Finally, Mercedes-Benz has taken off the wraps from its first ever pick up concept to hint the audience what the final production unit will look like. With the debut of this unit, the automaker has become the first German premium auto giant to set its foot in this niche. Labelled as “X-Class”, it will be available on sale in the shores of Australia, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Europe by late 2017. However, there is no such information about the launch of this pickup in the United States.
This all-new concept has been developed by joint efforts of Daimler and Renault-Nissan Alliance and will be situated in the passenger car division of the automaker. As we mentioned earlier in the report, it will use the same platform that is currently underpinning the Nissan Navara and Renault Alaskan. Moreover, it is reported that further responsibilities like powertrain, comfort and safety features will be taken care of by the carmaker itself.
It was revealed with two different versions - “Stylish Explore” and “Powerful Adventure”, both five seats dual-cab vehicles, but the former sports more car-like look, with clean exterior and big wheels, while the latter is an off-road model along with a jacked-up ground clearance, winch and fender flares.
Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said, “With the Mercedes-Benz pick-up, we will close one of the last gaps in our portfolio. Our target: we want to offer customers vehicles matching their specific needs. The X-Class will set new standards in a growing segment.”
Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans said that the utility vehicle will be the “first true premium pick-up for the modern urban lifestyle”.
“Our future X-Class will be a pick-up that knows no compromise. Ladder-type frame, high-torque six-cylinder engine, and permanent all-wheel drive are compulsory for us. As an added value we bring safety, comfort, agility, and expressive design – in other words, everything that distinguishes vehicles bearing the Mercedes star. We will thus appeal to new customers who have not considered owning a pickup before.”
The automaker hasn’t disclosed much about the powertrain only saying that the high-end variant of the X-Class Pickup will get a V6 diesel engine. Furthermore, the all-wheel drive facility will be standard across both the trims along with a transfer case, rear and inter-axle differentials.
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