News / 4 November 2021 / Albert du Toit

South African-exclusive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter – Pricing and details

Mercedes-Benz has announced that its 23-seater Sprinter is now being converted into the Sprinter Inkanyezi at its East London conversion facility.

“This means that taxi owners will be able to immediately operate and earn income from the purchased vehicle instead of waiting for a conversion,” said Mercedes-Benz South Africa.

The Inkanyezi is available at dealers in the form of the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516 CDI.

Equipment

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Inkanyezi comes with 23 vinyl seats that are durable and easy to clean, as well as comfortable – said the company.

The seats feature a robust anchorage system for increased durability; and adaptive brake lights, wide side steps, and hard-wearing Marley floors are standard.

A wide variety of optional extras can then be fitted to the Sprinter Inkanyezi during the conversion process.

These include a multifunction steering wheel, a 10.25-inch MBUX infotainment system, parcel shelves, USB ports, a tow bar, active brake assist, front distance assist with a speed limiter, parking assist, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot assist with rear cross-traffic alert.

“The optional parking package, with 360° camera, makes light work of tight parking spots, such as taxi ranks and other loading and off-loading areas,” said Mercedes-Benz.

Power

Driving the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Inkanyezi is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, diesel engine that develops 120kW and 330Nm – available between 1,200rpm and 2,200rpm.

A six-speed manual transmission sends drive to the rear wheels as standard, and an automatic gearbox is available as an option.

This motor allows the Inkanyezi to support a maximum payload of 2,080kg, a maximum braked towing capacity of 2,000kg, and a maximum roof-loading capacity of 150kg.

“An ultra-light fibre glass, easy-to-clean dome roof liner reduces the vehicle’s weight, adding to excellent fuel consumption figures,” said Mercedes-Benz.