Sprinter wins the operators’ vote

2009-11-04T07:30:00.001Z

Clean break… the Mercedes Sprinter range won the votes of ACFO members for the first time and now comes with low-emission Euro 5 engines as standard

Sprinter wins the operators’ vote

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range has broken its main rival’s 14-year stranglehold on one of the industry’s top awards to win the Fleet Van of the Year title presented by leading operators’ organisation, ACFO.

Crucially, this latest accolade is based on ‘real world’ experience of vehicles that have been in service for at least a year, and not mere showroom appeal.

ACFO’s 850 members, among them some of the biggest van fleet operators in Britain, are collectively responsible for more than 675,000 vehicles.

Their votes were based on a set of criteria that included model range depth, manufacturer attitudes, driver satisfaction, safety, vehicle reliability and maintenance history, and running costs.

“The 2009 Awards in many ways mark a sea-change,” said ACFO Chairman Julie Jenner. “Our decision to move to an online voting process has been rewarded with members voting in record numbers, which is very pleasing and underlines the importance our members attach in sending a signal to manufacturers of their views on current model-line-ups.”

She continued: “Our awards represent the true face of fleet operations. Members are continually evaluating their vehicles, using their expertise to assess them on everything from operational performance and safety on the road, to whole-life costs.”

The Sprinter’s achievement in winning ACFO’s Fleet Van of the Year prize for the first time, follows its triumph in the same category at the Motor Transport Awards 2009. It was the third year running – and the fifth time in seven years – that Sprinter had carried off the prestigious MT trophy, with the judging panel praising its impressive standard specification, class-leading warranty and residual values, dealer back-up with particular focus on breakdown attendance times, and the commitment of Mercedes-Benz to continuous improvement. The judges also acknowledged that its major rivals could not match the Sprinter’s whole-life operating costs.

Steve Bridge, Van Sales & Marketing Director at Mercedes-Benz UK, declared: “We’re delighted to be adding ACFO’s Fleet Van of the Year award to the lengthy roll call of prizes that Sprinter has won, not least because it is based on the opinions of those whose opinions we value the most – the transport operators who run our vehicles, day in, day out.

“We set out to supply our customers with a quality product, backed by an unrivalled standard of after sales service. And while we will never be completely satisfied, recognition such as this confirms that we’re getting most things right.”

Mercedes-Benz is confident of further success in next year’s awards, having recently become the first manufacturer to launch a range of vans with engines that meet the latest round of tough EU emissions limits. As well as being cleaner, the Euro 5 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters are smoother, quieter and more powerful, and significantly cheaper to run.

Added Steve Bridge: “Achieving environmental compatibility often entails having to make performance sacrifices, but that’s not the case with the low emission Euro 5 Sprinter range. Improved fuel economy means the new Sprinter is kinder to the operator’s wallet, as well as to the environment, while the increased power outputs and smoothness make it even more of a pleasure to drive.”

All Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans, chassis and crew cabs, and Traveliner minibuses bristle with active and passive safety features, and are backed by three-year, unlimited mileage warranties.

Sprinter Tipper comes out tops

2009-08-05T14:09:00.000+01:00

"Sprinter recently went head-to-head with 12 competitors, battling it out for Commercial Motor's "Tipper Light 2006" title.

"This is one vehicle that seems to hog the limelight...

We're proud to announce that Sprinter came away with top marks in both the Single cab and Crewcab categories, making it a clean sweep! Singled out for praise were Sprinter's build quality, ergonomics and driveability.

So that you can find out exactly what they had to say about Sprinter, we're offering you the full article as a PDF download.

Sprinter Wins Commercial Motor Test

2009-08-05T11:47:00.001+01:00

Commercial Motor Magazine have just published the results of their biggest van test to date. We're proud to report that Sprinter took first place!

The test was split into two parts, incorporating track work
to assess acceleration, braking, noise and speed calibration, as well as a two-day road drive. Vehicles were scored after each stage on the following criteria
- Driveline
- Dynamics
- Cabin
- Overall fuel consumption

Mercedes-Benz Latest News

Sprinter wins the operators’ vote

Sprinter Tipper comes out tops

Sprinter Wins Commercial Motor Test