By this time next year, Mercedes-Benz will offer a new model in its North American van lineup.
Automotive News reports the German automaker is using this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas to showcase four hotted-up versions of the Vito, which will be sold in the U.S. and Canada as the Metris.
Billed as a competitor to the likes of the Ford Transit Connect, the Nissan NV200 and its Chevrolet twin, the CityExpress, and the Ram ProMaster City, Mercedes’ van will be badged as the Metris.
Although Mercedes plans to ship the long-wheelbase model to North America, cargo and passenger variants of the Metris will be available. Like the current Sprinter, the Metris will be made in Spain and will have its drivetrain, fuel tank and battery shipped separately and assembled in South Carolina to avoid the so-called Chicken Tax, a tariff imposed by the U.S. government on imported cargo vans.
