Chrysler's former corporate parent is yanking the Sprinter van away from the 350 Dodge dealers who sell and service it, giving it to Mercedes-Benz dealers across North America as of January 1. 

But there are plans  to replace it with two vans/commercial vehicles made by IVECO (the truck/van division of FIAT that's been here in the States for years)

Automotive News reported on September 1 that Sprinter will instead be sold by a 120-dealer Daimler network. (Have fun with warranty and service work on the existing Dodge Sprinters, guys!--Scott) It's also sold through 45 Freightliner dealers--with a Freightliner badge on it--and Automotive News says those dealers will keep their Sprinter franchises.

Introduced in 2001, the Dodge Sprinter's peak sales year was 2006 (25,694 sold), and 18,282 of 'em were sold in 2008.

Meanwhile, Automotive News also reported on September 1 that  the FIAT Ducato (which is slightly smaller than the Sprinter) and IVECO Daily (which is about the same size) are being considered to replace the Sprinter in the Dodge Truck lineup.

No date has been set for those trucks' introduction--if indeed they're coming to North America. Meantime, Automotive News also quoted sources at Chrysler that say if the Ducato comes over, it won't be badged a FIAT. 

IVECO is a commercial-truck operation owned by FIAT, and IVECO trucks--especially their diesel-powered cabovers--have been a common sight on streets and highways across the country for years.