Mercedes-Benz vans win the day – three times
· Mercedes-Benz vans impress jury of experts
· Vito and Sprinter win three “CEP Van of the Year 2010” awards
· Sprinter NGT takes special prize for “Alternative Drive Systems”
Leipzig/Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz presented numerous passenger car highlights to the public at the 20th Auto Mobil International 2010 motor show in Leipzig. In addition, the brand with the three-pointed star made an impression in the competitions that took place during this auto show, receiving several awards for its successful Sprinter and Vito models.
Vito and Sprinter convince the Courier, Express and Parcel Services sector
When the competition for “CEP Van of the Year 2010” took place at the AMI fair last Sunday and Monday, it was already the tenth time that this contest, organised by ETM Verlag (Euro Transport Media publisher), was being held. A jury consisting of 30 experts from the so-called CEP (Courier, Express and Parcel Services) sector evaluated the 18 participating vehicles and selected the winners in five categories. For the first time a prize was also awarded in the “Alternative Drive Systems” category.
Because of their day-by-day work with vehicle fleets of their own, the experts know precisely what demands are made on each van; they accordingly tested the contestants on different test stretches of road under real-life operating conditions. Thus, functionality, driving comfort, handling characteristics, design and, of course, economic efficiency were included among the points covered on the evaluation forms they had to fill out after each test tour. The examiners covered a grand total of over 7000 kilometres in the course of 540 test drives around Leipzig.
Both the Sprinter and the diesel-powered Vito represented the Mercedes-Benz brand in this well-established competition. The Sprinter was able to confirm the supremacy it had maintained the previous four years, attaining first place in the category “Vans up to 3.5 tons”. And the Mercedes-Benz Vito also convinced the expert jurors, becoming for the fifth time winner in the class “Vans up to 3 tons” as it had in the past four years.
Sprinter NGT wins “Gas Drive Systems” special award
In addition to the “CEP Van of the Year 2010” award which the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Vito won in the 3.5-ton and 3.0-ton van categories respectively, the NGT (Natural Gas Technology) version of the Sprinter was voted winner in the “Alternative Drive Systems” category. This is the first year that ETM publishers award this special prize. The Sprinter NGT with bivalent natural gas drive, especially conceived for operation in an urban environment, not only features significantly lower exhaust gas and noise emission figures but can also boast low upkeep costs. The gas tanks are mounted under the van floor in a space-saving manner, so that they do not limit the van’s loading space.