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Mecedes Metris (Vito) coming to the US; will Ford respond with Transit Custom?


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Mercedes dealers won't be selling the Metris van. Mercedes Commercial dealer network will be doing the sales.

 

Diamler set up a new division this year to handle Sprinter and Metris distribution in the US. MB Commercial USA will report directly to Daimler in Germany, bypassing the existing MBUSA car sales and marketing division. The existing Sprinter dealers (which are only a subset of all Mercedes dealers) will be rebranded Mercedes Commercial dealers.

 

http://fleetowner.com/equipment/daimler-sharpens-focus-us-van-market

 

Freightliner is fleet sale only and they may very well get a version of Metris just like they do with Sprinter. But they are targeting a completely different market segment.

 

Basically, it will go like this for Metris and Spritner:

 

Mercedes Commercial - cargo van retail and fleet sale; passenger van fleet sale

Mercedes - passenger van retail sale only - right now only Sprinter, but V-Class (luxury version of Metris with completely different interior) is under consideration.

Freight liner - national account fleet sale only

 

As RJ said, do they have separate dealers from Mercedes dealers, or do they just use certain Mercedes dealers and have a little corner of the dealer to themselves which they operate out of?

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A Mercedes Commercial division?

 

What? A whole unit with separate dealers dedicated to the goal of selling products that are woefully uncompetitive w/Ford products?

 

German efficiency will make up for the lack of volume or uncompetitive products :sing_rain:

 

 

 

As RJ said, do they have separate dealers from Mercedes dealers, or do they just use certain Mercedes dealers and have a little corner of the dealer to themselves which they operate out of?

 

It's already done... MB Commercial is a whole new division with separate US (probably Canada too) sales and marketing team from MBUSA. The existing MB dealers that sells Sprinter (I think only about 150 of them do now) will be offered the "opportunity" to upgrade a MB Commercial franchise to sell both vans. If they decline, they will continue to sell the passenger version of Sprinter and probably the new V-Class, but they will eventually lose the ability to sell cargo version and cab chassis, probably after MB Commercial sign up few more non-Mercedes dealers in those areas.

 

Not all of the existing 150 or so Sprinter dealers will sign up so there will be some shake up in Sprinter distribution in some areas of the US and Canada.

 

One of my friend is a controller for a large LA area European car dealer (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW, Porsche) and he said that MB Commercial wanted them to invest in a separate show room and repair facility. The dealer principal told them to go :censored: themselves and pound sand. :hysterical:

Edited by bzcat
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German efficiency will make up for the lack of volume or uncompetitive products :sing_rain:

 

 

 

It's already done... MB Commercial is a whole new division with separate US (probably Canada too) sales and marketing team from MBUSA. The existing MB dealers that sells Sprinter (I think only about 150 of them do now) will be offered the "opportunity" to upgrade a MB Commercial franchise to sell both vans. If they decline, they will continue to sell the passenger version of Sprinter and probably the new V-Class, but they will eventually lose the ability to sell cargo version and cab chassis, probably after MB Commercial sign up few more non-Mercedes dealers in those areas.

 

Not all of the existing 150 or so Sprinter dealers will sign up so there will be some shake up in Sprinter distribution in some areas of the US and Canada.

 

One of my friend is a controller for a large LA area European car dealer (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW, Porsche) and he said that MB Commercial wanted them to invest in a separate show room and repair facility. The dealer principal told them to go :censored: themselves and pound sand. :hysterical:

 

 

Just seems like a questionable move with little upside at the moment. I mean, maybe the idea is a prospective Mercedes Sprinter customer might not like the idea of going to a Mercedes dealer, so now they can go to the "commercial" Mercedes dealer that has entirely separate facilities just for that? Hmm....

 

It would almost make more sense if they were selling a ton of them to where they needed a new sales channel/facilities to better service demand for the product, but they obviously aren't selling many. I guess looking at it from their perspective - sales can't really go anywhere but up with this move, right?

Edited by rmc523
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Local dealer had MB and BMW on adjacent lots, both stores about a decade old. Recently built new mega BMW store down the street, converted "old" BMW to MB Commercial and SMART. I still think this thing will cause more confusion than Sprinter does.

 

I wonder if you can get a Dodge Sprinter services at MB Commercial dealers?

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Just seems like a questionable move with little upside at the moment. I mean, maybe the idea is a prospective Mercedes Sprinter customer might not like the idea of going to a Mercedes dealer, so now they can go to the "commercial" Mercedes dealer that has entirely separate facilities just for that? Hmm....

 

It would almost make more sense if they were selling a ton of them to where they needed a new sales channel/facilities to better service demand for the product, but they obviously aren't selling many. I guess looking at it from their perspective - sales can't really go anywhere but up with this move, right?

 

Well, this is why Richard and I are chuckling at the decision making process that lead to the creation of a separate division... It's a very German way of doing thing. Let's create all this overhead and then the vehicles sales will just happen ya?

 

I *think* (highly speculative with liberal dramatic license taken) this is how it went down...

 

Daimler HQ: Zee Amerikan market haz no midsize vans, vat do you think iz so?

MBUSA: Probably because anything under 8,500 lbs impacts CAFE and no one wants to bother? Also, fullsize van is cheap... same reason why midsize pickup market collapsed [plunks down a stack of market research report and data]

Daimler HQ: We think maybe iz bekauz no one haz offered a German van, vat do you think?

MBUSA: :banghead:

Daimler HQ: So you not think thiz vill be a success?

MBUSA: Go ahead and try it but don't make it our problem.

Daimler HQ: Ok, we send a team from Deutcshland to solve zee problem.

MBUSA: Let us know if you need any help :salute:

Edited by bzcat
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Well, this is why Richard and I are chuckling at the decision making process that lead to the creation of a separate division... It's a very German way of doing thing. Let's create all this overhead and then the vehicles sales will just happen ya?

 

I *think* (highly speculative with liberal dramatic license taken) this is how it went down...

 

Daimler HQ: Zee Amerikan market haz no midsize vans, vat do you think iz so?

MBUSA: Probably because anything under 8,500 lbs impacts CAFE and no one wants to bother? Also, fullsize van is cheap... same reason why midsize pickup market collapsed [plunks down a stack of market research report and data]

Daimler HQ: We think maybe iz bekauz no one haz offered a German van, vat do you think?

MBUSA: :banghead:

Daimler HQ: So you not think thiz vill be a success?

MBUSA: Go ahead and try it but don't make it our problem.

Daimler HQ: Ok, we send a team from Deutcshland to solve zee problem.

MBUSA: Let us know if you need any help :salute:

 

I started laughing after your first line.

 

You should've added a line about the VW Routan lol.

 

---

 

Sounds like Mercedes hired someone from GM..... :stirpot:

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  • 4 years later...
14 hours ago, barney9014 said:

I’ve owned 3 Aerostars, passenger versions, back in the day.  I hauled a lot of stuff in those including a 289 from my 1966 Mustang.  

I once tucked a built 302 and C4 into the hatch area of my 2011 MKX for a trip to the custom shop that had my 83 Mustang...plenty of room and hauled with ease...

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On 6/29/2019 at 8:10 AM, twintornados said:

I once tucked a built 302 and C4 into the hatch area of my 2011 MKX for a trip to the custom shop that had my 83 Mustang...plenty of room and hauled with ease...

I once hauled all the lumber for a custo. Built swing/playground set in a Freestyle, including the 10' lengths with the hatch down.

 

I struggle to see where Metris fits in the market with the TC and NV200/City Express on one end and a SWB/low roof Transit above.

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12 minutes ago, J-150 said:

I once hauled all the lumber for a custo. Built swing/playground set in a Freestyle, including the 10' lengths with the hatch down.

 

I struggle to see where Metris fits in the market with the TC and NV200/City Express on one end and a SWB/low roof Transit above.

Size-wise, the Metris seems similar to Dodge Caravans that I used to have. Wide enough load floor to be able to slide 48" wide sheets in, short enough overall height to fit in my garage. As much as I'm excited for the 2020 AWD Transit, I'd rather not have to leave it outside all the time.

HRG

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Van sales for May '19 and year to date

Vehicle...............May '18...............5MO '19

Metris.....................687....................3,047

Transit...............16,404..................60,551

T/ Connect..........3,727.................15,693

Metris sales in comparison to Transit and Transit Connect are peanuts and Ford's two van strategy arguably covers the market better.

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11 minutes ago, barney9014 said:

Probably wouldn’t sell and where would they build it anyway.  I like the size.  As mentioned the  Metris is limited to commercial dealers too. Can’t buy one at the local MB store. 

You sure about that? The fancy-pants M-B dealership near me has them.

https://www.mercedesbenzofstcharles.com/new-vehicles/metris/

HRG

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  • 2 weeks later...
11 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

I was behind a Metris the other day and it was bigger than I remembered.  Definitely bigger than Transit Connect.

I stopped at my local MB dealer yesterday, they had a Metris parked next to a DRW Sprinter. From the looks of it, that Metris would easily fit INSIDE the Sprinter,,,,

The Vito taxi I was in easily fit the 5 of us (plus driver), as well as our big-ass suitcases.

HRG

Edited by HotRunrGuy
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