by Lynne Richardson

I’ve test-driven the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter twice now, and each time the company has come up with a new innovation that has raised the bar in terms of enhanced safety. The new ECO-Start Sprinter model is no exception.

In fact it’s packed with innovations and world-first technology, all aimed at improving driver safety and productivity, but also responding to the increasing demand for environmental considerations.

ECO-Start refers to the automatic start-stop system – the first of its type to be incorporated in a commercial van. Pull up to an intersection or stop at a set of traffic lights, and when idling at a standstill, the engine automatically switches off. Depress the clutch and the engine automatically fires up again.

I’ve got to be honest and say I did stall it a couple of times. It’s not an immediate pick-up, and you do have to pause for a split-second to allow the engine to engage properly before driving off, but it didn’t take long to get used to this.

It’s certainly disconcerting to be stopped in traffic with the engine off! But an engine that isn’t running, of course, consumes no fuel and produces no exhaust fumes or carbon emissions, and it’s this simple fact that helps the ECO-Start Sprinter to save fuel while sparing the environment and your wallet.

I would imagine the ECO-Start Sprinter’s saving potential would be greatest when operating in our busy traffic-congested urban centres, especially when there are frequent waiting times in traffic jams or at traffic lights. Depending on the type of operation and traffic density, Mercedes-Benz engineers estimate a reduction in fuel consumption of five to eight percent, possibly higher (driving tests by other commercial vehicle publications have achieved improvements of up to 20 percent when compared with a van not equipped with ECO-Start). Multiply that over a fleet of vans, and you’d have a significant dollar saving over the course of a year.

Low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions are nowadays desired by most freight companies. Add in the adaptive ESP (electronic stability programme) – now standard in the Sprinter – and some optional extras like Parktronic (a parking system that gives visual and audible signals to warn of collisions when reversing or squeezing into small spaces), bi-xenon headlamps (that project light around corners), and airbags for the passenger, and you have a very attractive van indeed.

The new Mercedes-Benz ECO-Start Sprinter is available now and retails from $47,220 plus GST.

For further information, visit
www.mercedes-benz.co.nz

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The K2900’s 2.9 litre turbo diesel engine with front and rear suspension is designed for big cargo hauling, and will comfortably manage a heavy payload of 1740 kg. The easy-to-use drop-down sides on the cargo deck enable it to be utilised for a wide range of loading applications.

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