Freightliner Unveils Van for Light Commercial Market
Mar 27, 2001 12:00 PM
Freightliner LLC plans to assemble and market the Sprinter commercial van in North America in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. With this van, Freightliner makes its first major expansion into the lighter duty segment of the North American commercial vehicles market, a segment with volume of about 360,000 units annually in the U.S. and Canada.The Freightliner Sprinter, a Class 2 - 3 product that will be offered initially in cargo and passenger van configurations, is a versatile and proven van for a wide range of uses, including:
* Parcel, package and general delivery
* Passenger transportation for municipalities, airports, and shuttle services
* Light construction and a full range of services from utilities to landscaping
The Sprinter van complements Freightliner's existing line of Class 3-6 walk-in van chassis products, which captured 65% of this diesel van market in 2000.
Freightliner will begin assembly in May of the Mercedes-Benz-designed Sprinter in its manufacturing plant in Gaffney, S.C.
The standard cargo van is rated for 8,550 pounds with 4,123 pounds of cargo capacity. It is also available with a 9,990-pound gross vehicle weight rating for a payload capacity of 5,105 pounds.
A cab chassis will be available in 2002. The cab chassis will be available in two weight capacities: 8,550 GVWR and 9,990 GVWR. The 8,550 GVWR will be built with three wheelbase lengths: 118, 140 and 158 inches. The 9,990 GVWR will come in two wheelbase lengths: 140 and 158 inches.
