Few workhorses are as globally revered as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo, which competes with the Ford Transit and the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana twins. After a 12-year design cycle, Mercedes-Benz debuted a redesigned version for 2019.

The Sprinter Cargo’s tall, aerodynamic profile should be familiar. The standard look includes utilitarian matte-black bumpers and full-length rub strips, but for an extra fee, you can specify painted bumpers. Size-wise, the van comes in 144-inch, 170-inch, and 170-inch-extended wheelbases. The 144-inch variant comes in either Standard or High Roof, while the other two get the High Roof by default. The Sprinter Cargo Van holds between 319 and 532.6 cubic feet of cargo behind the two front seats, depending on the wheelbase length.

Mercedes-Benz equips the new Sprinter Cargo with a carryover turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel V6 engine, making 188 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. It’s backed by a new 7-speed automatic transmission, replacing last year’s 5-speed unit, and comes with standard rear-wheel or optional four-wheel drive (4WD). The payload capacity ranges from 3,296 and 6,206 pounds while towing is rated at 5,000 pounds across the board.

It’s in the cabin that you’ll find the largest upgrades to the Sprinter Cargo. Front and center on the Sprinter Cargo’s dashboard is the brand’s new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, which consists of either a standard 7.0- or optional 10.3-inch display, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a new telematics system called PRO connect that enables fleet managers to make smart decisions by arming them with the ability to track vehicles, set operating parameters, monitor fuel usage, and receive driving reports.

Because it’s not intuitive to operate a tall cargo van with minimal outward visibility, Mercedes-Benz includes a number of standard and optional helpful technologies. You can specify automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, driver-attention monitoring, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, driver-drowsiness detection, traffic-sign recognition, full LED headlights, and lane-keeping assist.

The new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo is the ultimate modern workhorse, mating the model’s historic durability and capability with heightened levels of technology.