Mercedes Sprinter Panel Van (2021 - )

For more than two decades the Mercedes Sprinter has been a popular choice for businesses looking for a very capable workhorse that’s both robust and reliable, but also packed with modern-day tech.

Now in its third generation, the Sprinter is available in a vast range of styles from Panel Vans to Crew Vans and in a choice of lengths and trims. There are even chassis cab models, again in a variety of lengths and styles.

Customers can specify front, rear or all-wheel drive, along with an array of powertrains, including the introduction of an all-electric model back in 2020.

We opted for the diesel-driven Sprinter Panel Van in Premium specification and with rear-wheel drive. Our model was an H2 with the ‘H’ referring to the height and the ‘2’ to the length.

The Mercedes Sprinter is a full-sized commercial van that covers all the practical demands of a working vehicle, but also offers plenty of creature comforts and the latest technology for occupants too. 

From the outside, the Sprinter looks sturdy with its high sides, single sliding rear side door, twin back doors, black grille housing the Mercedes Three-Pointed Star emblem, sweeping light clusters and smart alloys.

But it’s on the inside that the third-gen model has cranked up the heat on rivals with a cabin featuring lots of the company’s car-based tech. There is the renowned Mercedes MBUX entertainment system with a seven-inch touchscreen, sat nav (as a £690 optional extra), Bluetooth, full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a DAB radio, WiFi hotspot, air conditioning and lots more besides.

The seats and steering wheel offer manual adjustment so it’s easy to get a comfortable driving position and the steering wheel also has a number if buttons to navigate and control the onboard features without taking your hands off the wheel. 

So, fair to say, for a van the Sprinter is generously equipped, but it still maintains its practical reputation with lots of hard-wearing plastic surfaces that can easily be wiped clean and sturdy, yet neatly styled seats. 

Looks can be deceiving at times and this is one of those occasions. That’s because despite the Mercedes Sprinter living up to the practical demands of a large commercial van, it drives surprisingly well.

Our test model was powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine delivering 150PS and 340Nm of torque and matched to a nine-speed automatic (9G-Tronic) gearbox. The standard transmission for this model is a six-speed manual one, but RWD versions can be specified with the auto box which adds £1,970 to the cost.

The first thing to say about how the Sprinter handles is its agility. This is a large van, but is easy to drive with nice acceleration that lives up to its ‘Sprinter’ name-tag, offers good grip levels and boasts superb driver visibility front and side-ways thanks to ultra-large windows. 

There is zero rearview visibility due to the full-sized partition. But the model has a Parking Package as standard that introduces a reversing camera and Park assist.

We did notice the Sprinter was blown about a little without any payload on board, especially in particularly blustery conditions and this was despite featuring a Crosswind Assist safety feature. But we added some sand bags to the back and that issue was soon rectified. And, in fairness, this vehicle will usually be carrying some weight in the back.

The powered steering on the latest models is governed by speed. That means if you are driving slowly in busy, built-up traffic manoeuvring becomes easier with very light steering. Then when travelling at pace, it becomes weightier.

Gear selections are controlled via a steering wheel-mounted stalk, but there are paddles to take control manually for added driver engagement.

Open the rear doors to the Sprinter Panel Van and you are greeted by a massive load area with a flat floor and a plywood lining including sturdy box coverings over the wheel arches.

There is just one sliding side door which is on the passenger’s side offering easy access to goods towards the front of the van and a full-sized bulkhead partition protects occupants up front should anything slide forwards.

But for many potential buyers, the selling point will be the Sprinter’s carrying capacity and size. The vehicle itself stretches 5,932mm in length, is 2,345mm wide and 2,620mmm in height (front-wheel drive versions are slightly taller at 2,638mm). 

The loading bay length is 3,272mm (3,397mm on FWD) and the width measures 1,787mm across, with a height of 2,009mm (2,079mm FWD).

So, fair to say the loading bay is pretty vast and the vehicle has a payload limit of 1,192kg.

Up front, three occupants can sit comfortably and they have bundles of storage space too with a large covered compartment on top of the dashboard where the USB ports are located and this is flanked by two large storage bins either side. There is a deep door pockets, overhead compartments, cup holders and a sunglasses holder. There is no conventional glovebox, but this area is replaced by an open compartment.

My only slight grip was the positioning of the overhead grab handle to help when getting in and out of the Sprinter. It’s quite awkward to get a decent grip at times without being a bit of a contortionist.

The Mercedes Sprinter line-up is vast and comes in all manner of shapes and sizes. The Panel Van version, as tested, is priced from £26,285 (excluding VAT), but our model – the Sprinter Van L2 H2 Premium RWD – cost £35,010. A few optional extras, including a navigation system, specialist paintwork, blind spot assist and the nine-speed automatic transmission, saw the final price creep up to £38,775 (excl. VAT).

Under WLTP-testing, this model could deliver a combined 29.1-32.1mpg with carbon emissions of 230-254g/km. 

Unlike cars, vans are charged at a flat rate when it comes to road tax, so Sprinter owners will have to pay £320 (up to April 2024). And there is also a flat-rate Van Benefit Charge (similar to BiK for company car drivers). The current rate is £792 for a 20 per cent taxpayer increasing to £1,584 for anyone on the 40 per cent threshold.

Mercedes has an excellent reputation for reliability so the Sprinter is likely to hold its value for a generous sell-on price and, for added peace of mind, the vehicle is covered by a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty package.

The Mercedes Sprinter has been a hugely successful model since it arrived back in 1995 and has grown in popularity over the years.

The third-generation vehicle, launched in 2018, really raises the bar and this model is the ultimate proof that vans can be both practical and comfortable at the same time. In addition, they can feature the same high-end technology we expect in modern-day cars. 

Customers have a wealth of Sprinter models to choose from and there is a generous selection of powertrains, transmissions and drive systems to suit all requirements too.