With Mercedes-Benz planning to terminate its contract to supply its Sprinter light van (top) to Chrysler Group at the start of next year it has been revealed that the Fiat Ducato and Iveco Daily (bottom) are both now being considered as replacements in North America.

With Mercedes-Benz planning to terminate its contract to supply its Sprinter light van to Chrysler Group at the start of next year it has been revealed that the Fiat Ducato and Iveco Daily are both now being considered as replacements in North America.

Chrysler's Senior Vice-President of Communications Gualberto Ranieri told Automotive News that the two vans were being considered to plug the gap. The Iveco Daily, facelifted this summer and rebranded as the ECODAILY, is virtually identical in size to the Mercedes Sprinter and is a direct competitor on the European markets. Fiat recently held high hopes of launching the Iveco brand in North America but the global financial crisis and the alliance with Chrysler has ended that interest. While the ECODAILY is built by Fiat Group's truck and bus division Iveco, the smaller Ducato van comes from the Fiat Professional (LCV division) range.

The news that Mercedes was ditching the Sprinter supply contract which sees the van rebranded as a Dodge Sprinter came on Tuesday as the relationship between Chrysler Group and its former owner Daimler turns increasingly sour. "Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC announced today that it will assume responsibility for the sales, marketing, distribution and service of Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter commercial vehicles in the United States," read a statement issued by the German carmaker. "Central to the announcement is the creation of Daimler Vans USA, LLC, located in Montvale, NJ, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG.  The Dodge Sprinter will be discontinued," it added. Mercedes will begin terminating Sprinter supply contracts with 350 Chrysler dealers that hold the franchise at the beginning of next year and add the light commercial van to 120 Mercedes dealers.

In response Fiat is hurriedly looking to slot in a replacement for this top-selling light commercial van. "Chrysler Group, together with Fiat and Iveco, are analysing the possibility," Ranieri told AN. He also was emphatic that either or both vans would carry badging of a Chrysler Group brand and it would "certainly not have the Fiat badge," confirming that only the 500 supermini will carry the Fiat badge in North America.

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