Earth Friendly Fleet Pleaser
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For years Mercedes has led the way in the panel van world with the powerful and easy to drive Sprinter. And of course the German automaker has also been a leader in the technology advancement world as well. Now with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ECO-START they have taken the panel van to a completely different level.
The idea of a truly functional yet earth friendly panel van used to be thought of as the holy graille in the fleet manager's world. The fact that panel vans are usually used to lug around deliveries and equipments they needed to be large and powerful which used to mean they also got bad fuel consumption numbers and they emitted large amounts of toxins into the ozone layer. But the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ECO-START is about the change all that.
Mercedes has equipped these versions of the Sprinter with a system that will turn the engine off when the van is stuck in traffic or stopped at a traffic lamp. The best part from a driver's stand point is that they control if the system is utilized or not by flipping a switch on the dashboard. Then to turn the engine off the driver puts the car in neutral and lifts their foot of the clutch. Lifting the foot off the clutch will turns the engine off. The all they have to do to restart the engine is simply put their foot on the clutch and put the car in gear. This is nice because it allows the drive a little more control than conventional stop and start systems.
The carmaker has also equipped the Sprinter ECO-START with a better battery system and alternator to make sure that the system stays functional at all times. After all there isn't much of a point creating a technology like this if it can't be utilized all the time. The system will not shut the engine off if the battery doesn't have enough juice to get it re-fired. Another nice touch is they the ECO-START system can also sense when the weather is cold enough that it may hinder the restarting. This means there is little chance the system will leave a driver getting yelled at when the weather turns icy.
Under the bonnet of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ECO-START there are several engine choices. Two of the engines run on diesel power and come in the shape of a 2.1-litre 4-cylinder with power outputs of 88bhp, 109bhp, 129bhp or 150bhp or a 2.1-litre V6 that produces 184bhp. The rear-wheel drive makes the Sprinter the class of the panel van field when it comes to power. And of course this is a Mercedes produced vehicle so that means that it has superior ride quality.
If a person was dropped into the cabin they would think they were in one of the A-Class or B-Class cars offered by Mercedes and not a panel van. Of course being that this is a working van Mercedes as made sure to use tougher material throughout the cabin and have included nice storage shelves above the dash and cubbies in the doors.
Fleet managers looking for power and affordability will be happy to learn about the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ECO-START. Other panel van makers will want to start their own research into how to make their vans this good.
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