Mercedes-Benz Report Record Van Sales; Teases Rollout of Next Sprinter
European-model Mercedes-Benz Vito electric van. The Vito is sold on this side of the Atlantic as the Metris. Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans
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Stuttgart, Germany-based Mercedes-Benz Vans has announced it set a new record for unit sales in 2017 and for the first time passed the 40,000-vehicles sold mark. The division also again gave a taste of what its next-generation Sprinter will offer.
In addition, the division has now grown continuously for five consecutive years. On the basis of initial December results, the division increased its overall wholesale unit sales by around 12% percent to a total of some 401,000 vehicles.
While all models contributed to this growth with best-ever figures, Mercedes-Benz Vans also stated that it sold more of its “van icon,” the Sprinter, than ever before in its last full year before the launch of the next-generation model.
However, M-B Vans reported that its ‘”strongest growth driver – in addition to the very successful fleet business – was once again the strong demand for the Vito van [which is sold in North America as the Metris] and the V-Class multipurpose vehicle. In 2017, both of those models were fully available for the first time in China, which is now the world’s biggest vehicle market.
“Our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ growth strategy was very successful once again in 2017,” said Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans Volker Mornhinweg, “Four consecutive record years represent an outstanding performance by our global team…We have great plans also for 2018; with the new Sprinter, the most important market launch in the van segment from our perspective is coming up soon.”
Mornhinweg said Mercedes-Benz will “open up the digital era in this segment” with the next-generation Sprinter, which it will roll out to the media next month. “With the new Sprinter, we will provide exactly those solutions in the vehicle that will help …Read the rest of this story
