When operators ask us why Pacific Tur builds exclusively on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platform, our answer is simple: it is the only chassis that consistently passes the test of daily commercial duty in the UK market. That is not a marketing position — it is an observation drawn from talking to operators every week about what their vehicles actually do.
The Sprinter platform offers a combination of attributes that, taken individually, are available elsewhere — but taken together, are not. A proven Mercedes-Benz drivetrain. A nationwide network of commercial-vehicle service points that UK operators already know how to work with. A type-approved base vehicle that simplifies our conversion engineering. And a passenger-comfort baseline that operators can confidently present to their customers.
On the drivetrain: the current OM654 2.0-litre diesel, paired with the 9G-TRONIC automatic gearbox, delivers the combination of economy, smoothness and pulling power that premium minibus duty demands. Our 22-seat configuration at full GVW is well within the platform's operating envelope, and operators routinely report fuel-consumption figures well above what they achieved on previous-generation platforms.
On service coverage: this matters more than is sometimes acknowledged. A vehicle is only as available as its parts and support network. Operators running routes across multiple UK regions need confidence that any depot they pass within range of can support their vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has that coverage. Most alternative platforms do not.
On conversion engineering: starting with a type-approved Sprinter chassis simplifies the IVA and EU WVTA path significantly. It means our Romanian conversion facility can deliver vehicles that arrive in the UK ready for road use, with no last-mile compliance work required.
The Sprinter is not the cheapest base vehicle. It is, in our considered view as a converter and supplier, the right one — and that is why every Pacific Tur vehicle starts life as a Mercedes-Benz.
