After another too long break from the Hooniverse, I’ve come sprinting back with a van-geance. See what I did there? In honor of Truck Thursday and general trucking goodness, I felt obliged to share this Vehicle I Saw In Traffic with you all.

Let me set the scene for this recent sighting: my wife and I were out on a lovely spring evening in Woodinville, when I looked across the parking lot and saw this big brown beauty. The following conversation with my wife took place as we stood by our car.

“Huh.”

“What?”

“That van. I think it’s the new Sprinter.”

(eye rolls) “Are you going to take pictures of it?”

“Yep.”

This, my friends, is what it’s like living with a hoon. Fortunately, my wife is pretty understanding of my choices. Usually. Anyway, I did indeed grab a few images to share with you all; I hope you enjoy them.

As I mentioned, this is the 2014 Mercedes Sprinter – the high roof model, to be exact – and although it looks a whole lot like every other Sprinter ever made, whether Mercedes, Dodge, or Freightliner, this refresh has a several new features that Mercedes-Benz hopes will be enough to separate you from the $45,000 sitting in your wallet.

The Sprinter has a new nose, which looks more like their SUV’s now. I thought of the GLK the first time I saw it. Somehow, they managed to squeeze and pinch a few creases into the front clip, bringing it more in line with the current consumer offerings. I like that they continue to provide the front bumper step, which I think is a pretty cool idea, don’t you? The other big feature for 2014 is the 2.1-liter diesel which, when coupled with the 7-speed OD transmission, gets you 161 hp and 265 lb.-ft. of torque, good enough to get a load moving, but not much more. The torque is really what’s important with a little diesel in a big van, and 265 is a good number here.

Street lights make terrible backdrops, but from this angle you can see just how tall this thing is. I rode in a Sprinter on a college trip in 2002, and I remember what a step/climb up it was just get in. It looks like that hasn’t changed.

Mercedes seems to believe that commercial buyers are willing to pay a premium for the badge on the nose and the creature comforts behind the wheel: whether that is true remains to be seen. Still, for a big cargo van, it’s not ugly, and I know how much a brown car is appreciated around here. What do you think of the 2014 Sprinter? Let us know in the comments.

P.S. Have something cool, fast, vintage, or weird to share with us? Drop us a line at tips@hooniverse.info. Operators are standing by.

Photos: ©2014 Hooniverse/Marcal Eilenstein, All Rights Reserved