Mercedes Benz switches Diesel V6 to Turbo Four for 2023 Sprinter model

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter now only offers four-cylinder gas and diesel engines, including a new twin-turbo diesel that produces 332 pound-feet of torque. The full-size van adds a new drivetrain and different powertrain options.

Starting with the 2023 model year, the Sprinter is no longer offered with a turbo-diesel 3.0-litre V-6, which produced 188 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. Instead, the van now only offers a trio of four-cylinder options. The standard powertrain remains a gas-fed 188-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-litre inline-four mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive remains the lone drivetrain with this setup.

The other two engine options are Mercedes’s new diesel-powered 2.0-litre engines, which use the engine code OM654. One comes with a single turbocharger and makes 168 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, the other one is twin-turbocharged and develops 208 horsepower and 332 pound-feet. Those figures beat the old diesel V6 by 20 horsepower and 7 pound-feet. Unlike the V6 and the outgoing diesel 2.0-litre that have been replaced, the new versions are paired with a nine-speed automatic instead of a seven-speed unit.

While the lower-output diesel engine is limited to a rear-wheel-drive configuration, its high-output counterpart can be configured with rear or all-wheel drive. The latter is a new system derived from the Mercedes passenger-vehicle lineup. Previously, the diesel V6 was available with selectable all-wheel drive that would spend 35 per cent of the torque to the front axle and 65 to the rear when engaged. The new all-wheel-drive setup automatically sends up to 50 per cent of torque to the front wheels when necessary.

Mercedes says the 2023 Sprinter will go on sale in the U.S. sometime early next year, but the company has not announced pricing yet.