Mercedes Mulls Importing Small Sprinter Vans to U.S.

NEW YORK – Mercedes-Benz's Sprinter division is considering importing smaller vans into the U.S. that are available in Europe.

“We'll make a decision on whether to bring them in 2013,” says Claus Tritt, general manager-commercial vehicles.

Sprinter sold 18,600 vans through November, up 25% from year-ago, Mercedes says.

“December is traditionally a strong month for us,” Tritt says, predicting Sprinter will finish with its best year yet. Commercial-van sales will get a boost as some companies take advantage of tax credits enacted during the Bush era that are going to run out this month, he explains.

Replacing vehicles destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in the northeast U.S. also will contribute to Sprinter’s growth, Tritt suggests. Sales are growing more rapidly than the overall market, which he says is up 12% this year. “That's a pretty good number.”

Daimler's Freightliner Div., which also distributes Sprinters, sold 3,300 units through the first 11 months. All Sprinters have Bluetec clean-diesel technology. Commercial vehicles account for 80-85% of all sales, with the rest passenger models.

Additionally, a number of certified outfitters transform bare-bones Sprinter chassis into replacements for stretch limousines. About 500 of those are built annually, Tritt says.

Sprinters available in the U.S. are powered by a 6-cyl. 182-hp diesel engine mated to an automatic transmission. Air-conditioning is standard. Those sold in Europe come with smaller 2.2L 4-cyl. engines that generate 100 hp, he says.

Most European-market Sprinters come with manual transmissions and do not have air-conditioning. Tax regulations in Europe encourage buyers to make do with the smaller engines.

Some 5,000 Sprinter passenger vans currently are imported here as complete vehicles from a Daimler plant in Dusseldorf, Germany. About 15,000 Sprinter cargo vans arrive as kits and are assembled at a factory in Charleston, SC, which installs their drivetrains.

Mercedes is watching to see how the small import-van market develops in the U.S., Tritt says, noting Ford plans to introduce a new Transit Connect model next year. Chrysler earlier said the Fiat Doblo, which like the Transit Connect is built in Turkey, will be imported as a new Ram model in 2013.

Mercedes may bring the Sprinter Vito and Viano here. Some 20,000 passenger versions of the Viano and 60,000 Vito commercial vans are sold in Europe annually. The auto maker in September launched the Citan in the market, a small cargo van similar to the Transit Connect.

“We'll see how the van market will change before making our decision on those vehicles,” Tritt says. “I think there's an opportunity here.” There's enough capacity in the European plants to supply models for import to the U.S.

Importantly, import vans are moving from niche to a more-established market, he says, providing opportunity.  “We're looking at everything right now. There's a question mark about the European economy.”