Unveiled at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016, Mercedes-Benz Vans shows a revolutionary van study for the urban environment with the Vision Van.
The Vision Van evolved as part of the strategic future initiative adVANce. With adVANce, Mercedes-Benz Vans is developing from a mere van manufacturer into a supplier of holistic system solutions. The company is underscoring this strategy with the Vision Van as a visible manifestation of its innovative strength. The Vision Van boasts an unprecedented level of connectivity of information and technologies. It is the first van worldwide to serve as an integrated concept for a completely digitally connected process chain from the goods distribution depot to the consignee.
The Vision Van features a fully automated cargo space, integrated drones for autonomous air deliveries and a state-of-the-art joystick control. Powered by a 75 kW electric drive system with a range of up to 270 km, deliveries with the Vision Van are locally emission-free. The electric drive system additionally guarantees that it will remain possible to operate the Vision Van in inner-city zones where the introduction of bans on vehicles with internal combustion engines is planned. The virtually silent electric drive system facilitates late deliveries in residential areas for the purposes of same-day delivery.
“With the Vision Van we are presenting the intelligent, clean and fully interconnected van of the future”, says Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.
The futuristic design by provides a foretaste of future generations of vans. It fuses the vehicle’s intelligence, efficiency and connectivity in an unprecedented manner. The front design alone is enough to transport the beholder into the distant future. The face is defined by the extremely wide windscreen, which curves around to the sidewalls like a high-tech visor, the Black Panel radiator grille with integrated LED matrix via which the Vision Van communicates with its surroundings and the progressively designed LED headlamps. The sharp contours of these elements contrast with the vehicle’s smooth surfaces, engaging in a fascinating dialogue between passion/emotion and technology/functionality. The vehicle communicates with its surroundings via LED displays on the front and rear. Warnings appear when the delivery drones take off, when the vehicle stops or when the deliverer alights, for example.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The Sprinter is the benchmark in its vehicle class: large vans with a gross vehicle weight of around 3.5 t are widely called Sprinter. This flagship model has given its name to an entire vehicle class. The first generation was unveiled 21 years ago, and today more than three million Sprinter are on the road in over 130 countries of the world. Now a variant with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 5.5 t has been added to the already varied product portfolio of the successful Sprinter.
The Sprinter crewbus now has more seats. There is a model available with 16 passenger seats (Sprinter Tourer 16+1, 4.6 t permissible gross vehicle weight) and another with 19 passenger seats (Sprinter Tourer 19+1, 5.0 t permissible gross vehicle weight).
Mercedes-Benz Vito
The Vito is the first and only vehicle in its class to be available with a choice of front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. As such, the Mercedes-Benz among mid-size vans perfectly accommodates a whole range of different requirements.
From skilled crafts and trades to retail, service providers, shuttle services and taxis – the Vito is truly one vehicle for all. For example, the Vito panel van is available in a choice of three lengths. There is also the particularly favourably priced WORKER panel van for cost-conscious buyers. The Vito Mixto combines the advantages of a panel van and crews. The Vito Tourer is available as the functional Vito Tourer BASE, the versatile Vito Tourer PRO and the premium Vito Tourer SELECT. By virtue of this complete model family, the Tourer can accommodate all types of passenger transport.
