Mercedes-Benz Vans celebrated 10 years in China with its joint venture Fujian Benz Automotive (FBAC). The division held a ceremony at the FBAC plant in Fuzhou in south-east China.
China is the world’s largest automobile market and now one of the main growth drivers for the vans unit. In the first eight months of this year, Mercedes-Benz Vans sold over 15,000 vehicles in China, up 80% year on year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The first Viano and Vito models rolled off the production line in Fuzhou a decade ago. The plant was extended in 2013 to include the division’s first research & development centre outside Germany, focused on models locally produced and marketed.
Fujian Benz Automotive spent around EUR200m (CNY1.4bn) on local production of the new mid-size V-Class and Vito which were launched in China in 2016. In recent months, FBAC doubled its network to 160 dealers across China, achieved by including car dealers.
FBAC is a joint venture of Daimler and Chinese partners BAIC Motor and Fujian Motor Industry Group.
