Mercedes-Benz Sprinter: Start of
Production in China at Fujian Daimler Automotive (FJDA)
Lian Xiaoqiang,
Chairman of Fujian Motor Industry Group Co. and Fujian Daimler
Automotive Co., Ltd.; Zheng Songyan, Governor Assistant of Fujian
Province Government; Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans; Rene
Reif, President and CEO of Fujian Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. (from left to right):
Peking / Fuzhou - The production line
roll-off event for the first locally produced Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van
was held at the Fujian Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd (FJDA) plant in the
end of October.
“At Mercedes-Benz Vans we are consistently
pursuing a worldwide growth strategy and putting our motto into practice
every day: Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global! In China we are still the
only premium automaker with its own van production. And I am all the
more delighted that we are now offering a bus version of our
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter on the Chinese market,” said Volker Mornhinweg,
Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, at the production line roll-off event in
Fuzhou.
“Local vehicle production is a cornerstone
of Daimler’s commitment to the Chinese market and an important part of
Daimler’s China strategy,” said Ulrich Walker, Chairman and CEO of
Daimler Northeast Asia. “Thanks to the start of production of our
Mercedes-Benz Vito and Viano multi-purpose vehicles at Fujian Daimler in
2010, China has instantly become a top-5 market for the Mercedes-Benz
Van Division. I am convinced that the locally produced Sprinter will add
another chapter to the success story of our joint venture in Fuzhou.”
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is the third
premium vehicle after Viano and Vito on the van market in China and
fills a gap in the large vans segment. And the Sprinter is the third
vehicle manufactured by Fujian Daimler for the Chinese market. The
production location is the FJDA plant in Fuzhou, which has been building
the Mercedes-Benz Vito and Viano multipurpose vehicles since April 2010.
There are three Sprinter models coming to the Chinese market with three
different body lengths and different kinds of seating arrangements
accordingly. Depending on their different needs, customers can choose
between 14-seats, 17-seats, and 20-seats for reliable and safe people
transportation.
”Fujian Daimler continues to upgrade its
models to meet the growing demands of Chinese customers, as evidenced by
the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter which diversifies our product line and
enhances our competitiveness in the chinese market,” says Rene Reif,
President and CEO of Fujian Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. “As the first
luxury brand entering the large van segment in China, the Sprinter
brings superior quality and safer mobility to the discerning Chinese
consumer. The locally-produced Sprinter inherits German craftsmanship
and advanced technology, and is fully adapted to the needs of local
customers, setting the new benchmark vehicle model in the large van
segment here in China.”
In accordance with Daimler’s and
Mercedes-Benz’s core principles, the highest level of passenger safety
is assured with a range of electronic safety features like the most
advanced ESP (electronic stability program) in its segment as well as
the latest technology in passenger safety cell design. The aviation
cabin-like interior brings airline travel quality to the road, with
fully adjustable passenger seats with dual color leather and elegant
trim and star logo.
Daimler is the only foreign company that
has forged joint ventures to locally produce trucks, vans and passenger
cars in China and the Sprinter convincingly extends the audience for
more people to enjoy the luxury of Mercedes-Benz in China.
Fujian Daimler Automotive Ltd. (FJDA)
Established in Fuzhou in October 2007,
Fujian Daimler Automotive Ltd. (FJDA) is a joint venture between Daimler
AG, Fujian Motor Industry Group Company (FJMG) and the Taiwan-based
China Motors Corp (CMC). The FJDA plant construction was completed in a
record 18 months, starting production in April 2010, followed by the
China national market launch of Vito and Viano multi purpose vehicles in
June that year. The first Sprinter van rolled off the production line in
October 2011.
FJDA is located in Qingkou Investment Zone
of Minhou County, Fujian, with a total area of about 330,000 square
meters. With a technical capacity of 40,000 vehicles, FJDA is a
world-class facility incorporating the latest technology, Mercedes-Benz
Production System (MPS), and strict quality control measures.
Professional talent from China, Germany, and other countries work
together in a dedicated and efficient international team, incorporating
Daimler’s 125 years of heritage and automobile expertise.
