Mercedes-Benz Esprinter vs Honda HR-V

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range of vans and cab-chassis models competes for buyers in the Light Duty (3501-8000kg GVM) segment of Australia’s highly competitive Heavy Commercial vehicle market.

In 2024 the German manufacturer expanded its diverse turbo-diesel van range by launching a full-electric variant called the eSprinter, which for the first time offered local buyers the opportunity to drive with zero tailpipe emissions.

We recently spent a working week with this unique offering to assess how competently it could fulfil the diverse job requirements of private tradie buyers and fleet operators.

Like many car brands, Honda is storming the hybrid field. The new HR-V brings with it a hybrid powertrain and external facelift but is it enough to keep it competitive in the small SUV segment?

As with any cosmetic surgery you may wonder whether the facelift has been successful.

No tricks – I’ll tell you straight up the new external design might be what you’re looking for if you’re on the hunt for a small SUV that doesn’t look like it moonlights as an Uber for Mr Big Ears (a Noddy reference for any youngsters out there).

We're testing out the top hybrid model, the L, to see what else this urban dweller gets right and what it sometimes gets wrong.