No real surprise here - Fiat's acquisition of most of Chrysler had rendered the Dodge Sprinter situation as unsustainable, and so the news that MB USA gets the job - through the creation of Daimler Vans LLC - was predictable. US Sprinter will become a Mercedes-Benz product, and the curtain thus falls on the rebadging business that has seen three-pointed stars replacing Dodge insignia across middle America.
But the timing is interesting. The handover is effective as of January 1st, and we wonder if this will coincide with the arrival of Iveco's Daily to American shores. That Iveco is working on such a strategy is a given, but whether or not it will be ready by January remains to be seen. As will be the willingness of the existing MB USA network to pony up a reputed $50,000 a time to take on the LCV franchise.