Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is strongly considering offering a compact van in the U.S. and will add a new standard safety feature to the 2015 Sprinter van, executives said during a March 25 visit to Bobit Business Media.

Mercedes-Benz U.S.A. is considering bringing the Vito commercial van to the U.S. market to offer with its larger Sprinter, a spokesman has confirmed to Automotive Fleet, a sister publication of Heavy Duty Trucking.

Mercedes-Benz executives picked Düsseldorf, Germany, the source of the Sprinter van, to present their extensively revised 2014 model for North America. It gets fresh styling, a new diesel and automatic transmission, and more accident-avoidance features.

The day after its introduction in Dusseldorf, in northern Germany, we reporters had a chance to drive Mercedes-Benz’s new Sprinter van for a few hours on various surfaces, from a test track to a dirt road and on a nearby Autobahn.

Mercedes Benz unveiled its new 2014-MY Sprinter Van, which the automaker said has a new design, is more economical, and more environmentally friendly. The company said this redesign comes after seven years of the current-generation Sprinter.