The pickup game has gained more traction these past few years, and it has crossovers and SUVs to thank for the sales boost. But while this may be a profitable class, only a few automakers have open-bed workhorses in their portfolios.
Mercedes gave it a solid shot at this segment a few years back with the X-Class. It was a rebadged Nissan Navara with a few styling differences inside and out and a more premium feel, and it used to cost more than its Japanese cousin. The high pricing and reliability issues have forced the three-pointed star brand to pull the plug on it in 2020, after less than three years in the market.
The German company learned this lesson the hard way, and we reckon it is going to be a lot of time until they give the pickup body style another shot – if they do, that is. And if the answer is yes, then the best recipe would be not to use an existing model and turn it into a Mercedes-wannabe, as no one wants that, and it would ultimately fail, just like the X-Class.
Thus, two possibilities remain: to build it from scratch by utilizing an existing (or future) architecture and powertrains shared with other Mercedes vehicles or to turn an existing product into a veritable workhorse. And what ride would best fit the bill? Why, the G-Class, of course, as it ticks all the right boxes, on paper at least, as there is a real failure possibility here, too.
Photo: Mercedes via Instagram | j.b.cars
For now, several tuners can turn your G-Wagen, regardless of whether it is a Benz or an AMG, into a real pickup, albeit most of the time, it would retain its front and rear seats, featuring an open bed design behind the passenger compartment. In this instance, however, we're dealing with a single-cab proposal or a virtual proposal, better said, as it is nothing more than a rendering.
Signed by j.b.cars and shared on social media earlier in the week, this digital project builds on the latest iteration Mercedes-AMG G 63, and features several important changes. For one, it has fewer inches between the axles, so it is shorter compared to the real thing. The most significant modification is the addition of an open bed at the rear, complete with a rollbar.
Elsewhere, it retains the blue look on the outside, black trim, and the stock alloys, albeit the latter sport a different finish. So, what do you think? Should the three-pointed star company give this model a shot? We'd say yes, as the G-Wagen is a great off-roader with iconic looks wrapped in a premium package, and if done and priced right, a possible pickup version might attract a new breed of customers to the brand.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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