Hmm....I'm not too sure about the towing capacity, but I saw plenty of Sprinters in Germany towing HUGE loads. Obviously you can't tow like you would with a Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel, but the thing can be equipped in high GVW ratings.
There are numerous variants. There are both passenger and cargo version, each available with your choice of high or low roof. There are 1500 and 2500 versions as well.
They come in three wheelbases - 118", 140", and 158". The 158" 2500 version can be had with dually rear wheels.
All US Sprinters come with the Mercedes-Benz 2.7 liter CDI turbodiesel engine. This has 155hp. Not a lot, but it does have respectable torque. All are equipped with a Mercedes-Benz 5-speed automatic with tiptronic.
These things are identical to the European version in every way, save for badging. Even the steering wheel is pure Mercedes - the US versions simply substitute the star emblem with either a Freightliner or Dodge logo - and that logo is separate from the airbag cover so it's replaceable with the Mercedes emblem.
There's a Yahoo group at
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/sprintervan/ and these people are rabid enthusiasts - almost as much as people are here at focaljet. If you look at the gallery section, there are some, ahem, interesting Americanized Sprinters there.
Well, seeing as how the Sprinter effectively replaces the Ram Van, this isn't surprising. It won't be long before we see Sprinter conversion vans!! In fact, there are pics of a few in that gallery - they look SO weird. German delivery van looks with American conversion van graphics, wheels, and ground effects.
Ed