Mercedes-Benz Vans is investing $150 million (Rs 947 crore) in the production of the next generation of the large van Sprinter in Argentina.

Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, announced this investment following a meeting with Mauricio Macri, president of the Argentine Republic. Preparations for the production ramp-up at the plant in Argentina as well as other global Sprinter plants are already ongoing.

The roll-out of global production will start before the end of the decade. As part of the ramp-up and future production of the next-generation Sprinter in Argentina, Mercedes-Benz Vans will create more than 500 additional jobs at the plant. Currently, the company  employs approximately 2,300 in total in Argentina.

According to Volker Mornhinweg, “Argentina has been playing a key role for our international ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ growth strategy and it will continue to do so in the future as well. With our investment, we underline the importance of the market, our customers in Argentina and our outstanding country team. We have a longstanding history in Argentina and we are the undisputed market leader with our ‘world vehicle’ Sprinter. The professional work of our local team as well as our suppliers in Argentina will ensure top quality in any vehicle manufactured here by Mercedes-Benz Vans."

Roland Zey, MD, Marketing & Sales for Latin America, said: “Our van icon, the Sprinter, stands for great versatility, offering customers highly efficient and reliable transport solutions. We’re very excited about its next generation which will redefine this aspiration.”

The Centro Industrial Juan Manuel Fangio plant in the town of González Catán near Buenos Aires, which was founded in 1951, was the first Mercedes-Benz production site outside of Germany. Since 1996 Mercedes-Benz Argentina has produced in total around 290,000 Sprinters there. Since 2015 the mid-size van Vito also rolls off the assembly line. The plant additionally assembles bus chassis and trucks.