Just as Ford ’s new commercial van – the Transit Connect – is off to a hot start, Mercedes-Benz has announced it will be pulling its Sprinter commercial van line from Dodge dealers. Dodge began selling the Mercedes-sourced Sprinter in 2003, but Mercedes will cancel Dodge’s contract to sell the van on January 1.
Despite its departure from the Dodge nameplate, the Sprinter won’t be exiting the U.S. market. Instead, Daimler will sell the Sprinter through Mercedes-Benz dealers – branded as a Mercedes-Benz product — under the newly minted Daimler Vans USA, according to Automotive News.
About 350 Dodge dealers across the country currently have contracts to sell the Sprinter van, but those contracts will be terminated by Mercedes-Benz by January 1. Another 45 Freightliner dealers currently have contracts in place to sell the Sprinter under the Freightliner banner, but those contracts will be honored beyond January 1.
U.S. Sprinter sales hit a peak of 25,694 units in 2006, but retreated to just over 18,000 units last year. Dodge dealers routinely account for more than 80 percent of all Sprinter sales.
The Sprinter’s Ladsen, S.C. plant has the capacity to produce 32,000 units per year.
Dodge doesn’t currently have a commercial vehicle to fill the void left by the Sprinter’s departure, but Fiat is said to be considering a Dodge-badged Fiat commercial vehicle for the U.S. market.
