.
Leading position over the Far East: 130 years of van history
Rather than looking too detailed into the generally uncertain future, the Swabians prefer the glorious past: In the fitting
frame of the anniversary “130 Years of the Transporter” next year, they span the arc from the presentation of the world's oldest drivable delivery van, a Benz Combinations delivery van, to the current eSprinter, pointing to a “success story since 1896.” The performances back then of 2.75 to 6 PS were enough for a top speed of 15 to 20 km/h, with full payload.
The new motor vehicles were faster than a two-horse carriage and could carry around three times as much payload. A new market segment in the early automotive history was born, and Carl Benz had once again proven himself as an inventor with foresight. The first delivery van was delivered by the Mannheim-born man on 5 December 1896 to the Paris department store “Du Bon Marché,” at a sale price of 4,500 marks.
Inventor of the light commercial vehicle
The Benz Combinations delivery van from 1899 in the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection, shown at the event in Neuhausen on the Fildern, was painstakingly rebuilt (chassis) or rebuilt (body) for the anniversary. The specimen had been built by the company “Hewetson’s Ltd.” as the official Benz representative licensed in England. As an “Ideal Van” it delivered 3 PS and carried 100 kilograms of payload plus a driver. Later models delivered 3.5 PS and could move up to 250 kilograms of freight.
“As the inventor of the light commercial vehicle, we have for almost 130 years consistently placed our know-how and our experience at the service of our commercial customers. Your benefit and added value are our top priority – then, today and tomorrow,” gushes Thomas Klein, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.
Whether the cheeky competition from the Far East is that impressed remains to be seen. As said: Nothing is carved in stone anymore, in times of transformation, not even the Sprinter, the special model “The Boulder.” It is at any rate a beautiful story, from the automotive Stone Age,
