There’s no such thing as too much safety

We’ve made every effort to ensure that the Sprinter offers the driver, co-drivers, passengers and other road users the highest possible degree of protection.

• ADAPTIVE ESP® with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and ASR plus ESP® trailer stabilisation
• Very good crash characteristics due to stable passenger compartment
• Full-size airbags and three-point seat belts
• Both exterior mirrors with integral additional wide-angle mirrors
• Load securing by means of flexible lashing system
• Reversing camera with 7" monitor as reversing and maneuvering aid [1]
• Start-off Assist
• Bi-xenon headlamps with cornering light function [1]
• Rain sensor with Headlamp Assist [1]
• Tire-pressure monitoring system

[1] Optional equipment

Bi-xenon headlamps: brighter, farther, safer

The optional bi-xenon headlamps with their automatic range adjustment enable uniform illumination of the roadway – without dazzling oncoming traffic.

Conventional headlamps are unable to provide sufficient illumination of the area to the side immediately ahead of a vehicle. This is particularly true in tight curves, at junctions and when maneuvering. In situations like these, the illumination provided by the low-beam headlamps is complemented by an additional light source when cornering at speeds up to 70 km/h, while the cornering light function is activated when the direction indicator is operated at speeds up to 40 km/h – depending on the steering angle in both cases.

The adaptive system with the cornering light function thus also follows the movement of the steering wheel and illuminates the roadway verges – for added safety.

Rain sensor: extremely sensitive

The optional rain sensor will certainly please you: at dusk or when passing through tunnels, the vehicle lights switch on automatically.

The sensor also detects precipitation on the windscreen, activates the wipers, and even adjusts the wiping speed to the intensity of the rain.

Wide-angle mirrors: two mirrors see more than one

Both exterior mirrors of the Sprinter are complemented by an additional wide-angle mirror allowing you to keep a watchful eye on cyclists and pedestrians when making turns, for example.

The indicator lights have also been integrated into the exterior mirror housings to enhance safety when making turns.

The wide-angle mirror on the heated exterior mirror is heated, too – which means it can prevent the mirror from misting up or freezing over.

Rear-view camera: more hindsight every day

With the optional rear-view camera, reversing becomes child's play:

When reverse gear is engaged, the reversing camera with a 7" monitor shows the area behind the vehicle. Audible signals are also transmitted.

With this the system makes the parking and maneuvering process simpler and safer.

ADAPTIVE ESP®: stability in an instant

The electronic stability program ADAPTIVE ESP® is a driving dynamics regulatory system that for the first time takes the vehicle load into account. It intervenes in critical situations by activating the brakes on individual wheels, as well as adjusting engine output in order to stabilize the vehicle [1].

ADAPTIVE ESP® integrates the functions of the anti-lock braking system (ABS), acceleration skid control (ASR), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BAS) and start-off assist (AAS) while also adding a handling stability aid.

In order to also improve road safety when towing a trailer, we have added ESP® Trailer Stability Assist to the functionality of ADAPTIVE ESP®.
The new system is activated by the swaying motion of the trailer, and helps the driver bring the vehicle/trailer combination under control. ESP® Trailer Stability Assist is automatically activated for factory-fitted trailer couplings. It can also be activated retrospectively by your Mercedes-Benz dealer when a trailer coupling is retrofitted.

Brake system. Great stability

The Sprinter is equipped with disc brakes on all four wheels. Our engineers also managed to further improve the tried and tested dual-circuit hydraulic brake system. An electronic indicator on each of the four wheels additionally tells about the current condition of the brake pads.

An anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) are standard equipment of the Sprinter, of course, as are the Brake Assist System (BAS) and acceleration skid control (ASR).

[1] ADAPTIVE ESP® can only act within the laws of physics. It is therefore impossible for ADAPTIVE ESP® to prevent skidding resulting from aquaplaning, for example. If the driver exceeds the physical limits, even ADAPTIVE ESP® will not be able to prevent an accident.

No system, regardless of how advanced, can overcome the laws of physics or correct careless driving. Please always wear your seatbelt.

Exercising restraint

It’s only the interaction of airbags and belts that enables better protection against impact. So the Sprinter cargo van not only has front airbags as standard for the driver and co-driver, but also three-point seat belts, head restraints, belt tensioners, belt force limiters and belt reminders [1].

Belt reminders give the driver a visual and audible signal if he or she fails to put on the seat belt.

In a collision, belt tensioners instantly take all slack out of the belts and enhance passive safety in the event of an accident.

The optional windowbags and thorax bags deploy on the impact side in severe side collisions. The windowbag serves to increase the degree of protection available for the head of the driver or co-driver. Housed in the seat backrests, thorax bags are designed to provide increased protection for the thorax of the seat occupant.

The figure above shows various deployed airbags (maximum deployment) – for illustrative purposes only.

Airbags do not eliminate the need for occupants to always belt up properly, as they only offer full protection to passengers who are wearing their seat belts properly.

The forces of a deploying airbag can cause serious or fatal injuries to a child under age 13. Children under age 13 should be seated in the back seat if possible.

[1] Belt tensioners and belt force limiters are only available for the driver and co-driver. For the double co-driver’s seat the belt force limiter is only available for the outer seat.

Rigid passenger safety cell

If worse comes to the worst, it’s good to know that, with the Sprinter, you have chosen a robust and safe place to be. A highly stress-resistant system of beams and a high-strength safety cell are the basis of its safety body. Both are optimised for strength and stiffness during the design phase in respect to protection of occupants and other road users and offer excellent crash characteristics.

So-called deformation boxes in the front structure of the Sprinter divert the forces of an impact in a well-directed and controlled manner.

This helps the passenger cell retain stability in the event of a head-on collision, to provide better protection to the occupants.

Secure load

Loose cargo can develop a dangerous situation on the road. The Sprinter cargo van consequently offers a versatile and flexible load-securing and cargo-retention system to secure objects to the floor and walls of the cargo area.

In addition to the standard-fit load-securing rings with reinforced payload, the lashing rails in the floor, sidewalls and below the roof frame plus tensioning straps are also available. Further load-securing aids are also available as accessories.

Additionally, bulkheads in various forms protect the driver and co-driver from cargo which gets out of place.

Safe and convenient: the start-off assist feature

Start-off Assist, an integral part of the ESP®, makes it easier to start off on uphill slopes:

After the brake pedal is released, the brake pressure is maintained for approximately two seconds, allowing the driver to move his or her foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator without having to worry about the vehicle starting to roll. Start-off Assist is activated on uphill slopes of approx. 4% or steeper. It is not activated when starting off on the flat or on a downhill slope.