Minibuses from Mercedes-Benz: the best of both worlds – with a new variant and additional equipment it's even more attractive

• Mercedes-Benz minibuses: four model series for all types of operation
• Sprinter City: the experts for regular-service operations
• Sprinter Travel: exclusive mini-coach for long-distance travel
• New: Extensive safeguards against COVID-19 transmission

The Mercedes-Benz minibuses supplement the range of large touring coaches, city and inter-city buses from Daimler Buses, so it now includes a complete range for all fields of application. They offer the best of both worlds because they combine the extraordinary characteristics of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with high expertise in buses. The minibuses comprise the model series Sprinter City, Sprinter Transfer, Sprinter Mobility and Sprinter Travel. The names stand for operations in scheduled services, as a versatile shuttle bus, for transporting passengers with limited mobility, and for tourist travel. The Sprinter Travel 75 and the Sprinter City 75 with exclusive appearance and technology have a prominent role to play. With the new Interurban equipment line, the compact Sprinter City 75 urban bus becomes a master of the highest comfort on long inter-city routes. It remains the economical solution for medium passenger volumes as well as for narrow routes.

Mercedes-Benz minibuses: four model series for all types of operation

Thanks to its exceptional qualities, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has been shaping an entire vehicle segment for more than 25 years and has even given it its name. As a platform for minibuses, it does an equally excellent job. Minibuses based on the Sprinter have been part of the range of Mercedes-Benz buses for more than 20 years. In Europe they play a leading role in the segment of minibuses with a permissible gross vehicle weight greater than 3.5 tonnes. As before, the current generation consists of four model series. The specialised Sprinter City covers urban and suburban regular-service, the flexible Sprinter Transfer takes care of inter-city routes, school bus services, excursions and shuttle services; the Sprinter Mobility transports passengers with restricted mobility, and the Sprinter Travel stands for tourism.

Sprinter City: the experts for regular-service operations

The 7.4-metre-long Sprinter City 45 represents the entry into the Sprinter City model series world. Characteristics such as the large destination display system above the windscreen or the double-wing passenger door with its large window are an indication of its areas of operation. The passenger compartment features a low-entry design and is divided into a spacious low-floor platform between the axles and a higher seating area at the rear. As a category A vehicle, the Sprinter City 45 can carry up to 22 passengers, and as a category I vehicle it can carry as many as 28 passengers.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter City 75 is the flagship of the minibuses for regular-service bus routes. The 8.5-m-long regular service bus can seat up to 38 passengers and is thus sits between the minibuses and the Mercedes-Benz Citaro. The original body skilfully takes up the basic principles of the Sprinter design. The two sidewalls have an asymmetrical design.

The passenger compartment of the Sprinter City 75 is also low-entry. The low-floor zone has a highly variable design. It offers room for up to five folding seats on the driver's side and two more on the door side, or alternatively on the left for a wheelchair and/or pram. Seating with a quick-change system and up to three double seats on the driver's side is also an option.

The Sprinter City 75 doesn't just have a unique design, it also features an independent technical concept. It is based on the chassis of the Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter, but only up to the B‑pillar. Aft of the B-pillar is a self-supporting integral minibus skeleton. The new city bus also has a unique wheelbase of 5100 mm. The gross vehicle weight rating of the two-axle vehicle is 6.8 tonnes and offers large reserves. This is based on the high-load rear axle with air suspension developed exclusively for Mercedes-Benz minibuses.

The tried and tested Sprinter City 75 is now also available in the Interurban equipment line. Its most striking feature: the new Inter Star Sprinter inter-city seating now makes the Sprinter City 75 Interurban even more flexible. This upholstered seating with high and rigid seat backrest, adapted to the contours of the body, is available with two- or three-point seat belts. Up to 19 passenger seats can be accommodated in this inter-city version of the Sprinter City 75.

There are now also numerous new equipment options available for the Sprinter City 75. Drivers now also benefit from an optional frequent-stop brake and operation of the retarder also by control lever - standard from July 2021. The list of available optional extras also includes an electrically operated cassette ramp as an alternative to the folding ramp, double-glazed side windows as well as hinged windows for ventilation in the passenger compartment. A fire-extinguishing system in the engine compartment further increases safety. An optional additional tank increases the fuel volume to 96 litres.

Sprinter Travel: exclusive mini-coach for long-distance travel

The Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter Travel 75 is the exclusive pride of the Mercedes‑Benz minibuses for tourist travel. The 8.5 metre long minibus provides a maximum of 21+1 passenger seats and complements the versions of the large travel coaches from Mercedes-Benz. Like the Sprinter City 75, the Sprinter Travel 75 has a distinctive frame structure. The cab and body merge with one another to form a single unit. The glazing on the body is distinctively arrow-shaped at the front, whilst at the rear the window support rises aft of the rear axle. The Sprinter Travel 75 finishes off with a distinctive coach rear end. Behind the lifting door of the luggage compartment at the rear, there are 2 cubic metres of stowage space. To the left and right it is supplemented by side stowage spaces behind flaps, with capacities of 0.3 m³ each.

The passenger compartment has an impressive and opulent bus ceiling. Integrated in this are luggage racks with side air ducts as well as LED light rails, passenger control panels with adjustable air vents and LED reading lamps. The seats called Travel Star Xtra are available in numerous versions. Refreshments can also be available on board, because the Sprinter Travel 75 can be optionally equipped with a fridge in front of the first row of seats, on the right-hand side.

The platform used for the Sprinter Travel 75 is the Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter chassis, but only up as far as the B‑pillar. Aft of the B-pillar is a self-supporting integral minibus skeleton. The touring coach has a model-specific wheelbase of 5100 mm. It thus surpasses the longest wheelbase version of the Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter by 775 millimetres. The basis of the high permissible gross weight of 6.8 tonnes now is a high-load rear axle with air suspension developed exclusively for Mercedes‑Benz minibuses, as is also used for the Sprinter City 75.

The Sprinter Travel 75 benefits from numerous new optional equipment features. Folding tables on support arms are available as an alternative to the folding tables mounted on the backrests. Optionally, a Bosch Smart Panel and a 19-inch monitor for the passenger compartment complement the entertainment electronics, as do USB ports for passengers' own devices. The driver can if desired now operate the roof flap electrically. The retarder as standard is still upstream of the pedal, and if desired there is a control lever on the instrument panel.

Standard safety equipment in the Sprinter Travel 75 includes Crosswind Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Active Brake Assist, Headlamp Assist, the HOLD function and two-point seat belts on all seats. Upon request, Active Distance Assist, Highbeam Assist, Traffic Sign Assist, three-point seat belts in the passenger compartment and a fire alarm and fire extinguishing system in the engine compartment round off the extensive safety equipment.

New: Extensive safeguards against COVID-19 transmission

Drivers often have direct contact with their passengers, especially on public service buses. Therefore, in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the closed separation of the driver's compartment is of particular importance. To prevent direct droplet transmission through contact with passengers, Mercedes-Benz has developed two professional glazed driver protection systems for Sprinter City 45 and Sprinter City 75. New vehicles are equipped with a driver protection cabin on request. Its basic construction uses safety glass and features a lockable door through to the passenger compartment as well as a closable hatch for ticket sales. It also minimizes air exchange between the cockpit and passenger compartment. Alternatively, new vehicles and already delivered minibuses of the current Sprinter City generation of the can be equipped or retrofitted with a large-format additional driver's partition. This is also made of transparent safety glass and offers protection against direct droplet transmission from the passenger compartment.

Daimler Buses also offers contactless disinfectant dispensers for its minibuses. They are mounted within easy reach in the entrance area and prevent the possible transmission of germs already here. In addition to contact and droplet transmission of COVID-19 viruses, aerosols pose a significant transmission risk in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Increasing the exchange of fresh air in the bus is an efficient way to protect yourself from viruses. Efficient air filtration of environmental pollutants and aerosols hazardous to health poses a special challenge to modern ventilation systems, especially in mixed-air and air-recirculation modes. Innovative filter elements with disinfecting surface properties effectively counteract viral re-aerosolization in mixed and recirculated air operation and ensure maximum protection for drivers and passengers. 

For the effective separation of harmful aerosols in the driver's compartment ventilation system, an antiviral active filter for the front air conditioning system will be available for Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibuses in new vehicles from July 2021. These active filters will also be available for all passenger compartment air conditioning systems in new minibuses from July 2021. They are already in use today in roof-mounted air conditioning systems in Mercedes-Benz large buses. As with the large bus, it is recommended that the active filters in the Sprinter minibuses be replaced after a period of use of three months.

Forced ventilation in the passenger compartment support the rapid air flow in the fresh air mode of the ventilation systems in Sprinter minibuses. Sprinter Mobility, Sprinter Transfer and Sprinter City 45 continue to use the standard Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vents in the two rear corner pillars. In the Sprinter City 75, a new forced ventilation system at the rear exit removes used interior air. In the Sprinter Travel 75, the forced ventilation is positioned behind and under the rear bench seat.