Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van Payload Capacity

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is the van the rest of the industry tries to emulate. It is unbeatable for versatility and utility, whether you’re hauling cargo or people. Part of this comes from the huge variety of configurations that are available for the Sprinter, which allow buyers to narrow their selection down to exactly what they need. The only downside of such an incredible selection is that it can be difficult to keep all of those configurations and their capacities straight. So we made a guide highlighting the most popular configurations of the Sprinter, to assist you with configuring your Sprinter exactly the way you need it.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Capacities

Mercedes-Benz GLC vs. GLE

As you can see, there is a wide selection of configurations for the Sprinter as both a cargo van as well as a passenger van. The biggest factor impacting payload capacity is that the 3500 and the 4500 model require a step-up to a higher-output diesel engine than the standard diesel engine found in the 2500, although even the 2500 has an option for the high output diesel engine and AWD.

Apart from that, a good guiding principle is any choice that adds more weight to the van will reduce payload capacity. So, a longer wheelbase, higher roof, or an all-wheel drive drivetrain all reduce payload capacity to a degree, even if a couple of them also increase cargo space. Balancing out cargo space and payload capacity will definitely be something you should consider when deciding which Sprinter works best for you.

Other Sprinter Variants

Not every Sprinter however, is strictly a Cargo Van or a Passenger Van. There are a couple of combination variants offered, such as the Crew Van option, which splits the difference between a Cargo Van and a Passenger Van, giving you a second row of seats (with windows) in place of some of the cargo space. Roughly speaking, a Crew Van will have three more seats, but about ⅔ the cargo space and payload capacity of a full-on Cargo Van.

Then, there is the Cab Chassis model. This is available only as a 3500XD or 4500, although it is available with either wheelbase length. Payload capacities are listed as a bit higher than the Cargo Van equivalents, but this essentially just reflects the difference in the weight of the bodywork on the Cargo Van. The actual payload capacity of Sprinter Cab Chassis models will therefore be determined by what is added by the upfitter.