Mercedes-Benz Vans Reinvents the Transporter Once Again – Tailored to the Diversity of Commercial Customers

In the lead-up to its “130 Years of Transporters” anniversary, Mercedes‑Benz Vans bridges past and future in a compelling way. By showcasing the world’s oldest roadworthy delivery van, a Benz combination delivery vehicle, alongside the current eSprinter, the brand that invented the van reflects on its remarkable success story and honors the legacy that began in 1896. It’s a history full of customer-specific transport solutions, Mercedes‑Benz vans have always been built as dependable, rock-solid business tools – and that commitment remains unchanged.

The company underscores this with the unveiling of “THE BOuLDER” – an impressive and expressive stone-look sculpture. It offers a first look at how Mercedes‑Benz is once again reimagining the van while retaining its core values – robustness, reliability, versatility and durability. The 256 inches long, 108 inches high and 98 inches wide sculpture combines art and craftsmanship in a fascinating way to preview the next generation of the Sprinter.

Carved from a single block of material, the contours and design features of the future Sprinter are starting to take shape, offering a brief insight of the van’s bold new look – tailored to meet the wide-ranging needs of today’s commercial customers. The sculpture also conveys the scale and proportions of the future Mercedes-Benz van.

“As the inventor of the light commercial vehicle, we’ve been consistently putting all our expertise and experience at the service of our commercial customers for almost 130 years. Their benefits and added value are our top priority – then, now and in the future. Customer satisfaction and innovative solutions are deeply rooted in our corporate DNA and form the foundation of our premium vans.”
Thomas Klein, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans

“The next generation of Mercedes-Benz vans will focus on innovative powertrains, connectivity and advanced digital services. Functionality and customer needs are at the heart of our development. We’ve tailored our Mercedes-Benz Operating System specifically to commercial use and with it, will redefine the van segment once again. We offer our customers state-of-the-art technology combined with efficiency and tailor-made intelligence. I’m confident that our future Sprinter will be the flagship in its segment more than ever before.”
Andreas Zygan, Head of Development at Mercedes-Benz Vans

Benz Combinations Delivery Vehicle from 1899 – the Oldest Roadworthy Mercedes‑Benz Transporter

The success story of Mercedes‑Benz Vans began under the name Benz & Cie. in 1896, when Carl Benz invented the motorized transporter. He developed two models to meet different customer needs: the Benz delivery van as a “carriage with an enclosed body” based on the Benz Victoria, and the Benz combination delivery van as a “small coachman’s carriage with a removable body” based on the smaller and lighter Benz Velociped. Thanks to its removable body, it could be converted into a two-seater passenger car in just a few simple steps, making it particularly versatile. In essence, it was the first multi-purpose vehicle.

Both models were powered by a rear-mounted single-cylinder four-stroke engine with a displacement of 165 cubic inches (2.7 liters) in the delivery van and 61 cubic inches (1.0 liter) in the combination delivery vehicle. A payload of 660 lbs (plus driver) was sufficient for inner-city transport. The power output of 2.75 to 6 hp was sufficient for a top speed of 9 to 13 mph when fully loaded. These new vehicles were faster than a two-horse carriage and could carry roughly three times the payload. A new market segment in the still-young history of the automobile was born, and Carl Benz once again proved himself to be a visionary inventor. The Mannheim-based company handed over the first example of the delivery van to the Du Bon Marché department store in Paris on December 5, 1896, at a sales price of 4,500 marks.

Today, the oldest roadworthy transporter is a Benz combination delivery vehicle from 1899 in the Mercedes‑Benz Classic collection. It was meticulously restored (frame) and rebuilt (body) for the upcoming “130 Years of Transporters” anniversary. This model was built under license in England by Hewetson’s Ltd., the official Benz representative in UK. Known as the “Ideal Van”, it had an output of 3 hp and could carry a payload of around 220lbs plus the driver. Later models had 3.5 hp and could transport up to 550lbs.

30 Years of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter – The Tailor-Made All-Rounder That Keeps the World Moving

Nearly 100 years after the invention of the transporter, Mercedes‑Benz Vans once again revolutionized the light commercial vehicle segment in 1995 with the launch of the Sprinter. This innovation closed the gap between cars and trucks and gave its name to an entire vehicle class. To this day, is the Sprinter is celebrated for its exceptional versatility, reliability, high level of comfort and car-like driving characteristics.

Over five million Sprinters have been produced in three decades in different variants for different purposes tailored to nearly every situation in life. As the ideal van,  the Sprinter is there when lives are saved and children are born, when packages or frozen goods are delivered, when homes are built and bathrooms are renovated, when VIPs are chauffeured or travel adventures are experienced. That’s why it’s a trusted partner across countless industries around the world.

The Sprinter of the Future – Even More Versatile, Efficient, and Intelligent

The introduction of the new VAN architecture marks the beginning of a new era – bringing even greater efficiency, intelligence and versatility. The next generation of vans will not only continue the Sprinter’s success story but also define the van class of the future.

The new architecture will form the basis of all newly developed medium-sized and large Mercedes-Benz vans in the future. Fully electric models will be introduced under the Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA), while state-of-the-art combustion-engine vans will be supported with the second variant of the architecture, the Van Combustion Architecture (VAN.CA). Regardless of the drivetrain, this new vehicle architecture allows for a clear differentiation between privately positioned vans in the luxury segment and commercially positioned transporters in the premium segment.

The commercially positioned vans were developed in close collaboration with customers from various industries and are therefore consistently tailored to their needs and requirements. The new design, hinted at by the sculpture, reflects this customer-centric approach. The future Sprinter will be available with a variety of drive systems and in numerous lengths, wheelbases and weight variants. It is therefore made to measure for different configurations and industry-specific body and conversion solutions – from courier, express and parcel delivery services to refrigerated vehicles, service and workshop vehicles, ambulances and rescue vehicles, flatbeds for construction and accessible transport to camper vans – the Sprinter is built to meet customer requirements in the best way and to further expand its leading position in the van market.

More Digital Than Ever Before: Over-the-Air Updates Keep Vehicle Functions Current for Years

The next generation of vans will set new benchmarks in connectivity and software. They will run entirely on the company’s own Mercedes‑Benz Operating System (MB.OS), making them the most intelligent Mercedes‑Benz vans ever. The deep integration of chip-to-cloud architecture into the vehicle allows all actuators and sensors to be precisely controlled – from infotainment and comfort features to charging – delivering an unparalleled driving experience as well as the intelligent integration of vehicle functions into the user interface. This integration creates new opportunities for customers, offering enhanced connectivity and tailored digital services, such as Large Vehicle Navigation, which make maintenance and operation even more efficient.

Thanks to AI-supported MB.OS, every van will be equipped with high-performance computers connected to the Mercedes‑Benz Intelligent Cloud. This enables over-the-air updates for all vehicle software, including driver assistance systems. Like a smartphone, each van will remain up to date for years to come.

MB.OS also offers maximum flexibility for seamlessly integrating content from third-party providers. This allows commercial customers to run their own applications and necessary tools – such as fleet management or navigation tools – directly on the vehicle’s head unit. The familiar Mercedes‑Benz user interface remains unchanged, ensuring a consistent and trusted experience.