The Freightliner Sprinter is the North American version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the large van built by Mercedes-Benz in Germany as a panel van, chassis cab, minibus and pickup. The Sprinter has been sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodge and Freightliner names, and in the United States it was assembled from complete knock-down kits by Freightliner.
Freightliner Sprinter at a glance
| Type | large van, chassis cab and minibus |
|---|---|
| Maker | Mercedes-Benz, sold as a Freightliner in North America |
| North American launch | 2002 model year |
| First generation | W903, launched in Europe in 1995 |
| Chassis | VA chassis (first generation) |
| Assembly in the USA | Gaffney, South Carolina, from knock-down kits |
| Cargo body source | Düsseldorf, Germany |
| 2002–2003 engine | 2.7 L OM612 inline-five diesel |
| 2004–2006 engine | OM647, water-cooled EGR, CARB compliant |
| Gearbox | five-speed 5G-Tronic |
| Other badges | Dodge from 2003, Mercedes-Benz elsewhere |
The source page covers the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter; this article describes only the Freightliner-badged North American version.
History of the Freightliner Sprinter
Why a Freightliner badge
DaimlerChrysler decided not to sell the Sprinter as a Mercedes-Benz in North America because the utilitarian van would have interfered with the luxury image the brand had there, while Freightliner and Dodge had far more experience of selling trucks and commercial vehicles. The first-generation Sprinter, on the VA chassis, therefore arrived for the 2002 model year badged as a Freightliner. In 2003 Dodge branding was added, as DaimlerChrysler chose the Sprinter to replace the ageing Dodge Ram van, and from then until the end of that generation the two versions were sold side by side, identical apart from minor styling details and the badges.
Knock-down kits and the chicken tax
Cargo versions were built in Düsseldorf, partly disassembled and shipped to a Freightliner factory in Gaffney, South Carolina, where they were put back together. The reason was tax: cargo versions are classified as light trucks and would have faced the 25 percent chicken tax if imported complete, which the semi knock-down kit and American reassembly avoided. Passenger vans were not classified the same way and came in fully assembled through Mercedes-Benz in Jacksonville, Florida.
Engines and equipment
The 2002 and 2003 Sprinters sold in North America came only with the 2.7-litre OM612 inline-five diesel and were offered in 49 states, because the engine did not meet California emissions rules. From 2004 to 2006 the OM647 replaced it, swapping the air-cooled EGR valve of the OM612 for a water-cooled unit among other changes, which made those vans CARB compliant and saleable in all 50 states. The only transmission offered in North America was the five-speed 5G-Tronic automatic. The launch was run by DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC, a small division in Huntersville, North Carolina, staffed largely by people from DaimlerChrysler’s commercial vehicle division and Freightliner Trucks; it kept sole responsibility for the North American market until sales, service and parts were taken over by Chrysler’s commercial vehicle division in 2004.
Design and features
- German van, American badge: the same vehicle sold in Europe as a Mercedes-Benz.
- Knock-down assembly: cargo vans were rebuilt at Gaffney, South Carolina.
- Tax engineering: partial disassembly avoided the 25 percent light truck tariff.
- Diesel only at first: the 2.7-litre five-cylinder was the sole engine in 2002.
Freightliner Sprinter versions
- Freightliner Sprinter cargo (2002): knock-down kit assembled in South Carolina.
- Freightliner Sprinter passenger: imported complete through Jacksonville.
- Dodge Sprinter (from 2003): the same van under Dodge badges.
- OM612 (2002–2003): 2.7-litre inline-five, sold in 49 states.
- OM647 (2004–2006): CARB-compliant version of the same engine.
The Sprinter is the smallest vehicle sold with a Freightliner badge, below the Business Class M2 medium-duty trucks and the Cascadia tractors. More vehicles are in the Freightliner collection.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, English Wikipedia: Freightliner badge, knock-down assembly, engines
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, German Wikipedia: generations and markets
