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A European top seller: Dodge Sprinter has been modified to fit North American fleets
Howard Elmer
Dodge Sprinter has been modified to fit north American fleets Introduced at the Toronto International auto Show this past February, the all-new 2007 Dodge Sprinter offers expanded versatility for the business market.
Building on the success of the previous model, the new Sprinter has been redesigned as wider, higher and longer, with more capacity. A new 3500-series
dual-wheel model is now available, and the interiors can be specified to carry passengers, freight or handle service work.
While this is the second generation to be sold in North America, it’s important to remember this van is the staple of the European parcel and vocational market—and has been for at least a decade longer than it’s existed here. In fact, the Sprinter is the top selling cargo and passenger van built as a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in Europe. that’s significant because these first versions currently serving Canadian fleets are pretty much the same as those European versions. It’s this new generation that’s had the first chance to reflect the needs of the North American vocational market.
Gas option
Some of the key North American-inspired changes include new engine choices; a pallet-friendly side door; three new vehicle lengths; a new mega-roof option and an all-new chassis cab for up-fitters. the new vehicle lengths are 233, 273 and
289 inches on two new wheelbases of 144 or 170 inches. new GVWr configurations range from 8,550 lbs. to 11,030 lbs. For cargo vans and chassis cabs. the current version of Sprinter is powered by a 2.7-litre diesel, generating 154 hp at 3,800 rpm. It makes 243 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s being replaced by a new three-litre cdI turbo diesel V6 engine as the base offering with a 3.5-litre V6 gas engine available as an option.
the new diesel makes the same horsepower as the current engine but its torque rating is now up to 280 lb.-ft. It comes with a new aluminum crankcase, a balancer shaft and two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank. dodge says this smoothes out any vibration, and it apparently does. The diesel powertrain also has a particulate filter, making it compliant with new Canadian environmental regulations.
the offer of a gasoline engine in the Sprinter is a first. dodge seems to realize
certain low-mileage buyers can’t justify the added cost of the diesel option. this
3.5-litre V6 makes 254 hp and offers a maximum torque rating of 250 lb.-ft. at between 2,500 -5,000 rpm. the engine is said to be responsive, boasts low emissions and features an easy maintenance design.
Suggested oil change intervals on the new engines are 16,000 km. regardless of the power options, the Sprinter comes with the same standard five-speed automatic transmission. Similar to the tranny offered in the previous model, this five-speed can be shifted manually by the driver, using an instrument panel-mounted gearshift located in the center stack.
Working with the engine braking, this feature is particularly handy on long
downhill grades. It holds a steady speed and saves the brakes.
When first introduced here back in 2003, the full-height roof was immediately
accepted for the numerous advantages it offered—easy mobility being only one of them. The full-height roof came with full height doors, and the rear doors in particular were great.
These had a double-action hinge setup that opened the doors away from the frame and folded flush to the side of the van, providing 270 degrees of movement. A large sliding passenger side door was standard with an optional driver’s side cargo door. All this is still the norm; but for 2007 there are a variety of smart changes and upgrades.
A new 51-inch side door will now take standard pallets and roof heights can be spec’d as options. The standard height is 65-inches but a higher 76-inch roof can be ordered as well. For those needing a serious ceiling, Sprinter offers the 84-inch mega-roof.
Rear doors come in two versions; 60 and 72 inches. The fixed or opening skylights (available in the fiberglass-reinforced plastic roof) are a nice feature.
Cutting weight
Built as a unibody design, the relatively light curb weight of the Sprinter pushes up its payload capabilities; but this only works if there’s sufficient cross bracing and structural rigidity in the body of the truck. For that reason, the suspension components have been redeveloped; increasing torsion stiffness by as much as 100 per cent in the rear of the vehicle.
At the same time, the total number of welds was reduced to further cut weight.
Another feature is transverse rear axle leaf springs manufactured from a fiberglass-reinforced plastic; much lighter than steel.
Up front, the Sprinter gets an all-new front axle with independent suspension. To
stop the extra payload, new 16-inch wheels have larger-diameter ventilated rake discs on all four wheels.
New standard rack-and-pinion power steering now also comes with a height and
tilt-adjustable steering wheel. In addition to the steering being power assisted, it’s also speed-sensitive and applies a variable-ratio response to steering input. The key benefit comes during parking and tight maneuvering.
For the customer that needs a specialized body added by an upfitter, the new Sprinter chassis-cab offers easy-building features such as flat frame rails, bolted rear frame cross members and a fuel-filler neck and nozzle that’s integrated with the cab.
Tail-light wiring harnesses are left long and the cab is available with a two-seat front bench and a rear window for the cab. The chassis-cabs are available in all the same sizes offered with van bodies.
New standard features in all Sprinters include power windows and locks, halogen headlamps, 16-inch wheels, tilt wheel, CD radio and a new storage concept.
This storage space incorporates a new glove compartment that uses the vehicle air conditioning system to keep items such as food and beverages cool. It’s also large enough to hold papers, cards and pens. With the optional bulkhead in the megaroof, there’s space for tools, helmets, raingear and other equipment.
Safety features include standard air bags, three-point seat belts, headrests and an all-new Adaptive Electronic Stability Program (ESP) that takes the vehicle payload into account when calculating a response to a vehicle skid or loss of control.
The towing ability of the Sprinter has also been increased to 7,500 lb., and it can be ordered with the hitch and electrical couplings right from the factory. With this van, Dodge replaced its aging Ram van and expanded into the light duty segment of the North American commercial vehicles market, a segment with a volume of about 360,000 units annually in the US and Canada.
All Sprinters are built in Germany. Initially built at DaimlerChrysler’s Düsseldorf plant, increased demand has spawned a second factory at Ludwigsfelde. Final assembly of US bound Sprinters takes place at Ladson, South Carolina, while Canadian Sprinters are put together in Halifax.
It’s interesting to note the investment required by DaimlerChyrsler to bring this new generation of Sprinter to market has been over $2 billion. fm
Howard Elmer is an automotive writer based in Brampton, Ont.
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