When Daimler begins production of its next-gen Sprinter, quite a few of the vans will be leaving an assembly line somewhere in North America.
Automotive News reports the partial shift in production will help the automaker “cover the growing demand for large vans in the North American market economically” by producing them locally “in the NAFTA region,” according to Mercedes’ head of vans, Volker Mornhinweg.
Presently, the U.S.-bound Sprinters are made in Dusseldorf and Ludwigsfelde, Germany, then sent over in CKD form to Ladson, S.C. for reassembly. Around 23,000 Sprinters were sent in this manner to U.S. customers in 2013, the sales second only to Germany.
As for where the new plant will be built, Mornhinweg says the exact location would be chosen in the coming months, with sites in the U.S., Canada and Mexico being examined.
Too bad Pillette Road is gone. I can only see a low volume, low margin product like this going to Mexico.
They need more volume to make this a workable proposition. I can’t see how they could justify a brand new plant for 23,000 units a year. I’m guessing there will be a partnership, or the plant will be dualed with some other product. I suppose they could expand Tuscaloosa but Sprinters would be very different from what they’re building there now.
Are the production vans going to come with those wheels?
I certainly hope not. Those look like the worst possible wheels for a utilitarian van.
Depends on what the van is being utilized for. That one looks well-suited to use as a mobile adult video production facility.
It’s certainly not a plumbers van with all that glass, extra sliding door, and roof A/C unit.
I wonder if they’ve fixed the leaking A/C units on the roof, and the severe rust problems. Just about every Sprinter I’ve seen around here has fair amount of rust on them.
And that’s just for (non)starters. The reliability of these things is horrible and the repairs are very expensive.
Maybe they’ll start making parts here to bring the repair costs down?
A rap video from 2002 called. It wants those wheels back.
It’s funny seeing the Euro-built ones on the roads here because they’re usually rusted to shit after just a few Canadian winters.
Finally, it was stupid decision all along to produce in Germany then somehow to send it to US and than complete it there, because of that tax, the same thing Ford is doing with Turkish imports of Transit connect it think to avoid tax on full commercial vehicles imports.
Anyway Daimler has big passenger car plant in US + Daimler is No.1 in heavy trucks in NAFTA, so they have enough plants and people to produce Vans like Sprinter, don ´t know why they haven´t decided sooner to produce locally for NAFTA markets
This may be a worthy vehicle for its intended utilitarian purposes, but if ever something was misnamed, it’s surely the Sprinter. How about the Plodder instead?
Or maybe MB dropped in an AMG 6.3 engine and didn’t tell us?
Have heard nothing but complaints about these vans. They’re not suited to the great white north as almost all of them are bleeding red after a few winters. Goes to show you that there’s a lot more rotten stuff under the skin.
Perhaps the people who design Sprinters should get together with the people who design the Actross and maybe get those people to show them how to make a…truck with a van body.
@Calgarytek
Believe VW who have their own version of the Sprinter, with smaller VW engine, have commissioned MAN the Truck builder to build a new VW Van , that will replace the Crafter which is being built by Mercedes for VW
The Dodge 2500 version of the Sprinter seems to do well in my part of the country, and several have been made into Conversion Vans and Camper Vans, with windows all-around, nice Captain’s chairs, beds and plush interiors.
While the basic Sprinter costs ~$30K, the conversion process can easily add $50K or more in trim and labor.
OTOH, many airports seem to use these as shuttle-buses as well. I’ve been on a few.
So there exists a market for them ever since the Detroit full-size Vans have been dropped or replaced with lighter-duty fare.
You mean like the ones built in North Charleston, SC?
I think the idea is completely build the van in North America. Currently they are built in Germany, disassembled enough to not be a complete vehicle. Shipped over and reassembled.
And that plant’s address is Ladson, as mentioned in the article.
I vote for Philadelphia or Baltimore.
(I don’t get a vote.)