Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vs Mitsubishi Express

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has long been a formidable competitor in the Light Duty (3501-8000kg GVM) division of Australia’s highly competitive Heavy Commercial vehicle market.

The popular range offers a choice of panel van, cab-chassis and minibus body styles, four turbo-diesel engine variants (plus an all-electric drivetrain), three wheelbase lengths and for panel vans plus the choice of two roof heights.

An extensive overhaul of the Sprinter range in 2024 brought extra safety technologies, new comfort and convenience features and other benefits, which Mercedes-Benz claims can help drivers work more efficiently. We recently put one of the latest models to the test.

It has been a while since we’ve seen a Mitsubishi Express van on sale in Australia, and the one that has just launched here is a very different offering to its predecessor.

That’s because you could cover the tri-diamond badges on the grille or back door of the new 2020 Mitsubishi Express and be fooled into thinking that you’re looking at a Renault Trafic. Because you are.

The Express is a direct bi-product of the Alliance between Renault and Mitsubishi, and just like the Trafic, it’s made in France, at Renault’s Sandouville plant. 

This isn’t a comparison - the headline isn’t Mitsubishi Express vs Renault Trafic - but the question is: why would you choose one over the other?

You’d be correct in assessing this as an exercise in badge engineering - Mitsubishi calls it “branded product” - but it could well be that you’d choose an Express because Mitsubishi has a broader network of dealers (186 at the time of writing, versus Renault’s 56), not to mention the potential for major fleet discounts and an upstream ute alternative in the Triton that helps the brand “offer the complete LCV solution”. Renault, you could counter, has a smaller and larger van for its own “LCV solution”. 

There’s more to consider, including ownership, safety and value for money - read on for all the details.