Quality in check.

Quality isn't an approximation. Plus, it doesn't have just one single origin. It is demonstrated in the innovative developments of our engineers just as much as it is found in the advanced-stage sketches of our designers. It takes shape when high-quality raw materials are processed into components and can then be experienced along every mile the vehicle covers. A lot of things have to come together in order for us to be able to speak of Mercedes-Benz quality. And it's only thanks to comprehensive test scenarios that we're able to guarantee that every single Mercedes-Benz van comes up to the requirements of its daily work.

Lively inner cities put strain on vans with their frequently slow-moving traffic, their lack of parking spaces and their tight streets. And they experience this on a daily basis over the course of many years. Such permanent stress needs to be simulated before the vehicle is in customer hands. As part of the test phase, our prototypes cover more than 100,000 km on various types of route. During this testing, a measuring device tracks all relevant components, thereby subsequently enabling us to take a closer look at all of the data. Here, we're not just looking for optimisation possibilities, but also and especially for signs of a long-term loss of quality. Does any wear and tear become visible? Is it something we can counteract? These are questions we need to answer well in advance of series production starting.

In the hectic everyday life of a van, things can sometimes get a little heated – not least as a result of the constant pulling away and braking in city traffic. But even at high temperatures, you need to be able to rely on the cooling system to regulate the temperature of both the engine and interior. The blistering heat of southern Spain is a great place to put this important system through its paces. In summer, temperatures here rarely drop below 35 °C. The Sprinter, Vito and Citan are tested under these extreme conditions, where they drive over hills and down into the valleys, as well as through town and country alike, until we're sure that they can endure the challenging daily routines throughout the year.

Measurements in the climate and wind tunnel provide us with important information on the aerodynamics of our vans. Here, both wind turbulence and wind noise – an important aspect for aeroacoustics – can be simulated. Sometimes, we also let it rain down on the vehicles – and not just from above! The reason is that in real life, pouring rain doesn't just fall from the sky onto the windscreen. Water is also kicked up by vehicles driving in front. And that can be extremely dangerous. To ensure a clear view, we have to test where the water from such spray is dispersed after reaching the front of the vehicle. In the climate and wind tunnel, we determine the optimum vehicle shape in order to ensure this water flows around the vehicle such that the driver in the cockpit has a clear view. Besides safety, a major aim is, of course, to also achieve lower consumption and better driving comfort!

Our vans are therefore well-equipped to deal with heat and rain, but how do they do in extremely cold conditions? To find out the answer to that question, we regularly head off to winter trials in northern Sweden. At temperatures down to -40 °C, we test the vehicles on a frozen lake to see how our safety and driving assistance systems cope with slippery surfaces and ice-cold temperatures. The results we gathered about driving and slipping characteristics of our vans then allow us to make optimal and precise adjustments to the systems to enable a stable driving behaviour and reliable quality – even in frosty conditions.