The new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 513 BlueTec with 127hp (129PS) will replace the Mercedes Vario in UPS’ fleet, as part of a cooperative development by Mercedes-Benz Vans, UPS and body manufacturer Spier.
The parcel service’s new delivery van features an enlarged passenger-side door, lower threshold and expanded visibility, as well as a higher loading capacity. Body manufacturer Spier will supply the box bodies and the characteristic bonnet, which will be fitted to the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 513 BlueTec in long wheel base form. UPS will use three models (the UPS P60, the UPS P70 and the UPS P80), each with different body lengths. The first of the new vehicles will be delivered to the parcel service in August.
At the beginning, the new UPS Sprinter will be built in a small series and put into service in Germany, Great Britain and Ireland. The company has been testing a prototype Sprinter with the Spier body for a year in stressful day-to-day work, with the “test run” using a Sprinter 519 CDI and involving experts from Spier, Mercedes-Benz and UPS.
Compared with the previous delivery van based on the Mercedes-Benz Vario, the new UPS model features a higher and wider passenger-side sliding door, making it easier for the deliverer to get in and out with parcels in arm. Furthermore, the sliding door, the doors between the cab and the load compartment and the rear door can be locked electronically. They can be opened and closed using a transponder that the driver wears around his wrist, thus saving time.
The new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 513 BlueTec with its maximum permissible total weight of 5.3 tonnes (11,684 lbs) was chosen as the basis vehicle due to its considerably reduced fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions compared to the UPS Vario, which was a 7.5-tonne (16,535 lbs) vehicle. Despite being lighter, the UPS P70 can carry about 2,300 kg (5,070 lbs).
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