In 2011, most Sprinter vansales are under the Mercedes-Benz brand, but some are under the Freightliner heavy-truck brand, which also belongs to parent company Daimler AG.
However, chief executive Frans van Houten said he expected sales to remain subdued in the first half of this year, because of the "challenging market" in the US and Europe, which account for well over half of Philips' revenues.