BNP Paribas is in exclusive talks to acquire Mercedes‑Benz Group’s car‑leasing subsidiary Athlon, in a deal valued at approximately €1 billion (around $1.17 billion), strengthening its footprint in the European vehicle leasing market through its Arval business.
The proposed acquisition would add roughly 400,000 vehicles to Arval’s existing full‑service leasing fleet of about 1.9 million, bringing the combined total close to 2.3 million and narrowing the gap with European market leader Ayvens, Société Générale’s listed leasing division, Reuters reported.
Athlon provides leasing services where the provider owns the vehicle, bundles financing and management into a fixed monthly fee, and typically resells the vehicles at the end of the contract. The addition of Athlon’s operations would significantly expand Arval’s scale across key European markets.