Prestige Auto, Mercedes-Benz representative in Argentinacontinues its expansion plan and updates its business plan. The focus was on the modernization of the Juan Manuel Fangio Industrial Center in Virrey del Pino, in which the company invested $100 million. This investment laid the foundation for Increase the volume of the Sprinter commercial vehicleas well as for the introduction of strategic versions, including automatic transmission and all-wheel drive variants next year.
Currently the Virrey del Pino industrial complex, where about 400 people work, produces around 80 Sprinter units per daywith one unit leaving the first part of the assembly line every ten minutes.
A special feature of this facility is that, unlike other global facilities The motor peripherals are installedthat don’t arrive ready. In addition, as in other centers, You will receive stamped license plates directly from Germany
The company aims to produce around 16,000 units by the end of 2025, exceeding the original target of 14,000. The medium-term plan for 2026 is even more ambitious: 20,000 units are to be achieved, with 70% of this production destined for export.. It is important to highlight that the installed capacity of the plant, when operating in three shifts, allows a capacity of 30,000 units per year, highlighting the growth potential.
One of the company’s outstanding achievements that allowed it to improve production was the reduction in absenteeism, as it managed to reduce the rate from 11% to 4%. The offer expansion strategy includes: An automatic version was introduced in February 2026 and the all-wheel drive version some time later.
This integration responds to many factors, including unmet demand that Prestige Auto has identified in the region’s mining sectora growing industry that requires robust vehicles for complex terrain. The brand wanted to capitalize on this market need, they explained.
The first generation of the model came onto the market in 1996. It was first developed locally in 2003, in the 19+1 passenger version, a 100% Argentinean design and a variant unique in the world. The second generation was introduced in 2012 with the OM 651 engine, the third in 2019, thus consolidating its market presence. In 2024, the new OM 654 turbodiesel engine was introduced.
In line with its international expansion and volume increase strategy Prestige Auto began negotiations months ago to export the commercial vehicle to the USA. These discussions began before the agreement and search for a trade agreement with the northern country was announced, part of the long-term vision that the terminals usually have.
“We are talking to Germany to look for other export destinations. We believe that products like the Sprinter 19+1, which is purely Argentine, You can enter markets such as Mexico, the United States and even some African countries.where the transition to electrification will be slower and opportunities may arise,” commented Daniel Herrero, CEO of Prestige Auto.
Finally, regarding the possibility of sanctioning labor reform and its impact on the sector, Herrero added: “For a large automaker, labor reform is not that critical. We do not have high turnover and are looking for more employees to integrate workers. Where it can help is in the value chain, particularly in SMEsby creating predictability about what will happen when additional staff are hired to support growth.”
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