Introduction
Take the Mercedes-Benz A140, a perfectly good state-of-the-art smallish family car. Its 1.4-litre petrol engine and respectively low weight give it a lively enough performance with an unladen power-to-weight ratio of 77hp/tonne. But if you’re reading CM, there’s a fair chance that the boot may not be big enough for your needs, in which case you’ll need to look elsewhere in the Merc range. How about a five-cylinder Sprinter, then? In its smallest and lightest form, the 216CDI, it comes with an even healthier unladen ratio of 85hp/tonne – just the basis for a motorhome conversion for that challenging touring holiday.
Our test subject, the 416CDI, is a van of more modest abilities, weighing in at just 73hp/tonne thanks to its beefier build and longer wheelbase. These numbers are all thanks to the 154hp output of the most powerful engine ever fitted to a European production van. When your tester first ventured onto the road, and Adam was merely middle-aged, 150hp was expected to haul 16 tons (as they were then) and even today, it’s the benchmark figure for the 7.5-tonne category.
Product Profile
When the new Sprinter was launched earlier this year, the visual changes were subtle, to say the least. The most obvious identifier is the larger three-pointed star badge on the front, accommodated by a cut-out in the lower edge of the bonnet. Virtually all of the changes consisted of the new engines and transmissions under that bonnet, and in the redesigned cockpit.
We tested the Sprinter, a long wheelbase 313 CDI, just a few months ago (CM 1-7 June) so we will just recap briefly. Besides the usual chassis-cab and mini-bus variants, vans are available with four GVWs, three wheelbases, and two roof heights. They’re propelled by a quartet of new common-rail turbo-diesels; all but the lowest-powered one have variable geometry turbochargers. There are three 2,151cc four-cylinders rated at 80,107 and 127hp, and the 2,686cc five-pot tested here. The five produces 154hp at 3,800rpm with 330Nm of torque at 1,400-2,400. As if that torque plateau was not impressive enough, at least 90% of that torque is on tap from 1,200rpm right up to 3,150rpm.
As well as the monster engine, our 4.6-tonne GVW test van features Mercedes’ automated six-speed Sprintshift transmission. With the shorter (3,550mm) of the 416CDI’s two wheelbase options and the standard roof height, the Sprinter was refreshingly free from the frills and fripperies that often accompany press test vehicles. Its only indulgence was the rather lurid tangerine paintwork which meant that no-one could fail to see it as it approached.
Twin rear wheels, which are fitted with 195/70R15 tyres rather than the 225-section items of the 3.5-tonner, are standard on this model, and are covered by plastic flared wheelarches with a thoughtful lead-in ramp to them being ripped off in tight spots.
Productivity
One thought recurred throughout this test: no-one is likely to buy a 416 unless they really need the power and the payload. The price alone, exactly £4,000 more than an identically specced 313, will ensure that, even if the obligatory tachograph doesn’t.
Model for model, the 4.6-tonner gives 940kg of extra payload compared with the 3.5-tonne versions; the remaining 160kg is accounted for by the twin rear wheels and beefier suspension. To put its capacity into perspective, its net payload of 2,385kg is rather more than a fully freighted Citroën Dispatch.
Given its appetite for hard work, we weren’t expecting the Sprinter 416 to defeat the laws of physics and win any economy awards – the price of the extra tonne of payload is a laden figure of 22.8mpg, just a tenth of an mpg better than running the 129hp VW LT46. Running unladen, however, the penalty diminishes; its 28.3mpg puts it within easy reach of the 3.5-tonne benchmark. There is absolutely no indication that the Sprintshift transmission has any detrimental effect on fuel economy, behaving as it does in the same manner as any reasonably competent driver.
Beyond a certain threshold of power, average speeds are becoming academic as we are increasingly restrained only by speed limits. This is perfectly illustrated in the Sprinter’s case – slight differences in traffic signal stops and the like meant that the laden run was completed a minute quicker than the unladen. Suffice to say that if the 416 isn’t fast enough for you, then you must have some fairly unusual requirements.
The unglazed rear doors have stops at 90 and 180o. However, the lack of a positive detent in the open position proved irritating, particularly while loading on a windy day as the upwind door kept blowing shut. There was no such problem with the side door; its strong catch held firm even on steep slopes.
The load floor is 710mm from the ground, which is reasonable for a rear-wheel-driver, and has a phenolic resin ply covering as standard. Also standard are the eight hefty tie-down rings, but the ply-lined loadspace walls were a dealer-fitted extra.
