Mercedes-Benz has lifted the curtain on “The Boulder”, or should that be chipped away at the surface, to reveal a first glimpse at what the next-generation Sprinter van will look like.
Revealed ahead of the company’s “130 Years of Transporters” anniversary, the rock carving symbolises the Merc’s reinvention of the van segment it created more than a century ago.
The rock-solid Sprinter dimensions measure 6.5m long, 2.75m high and 2.5m wide, with The Boulder having been milled from a single block, with its surfaces revealing early shapes and design elements for the next generation of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Mercedes-Benz eSprinter.
“As the inventor of the light commercial vehicle, we’ve been consistently putting our expertise at the service of our commercial customers for almost 130 years,” said Thomas Klein, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “Their needs and benefits remain our top priority – then, now and in the future.”
More than just a visual teaser, The Boulder is said to symbolise the technical evolution of the next generation of vans, which will get new powertrains, be built on an all-new platform and be equipped with enhanced connectivity and a new digital ecosystem built around the in-house Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS).
MB.OS will enable real-time over-the-air updates, keeping its new vans built on the VAN.EA (Electric Architecture for electric vans) and VAN.CA (Combustion Architecture for ICE models) updated with software improvements long after leaving the factory.
“We’ve tailored our operating system specifically for commercial use,” said Andreas Zygan, head of development at Mercedes-Benz Vans. “It will redefine the van segment once again, combining cutting-edge efficiency with intelligent, customer-centred functionality.”
The unveiling of The Boulder comes as Mercedes-Benz prepares to mark 130 years since Carl Benz invented the first motorised delivery van in 1896.
A version of the original Benz delivery vehicle has been meticulously restored and will feature in the upcoming anniversary celebrations next year.
The new Sprinter, hinted at through The Boulder, will be built on Mercedes-Benz’s forthcoming VAN architecture. The modular system underpins both electric and combustion-powered models, and will be first used in the upcoming Mercedes-Benz VLE passenger car. A clearer idea of the next generation Sprinter can be seen in a sketch done exclusively for Van Reviewer by the Mercedes designer.
The commercial vehicle variant will then follow with a model either likely to be badged as Vito and eVito, or as the successor to the medium-sized vans.
Mercedes says its next-generation vans will be its most connected yet, powered by the AI-supported MB.OS, and linked to the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud.
New systems will integrate fleet management tools, intelligent route planning, and third-party applications directly into the vehicle, for a “smartphone” experience for van owners.
