Mercedes-Benz will drop the Metris mid-size van from its U.S. lineup after the third quarter of 2023, the automaker told dealers in a memo sent out on Thursday and seen by Automotive News (subscription required).
The stated reason is the end of production of the van’s 2.0-liter turbo-4, an engine that’s also available in the Sprinter full-size van. The engine has been built at a Nissan plant in Tennessee since 2015.
Mercedes will continue to offer the Sprinter with the van’s current diesel 2.0-liter turbo-4 option and a new electric option slated to arrive in the second half of 2023. According to Automotive News’ sources, the diesel accounts for 75% of Sprinter sales in the U.S. The Metris never offered a diesel option.
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The Metris, which is available in both commercial and passenger configurations, isn’t a big seller in the U.S. Mercedes sold just 9,898 examples in 2021, versus 43,574 Sprinters over the same period. For the Metris, the low figure was the van’s best here since it was introduced back in 2015.
Mercedes markets the commercial version of the Metris as a Vito in other markets, and the passenger version as a V-Class. Both the Vito and V-Class also offer electric options in other markets. Updated versions of both should arrive in markets where the Vito and V-Class are currently offered at about the same time as the demise of the Metris in the U.S. A prototype for the updated electric V-Class, a model dubbed the EQV, has already been spotted.
The Metris isn’t the only model Mercedes is phasing out in the U.S. The A-Class sedan will be dropped here after 2022, with the timing set to coincide with the arrival of an updated version in other markets. The current C-Class and E-Class coupe and convertible models will also make their own exits shortly, but will be replaced by a single new model dubbed the CLE-Class.