I think they feel the time of the Pickup has come and gone.
Automotive News
September 7, 2009 - 12:01 am ET
The Sprinter, a roomy but pricey diesel-powered van from Damlier was yanked from the Dodge lineup last week and moved to Mercedes.
Fiat said it wants to plug the hole at Chrysler Group with two commercial vehicles from Europe.
Mercedes Benz USA will appoint up to 120 dealers to sell Sprinters starting in January. Nearly 400 Dodge dealers will lose the van.
About 45 Freightliner dealers will continue to sell the Sprinter as a Freightliner, said Ernst Lieb, CEO of mercedes Benz USA.
Chrysler confirmed it is considering two Fiat vehicles to replace the Dodge Sprinter: the Fiat Ducato and Iveco Daily, said Gualberto Ranieri, senior vice president of communications at Chrysler. Iveco is Fiat's truck and commercial-vehicle subsidiary.
Automotive News had reported earlier that Chrysler was eyeing the two vehicles for a separate Dodge truck brand.
Sprinter slump
Falling demand from stressed contractors has hurt Dodge Sprinter sales.
2009*: 4,605
2008: 14,600
2007: 16,586
2006: 21,961
2005: 19,578
2004: 10,232
*Through August
Source: Automotive News Data Center
Ranieri said any commercial vehicles would "certainly not have the Fiat badge. The sole Fiat vehicle in North America will be the Fiat 500. Period."
In January, the Sprinter will be launched with a 3.0-liter V-6 diesel that is used in the Mercedes Benz M-class crossover and GL-class SUV.
When Dodge began selling the Sprinter in the United States in April 2003, U.S. buyers didn't know the vehicle, said Lieb. "It has now established itself," he said.
The vans will be sold by the newly created Daimler Vans USA. Claus Tritt, the unit's general manager, previously worked at the van division at DaimlerChrysler.
The Sprinter is assembled at a semiknockdown factory in Ladson, S.C., which has a capacity of 32,000 units a year, Tritt said.
Dodge sold 14,600 Sprinters in 2008 and 4,605 in the first eight months of 2009.
Lieb said Mercedes Benz will approach dealers about taking the Sprinter franchise "based on their potential." A dealer might have to invest $30,000 to $50,000 in the Sprinter franchise and put up a sign, dedicate service and salespeople and purchase some special tools and equipment, Lieb said.
Dodge dealers have struggled to sell the Sprinters as the credit crisis dried up loans for potential small-business customers.
The 2009 Dodge Sprinter starts at $43,130 including shipping.
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