20 years isn’t old… well, it might be for large vans | Editor’s Choice August 2026

I’ve just spent a week driving a Mercedes-Benz eSprinter Dropside – it’s a hulking great thing built on a 20-year-old platform that’s about to be replaced by something we saw chiselled out of a boulder (I’m not joking). It feels like the right time for a new generation of Sprinters because this one’s beginning to feel a bit old.

Before anyone accuses me of turning my back on an old platform, it's worth pointing out that ‘old’ doesn't mean bad. Some of the best vans on sale today are built on platforms that have been refined over many years… we’re looking at you Ford Transit, Stellantis vans, etc. Our used marketplace is full of old(er) large vans still selling strong and swapping hands. And just returning to the Sprinter, Mercedes has confirmed the all-new generation will land in 2027, which means prices on the current generation models are likely to look even better next year as the company clears stock.

But timing matters. Just ask Stellantis… because it’s in a different position. While its large vans remain incredibly capable and competitively priced (for the most part), the platform on which the Fiat Ducato, Vauxhall Movano, Peugoet Boxer and Citroën Relay are built has also been around for twenty years. But the next generation of those vans are not expected until 2029. This means the company faces a couple of extra years asking those vans to compete against increasingly modern rivals like the excellent Renault Master and whatever the new Mercedes large van ends up being.

So, Mercedes hits the large van reset button in 2027 while Stellantis won't do the same until 2029. Two years… two years is a long time, but you can bet your hind quarters Stellantis will make them count in development and manufacturing. Just like Mercedes will make those two years of sales of the new (and old) Sprinters count.