autoevolution
 

Mercedes-Benz Unveils Two-Flavored X-Class Concept Pickup in Stockholm

Mercedes-Benz dubs the X-Class 'the first true premium pickup,' and even though your name is Ford, Chevrolet or GMC, you can't really argue with that. The Mercedes-Benz name is enough to place its new mid-sized truck in a different segment than any of the competition's products.
Mercedes-Benz X-Class concept 32 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class conceptMercedes-Benz X-Class concept
Of course, the real question is 'does a premium pickup even make sense?' Well, Mercedes is well beyond that time when it could afford to make mistakes - and costly mistakes, nevertheless, as the company cites its investment as 'high in the nine figures' - so if the Stuttgart company is serious about launching this, then you better believe there's a market for it.

Speaking of which, the X-Class will only be available in four key markets: Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and Australia. You will have noticed the North American region is missing from the list, which is definitely a strategic decision on Mercedes-Benz's part, since the USA and Canada are two of the countries with the best pickup sales.

Even though everybody knows the X-Class is based on the Nissan NP300 Navara, the Mercedes-Benz version has plenty of the brand's identity embedded into it. In fact, looking at the concept pickup's front end, you can't help notice a bit of the GLE Coupe in there. We wouldn't be surprised if the production version borrowed heavily from the X6 competitor in that department.

Other than that, the design is as classic as they come. Mercedes-Benz presented two different versions, the 'powerful adventurer' and the 'stylish explorer.' The former is an exaggeration of the car's off-road capabilities, while the latter focuses on those traits that hope to give the X-Class' premium claim the credibility it needs.

Mercedes-Benz promises to begin production by late 2017, which means we should expect the real X-Class to launch sometime early to mid next year. The Geneva Motor Show in March would be a safe bet, or maybe Mercedes will want to choose another continent for its premiere.

Not much is know about the rest of the details, but Mercedes did say the top model will use a V6 turbodiesel engine coupled to a 4MATIC permanent all-wheel-drive system. The off-road credentials are handled by the transfer case with reduction gear and two differential locks (central and rear).

The total payload for the Mercedes-Benz X-Class is of 1.1 tons (2,464 lbs), with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons (7,840 lbs). The pickup promises exemplary levels of comfort and control thanks to its wide axles, five-link rear axle with coil springs suspension system and a special spring/damper calibration.

"With the Mercedes-Benz pickup, we will close one of the last gaps in our portfolio," said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "Our target: we want to offer customers vehicles matching their specific needs. The X-Class will set new standards in a growing segment."

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories