By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica

(August 18, 2016) CHARLESTON, S.C. — Ask almost anyone in America about Mercedes-Benz and they’ll immediately reference German luxury and sporty automobiles and utility vehicles. Few, if any are aware of the big push the German auto manufacturer is making in the commercial van business with their two product offerings: the larger Sprinter and the smaller Metris vans.

Furthermore, with a starting price of $25,995, the just introduced mid-size Metris WORKER van is the most affordable Mercedes-Benz sold in America. The larger Sprinter has been around since 2001 with the Sprinter WORKER van introduced earlier this year at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show. It has a starting price of $32,495.

All Sprinter vans begin life in Dusseldorf, Germany, where they leave the final assembly plant. Sprinters destined for the United States are then partially disassembled. The body is separated from the frame, wheels and tires removed, and they are put into a crate and shipped overseas to the Port of Charleston in South Carolina. Mercedes’ assembly plant just outside of Charleston then reassembles the Sprinters, about 80 each day, before shipping them to Mercedes-Benz dealers across the country.

A 25 percent tariff on imports, including pickup trucks and commercial vans, known as the “Chicken Tax,” has kept the Sprinter at a competitive disadvantage against the segment-leading Ford Transit and other large commercial vans.

President Lyndon B. Johnson imposed the Chicken Tax after France and West Germany imposed a tariff on chicken imported from America. In retaliation, Johnson imposed a 25 percent tax on wholly assembled imported vehicles into the United States. To avoid the tax, Mercedes reassembles the Sprinter.

For the record, Mercedes-Benz just broke ground on a new $500 million addition to its South Carolina facility and will start producing the next-generation Sprinter by the end of the decade to discontinue importing it from Germany.


Mercedes-Benz Metris WORKER Cargo Vans

Despite the current tax and cost of importing the Sprinter, the van as seen annual sales growth since 2010 and just over 19 percent last year, outpacing the overall large van segment’s 10 percent. Still, the more than 117,500 Ford Transit vans sold last year is more than four times as many as the Sprinter’s 25,850 sales.

Sales of the mid-size Metris has been slow since it was first introduced in the fourth-quarter of 2015, with only sold 2,673 through the first six months of this year. Metris competes with the smaller Ford Transit Connect, Chevrolet City Express, Ram ProMaster City, and Nissan NV200.


Mercedes-Benz Sprinter WORKER van

To be clear, when we are talking about “vans” it is not in reference to the ubiquitous soccer mom “minivans.” The vans here are almost always aimed at the commercial user — the 24-passenger Sprinter van used by hotels and resorts for shuttling guests to and from the airport, remote airport parking lot shuttle vans, rental car agencies and the like.

The cargo van versions of both the Sprinter and the Metris are ideal for HVAC contractors, pest control, electricians, pool supply and repair, home builders, appliance repair and others. These vehicles are exceptionally roomy, and easy to drive and park. With long service intervals, and decent gas mileage, they can spend more time on the road and job site and less time in the shop.

Additionally, the Metris features six airbags for both the Cargo and Passenger Van variants. All models feature standard ATTENTION ASSIST, Crosswind Assist and Hill Start Assist, with optional safety features such as Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, and a rear view camera. Metris WORKER is available with an enhanced suite of Mercedes-Benz assistance systems.

Full disclosure, Mercedes-Benz flew me to Charleston, South Carolina, where we were thoroughly briefed on both the Sprinter and the Metris. They also arranged to provide numerous demonstration vans outfitted in different turnkey commercial applications by one of Mercedes-Benz’s new MasterSolutions partners in the U.S.

One of the Sprinter vans was set up as a mobile dog wash and grooming vehicle. Another was outfitted as an electrician’s vehicle with shelves, drawers, toolboxes and equipment by Knapheid, a contractor’s solution jobber. Still others were set up with extended ladders, refrigeration units, emergency medical equipment, and other iterations all to give us a sense of the unlimited commercial applications.

Other Mercedes-Benz outfitter partners include companies like Auto Truck Group, and SmartLiner that specialize in passenger vans.

Both the Sprinter and the Metris come with standard cloth seats with leatherette optional. The seats are upright, comfortable with a long range of adjustability to fit any size driver.

Two diesel drivetrains are available for the Sprinter van, the 2.1-liter four-cylinder with 161 horsepower, paired with the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission and the 3.0-liter 188-horsepower V-6 with a five-speed automatic transmission.

The Metris is powered by a 2.0-liter 208 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 7-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.

While both the Ford Transit and the Ram ProMaster enjoy $2,000 to $2,500 price advantage over the Sprinter, it’s worth nothing that the diesel engine is standard in the Sprinter and is an extra $5,645 in the Ford and $5,245 in the Ram. Additionally the high roof is standard in the Sprinter and an extra $605 in the Ford and $1,630 in the Ram.

The Sprinter and the Metris offer an excellent and affordable solution to the commercial needs of those in trades or people-hauling, or other small businesses, and is certainly worth a look and test drive.

Vital Stats – Sprinter Van

Base Price: $32,495 - $40,015
Engine/Transmission: 2.1- liter 161-horsepower 4-cylinder diesel; 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission. 3.0-liter 188-horsepower V-6 diesel; five-speed automatic transmission
Driveline: Standard rear-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive
Fuel Economy: 2.1-liter 4-cylinder – 21/24 – City/Highway (Est.) 3.0 – Liter V6 – N/A

Fab Features

Surprisingly easy to drive
Ample Space
Excellent diesel engines and transmissions


Vital Stats – Metris Van

Base Price: $25,995 - $32,500
Engine/Transmission: 2.0-liter 208 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine, 7-speed automatic transmission
Driveline: Rear-wheel drive
Fuel Economy: 21/24 – City/Highway

Fab Features

Excellent payload and towing capacity
Available as cargo or passenger configurations
Attractive Euro exterior styling