Mercedes-Benz today announced the arrival of the new Sprinter, the leader in the large van class, in the Middle East.

Now on sale in showrooms across the region, the entry level Sprinter 216 Panel van comes with a starting price of $32,100, while the top of the range Sprinter 524 Hotel Bus starts at $110,500, said a statement.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has given its name to an entire vehicle class and is synonymous around the world with large vans with a permissible gross vehicle weight of up to 5.0 tons.

The new Sprinter comes with five new safety systems as well as a range of powerful engines to meet Middle East customers’ requirements. It also presents a striking and dynamic new look.

During the launch event at Yas Marina Circuit, UAE, guests were able to test the new Sprinter on slippery, wet surfaces and witness first-hand the all-new and innovative safety systems it features. Also present was National Ambulance of Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s leading provider of emergency pre-hospital care. The company, which already operates a number of Sprinters, performed an interactive display to show how the new Sprinter can be used to save lives.

“Over the years, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has established an extremely strong reputation in the commercial vehicle market. The new Sprinter is set to take the model forward, positioning it even more firmly as the benchmark in the sector and appealing to even more customers across the region,” said Christoph Walther, head of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Vans.

Traditionally the Sprinter has been the pioneer for driver assistance and safety systems. An Adaptive ESP System, ABS and a driver airbag is on board of every Sprinter for years by now. In the new Sprinter, five additional assistance systems – including some world premieres in the van segment – are helping to further reduce the number of accidents. Celebrating their world premiere in the Sprinter are the Crosswind Assist as well as the optional Collision Prevention Assist. Also new are the Blind Spot, Lane Keeping and High Beam Assist.

The new Sprinter is the first van to emerge with a complete engine range which complies with Euro 3 as well as up to the Euro VI emission standards, said a statement. This means a drastic reduction in emission levels for nitrogen oxide (NOx), hydrocarbons (THC) and particulates.

For the Middle East, petrol engines complying up to Euro 6 and diesel engines up to Euro 4 emission standard will be available. Two petrol engines, a four cylinder 156HP and a six cylinder 258HP as well as two four cylinder diesel engines with 116 and 150HP are offered in the Middle East. An automatic gearbox is standard in combination with the V6 petrol engine and optional for the four cylinder petrol. All diesel engines are paired with the 6-speed ECO Gear manual transmission.  – TradeArabia News Service