Saltex sees 4x4 panel vans in the spotlight

Saltex saw both Mercedes Benz and Ford displaying their latest 4x4 panel vans. Eighteen months after the New Sprinter was introduced, Mercedes has added a selectable 4x4 option at both 3.5t and 5t. The factory-fit option adds £4,900 to the price of the base vehicle, while adding a low-ratio drop box takes the on-cost to £5,250.

Payload loss is about 150kg (180kg on the 5t vehicle) and the speed is restricted to 120km/h (75mph).

Ford's system adds only 70kg to the rear-wheel drive Transit's front-axle weight and 10kg to the rear. It requires no driver input - a light on the dashboard indicates that four-wheel drive is engaged. It automatically detects the slippage and uses a clutch system to increasingly divert drive to the front wheels and automatically disengages when the speed picks up to ensure on-road fuel economy is retained.

The system adds about £4,000 to the base vehicle cost.