Total support: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI

We could have gone all out on this test and fitted each bike with factory panniers and a top box, but as we wanted to get a clearer idea of each model's off-road ability we decided to ditch the luggage to maximise manoeuvrability.

This was easily done as we had a brand-new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at our disposal, thanks to our friends at Mercedes-Benz Australia. While we weren't exactly heading into the Red Centre, New South Wales' Willandra Lakes Region is still pretty remote and help isn't just around the corner if things go wrong.

With six motorcycles, eight people and a pressing schedule of photography and video to get through, we played it safe and enlisted the Sprinter 313 CDI to carry our gear and potentially broken bikes (and bodies), if push came to shove.

With a gross vehicle mass of 3550kg it can be driven on a standard car licence, and to that end it's really no difficult to drive than your average passenger car.

We'd also brought Deano along from MSR (Motorsport Safety & Rescue) along – a trained paramedic with comprehensive first aid kit.

The bulk of his gear went into the Sprinter too, while our photographers and videographers – Rene and Stu – took shifts behind the wheel.

Not that the term 'shift', implying a chore, is really an appropriate term here. The Sprinter is renowned for its lively performance and stable, secure ride, along with general road dynamics that belie the van's overall weight and dimensions.

Loads of space
This van is a medium-wheelbase, high-roof ($1864) model, giving nine cubic metres of internal load space. That's plenty to potentially swallow two adventure bikes and still have room for all our other gear, which in addition to personal effects included an array of spares for the bikes and water and food for the humans.

As luck would have it, neither bikes nor bodies were broken, and so the Sprinter remained as our rather extravagant four-wheeled bell hop – which was exactly how we wanted it.

The Sprinter has been a popular choice for motorcycle transport for good reason – in fact it's dominated the large van landscape for many years. A total of 1331 Sprinters have been sold in Australia to the end of June this year (FCAI VFACTS data) while its nearest rival, Renault's Master, has sold 913.

Key to the Sprinter's success is its 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. Pumping out 95kW and 360Nm in the 313 CDI, the Euro 5 unit delivers a broad spread of torque throughout most of its rev range, while it's impressively quiet and refined for a diesel.

Certainly the van didn't notice the extra weight, which would have barely touched its 1440kg payload limit. Our van was fitted with Mercedes-Benz's seven-speed 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission ($2614), which shifts cleanly and smoothly and also has a manual sequential mode.

In the cabin Mercedes-Benz has achieved an overall feel that is utilitarian yet classy. From the floor lining to the cloth upholstered seats to the expansive dash, everything appears to be durable and easy to maintain. The Audio 15 head unit has a 14.7cm colour TFT screen but it isn't a touchscreen – the menu system isn't as intuitive as some brand's take on things but once familiar it works well.

It's a little dated compared to other, more modern offerings, but pairing a phone is relatively straightforward and the sound quality through the twin speakers is good.

Cab storage is good too, the Sprinter having generous door side pockets, a decent glove box, twin overhead shelves and a huge storage area beneath the passengers' seat unit. There are three dash-top trays across the width of the van, the middle one having a lid to keep valuables out of sight and the driver's side one also with a USB slot and 3.5mm jack.

The driver's seat is quite basic, featuring all the usual adjustment but no armrest or lumbar support, but higher-grade seats are available as factory options.

Safety first
Safety is also a strength, with the van's comprehensive stability control program encompassing features like traction control, load adaptive control, rollover mitigation and more. There are airbags for both the passenger and driver, and our test vehicle also had blind spot monitoring and lane keeping assist – both great features when burning long miles on the highway – plus forward collision alert and auto lights and wipers. They're a part of Mercedes-Benz's Driving Assistance Package ($2250).

Further enhancing safety and occupant comfort is the full steel bulkhead with window ($555); if anything triggers an emergency stop, the last thing you want to think about is tool kit or a full jerry can (or motorcycle) making a bid for freedom through the front windscreen…

Our van also came a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors, which make light work of parking and maneuvering a large van like this for an extra $1400.

The load bay is purpose built for maximum practicality. With 10 sturdy tie-down anchor points, our van features full-height wood panel protection and a tough and grippy composite wood floor ($650). Access is easy via the side sliding door or the rear 50/50 barn doors, the latter opening to 180 degrees. There's just the one interior light but no 12-volt auxiliary power socket.

While we didn't spend much time in the Sprinter in town, when we did we found its turning circle to be surprisingly tight, at 13.4 metres kerb to kerb. That's another benefit of the rear-drive format.

After 1500 kilometres our Sprinter spat out an average fuel economy of 10.4L/100km, which is great at all considering the good slab of work done of the dirt. Having a rear-wheel drive format the Sprinter was a pleasure to drive on the dirt, where and the ABS and traction control made a good fist of keeping things tidy. Had conditions dictated it, the traction control can be switched off and manual mode employed to give full control in slippery going.

Summing up
The Sprinter reigns supreme over Australia's large van market for good reason. Tough, with a rugged construction yet a refined interior, it meets exacting commercial requirements for lugging a major load with most of the safety features you'd expect of a passenger car bearing the three-pointed star. It was a faithful road companion on our Big-Bore Adventure Bike Comparo, and a reassurance to know it was there, some distance behind us, as we charged across the NSW outback.

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313CDI specifications:
Price: $67,232 plus ORC (as tested)
Engine: 2.1-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power: 95kW (129hp) at 3800rpm
Torque: 305Nm at 1200-2400rpm
Emissions: Euro 5
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Configuration: 4x2
Front suspension: Coil over shock
Rear suspension: Leaf spring
GVM: 3350kg
Fuel capacity: 75lt
Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS and electronic brake force distribution
Safety: Adaptive Electronic Stability Program with ABS, traction control, rollover mitigation, roll movement intervention, load adaptive control; driver and passenger front airbags, Driving Assistance Package and more
Warranty: Three years, 200,000 kilometres
www.mercedes-benz.com.au