---
title: "Mercedes-Benz Shows Off the New Sprinter Van Design Philosophy"
description: "This sketch of Mercedes' flagship van shows how future Mercedes-Benz cars may look."
date: "2017-09-26"
modified: "2017-09-26"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Constantine"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-constantine"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/14625/mercedes-benz-shows-off-the-new-sprinter-van-design-philosophy"
categories:
  - "Mercedes-Benz News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Car Design"
  - "Mercedes-Benz"
  - "Sprinter Van"
---

# Mercedes-Benz Shows Off the New Sprinter Van Design Philosophy

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/09/17a780-source.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Performance-oriented car brands often build a "[halo car](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/13896/audi-sport-not-in-any-hurry-to-build-halo-car-report-says>)" to show off features and design characteristics that will be present in production cars in the next few years. This business strategy, largely pioneered by [Lamborghini](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/14385/theres-a-new-lamborghini-halo-car-already-on-the-way>), often involves the creation of some insane hypercar to demonstrate a company's plans. Although it has an entire catalogue of AMG performance cars to use for its halo vehicle including a brand-new [hypercar](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/14246/1000-horsepower-mercedes-amg-project-one-hypercar-unveiled>), Mercedes-Benz is opting for a different strategy. Mercedes will instead use the 2018 [Sprinter](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/324/driving-a-mercedes-benz-sprinter-to-the-best-damn-city-in-america>) van for its design benchmark and showcase the future of transportation vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz USA [released a new sketch of the upcoming 2018 Sprinter van](<https://media.mbusa.com/releases/sketch-gives-a-preview-of-the-future-design-idiom?firstResultIndex=0&sortOrder=PublishedDescending>) on Monday, which it says will offer a glimpse of how the rest of MB's lineup will look in the near future. The stretched Oklahoma-shaped headlights, pronounced grille, sporty wheels, and streamlined body fully embrace the new [trend of angry, sporty front ends](<https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/9259/lets-talk-about-the-2018-hyundai-sonatas-new-face>). Basically, MB has added more curves to the Sprinter's body and more lines to the face.

Mercedes also mentioned that the new Sprinter will be equipped with the company's complex [DrivePilot](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/4772/why-i-plan-to-reassess-the-mercedes-benz-drivepilot-system>) assist system, more connectivity options, and an arsenal of variants. This makes the new Sprinter incredibly versatile, as companies can now easily choose a specific version of the van to suit their individual needs.

The 2018 Sprinter is the first Benz transport vehicle to follow Mercedes' [adVANce](<https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/ko/New-strategic-future-initiative-adVANce-and-Vision-Van-Mercedes-Benz-Vans-is-presenting-the-van-of-the-future-intelligent-interconnected-and-electric.xhtml?oid=13569208>) business initiative, a push to modernize vans with cutting-edge technology and make Mercedes more than just a car company.

Mercedes says it will have more information about the Sprinter and the new design philosophy before the van launches in Europe in the first half of 2018.

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