Daimler subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Argentina has started production of the latest European Sprinter van line at its Centro Industrial Juan Manuel Fangio plant near Buenos Aires.
Manufacturing operations are being carried out in two shifts and are now at almost full capacity. The Sprinter is primarily offered as a bus model in Latin America in order to benefit from the rapidly growing demand for passenger transportation. Market launch is scheduled for next May. The Sprinter is the flagship model for Mercedes-Benz Vans and is successfully exported to about 50 countries, including Brazil, South Africa, and Australia.
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Mercedes-Benz Argentina has produced over 200,000 Sprinters in Buenos Aires. Around 17,000 units rolled off the production line for domestic and export sales last year.
M-B vans chief Volker Mornhinweg said: “In Latin America, we want to increase our van sales by 30% over the next five years. The current generation of Sprinter models will lay the foundation for this development.”
Mercedes-Benz Argentina head Roland Zey emphasized the company’s regional strategy, saying “the Sprinter is an essential part of our product range.”
Daimler is currently spending over EUR70m in Argentina with part of this for the switch over to the latest Sprinter.
The Buenos Aires factory is named for five-times Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio.
Mercedes-Benz Argentina has built around 500,000 commercial vehicles since opening in 1951.
Around 1,800 employees produce chassis for city buses and trucks as well as the Sprinter. This makes the company the country’s only automaker to cover the entire commercial vehicle segment.
