Dodge Sprinter: the Mercedes van Dodge sold in America

The Dodge Sprinter is the Dodge-badged version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the large van that Mercedes-Benz has built since 1995. DaimlerChrysler chose it in 2003 to replace the ageing Dodge Ram Van, and it was sold in North America alongside the identical Freightliner version.

Dodge Sprinter at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the van sold as the Dodge Sprinter.

History of the Dodge Sprinter

The first-generation Sprinter was launched in Europe in 1995 to replace the T1 Transporter van of 1977. Compared with the T1 it had less aerodynamic drag and its engine was moved 290 mm forward to increase cabin space, and it was the first Mercedes-Benz product to carry a name rather than an alphanumeric designation. It was released with four-wheel disc brakes and anti-lock braking and was driven by the most powerful diesel engine in its class, with 90 kW (120 hp). The Sprinter was voted International Van of the Year for 1995, and its styling was updated in 2000 and 2002, the latter bringing standard electronic stability control.

The first-generation VA-chassis Sprinter was launched in North America for the 2002 model year, originally badged as a Freightliner. In 2003 it received Dodge branding as DaimlerChrysler chose to replace the ageing Dodge Ram Van with it, and after that the vans were sold concurrently under the Freightliner and Dodge names, identical apart from minor styling differences and badges. DaimlerChrysler did not use the Mercedes-Benz name in North America because it felt the utilitarian Sprinter would interfere with Mercedes’ luxury image, while Freightliner and Dodge had more experience with commercial vehicles.

Cargo versions were built in Düsseldorf, partially disassembled and shipped to a Freightliner factory in Gaffney, South Carolina, for reassembly. The cargo vans, classified as light trucks, would have been subject to the 25 per cent chicken tax if imported complete, so they came in as semi-knock-down kits; passenger vans were not classified the same way and were imported assembled through Mercedes-Benz in Jacksonville, Florida.

The 2002 and 2003 Sprinters sold in North America had only the 2.7-litre OM612 five-cylinder diesel and were sold in 49 states because they did not meet California emissions standards. The 2004 to 2006 cars used the OM647 engine, which replaced the air-cooled EGR valve with a water-cooled unit among other changes and made them California compliant. The only transmission offered in North America was the five-speed 5G-Tronic automatic. The product was launched by DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC of Huntersville, North Carolina, with support absorbed by Chrysler’s commercial vehicle division in 2004. In Japan the van was sold as the Mercedes-Benz Transporter T1N because Toyota already used the Sprinter name, and the model was also assembled in Iran and Vietnam. In the United States the Dodge Sprinter was discontinued in 2009, when the Ram brand was separated from Dodge and the van was sold as a Freightliner or Mercedes-Benz.

Design and features

• Mercedes engineering: the same van as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter of 1995.
• Five-cylinder diesel: the 2.7-litre OM612 with 156 hp in North America.
• Knock-down assembly: cargo vans were reassembled in South Carolina to avoid import tax.
• Ram Van replacement: Dodge’s full-size van line moved from the B series to the Sprinter in 2003.

Dodge Sprinter versions

• Sprinter van: the cargo version, imported as a knock-down kit.
• Sprinter passenger van: the assembled passenger model.
• Sprinter chassis cab: the bare chassis for bodybuilders.
• Freightliner Sprinter: the identical twin sold through Freightliner dealers.

The Sprinter replaced the Dodge Ram Van and sat above the smaller Dodge 50 Series in the commercial range. More Dodge commercial vehicles are in the Dodge collection.

Sources

• Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, English Wikipedia: first generation, North American launch, engines