Photo: Daimler AG
Steel wheels. Halogen lights. Manual transmission. Cheap plastic. Nissan switchgear. Navara NP300 platform. There are plenty of reasons the Mercedes-Benz X-Class isn’t the premium pickup the three-pointed star promised it would be. Discerning enthusiasts aside, even BMW took to fire a shot at Mercedes-Benz because the X-Class fails to live up to his expectations.
Motoring reports that Hendrik von Kunheim, the BMW senior vice president in Asia, Australia, and South Africa, told the media present at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show that he’s disappointed with the mid-size truck. “When you look now at our German competitor from Stuttgart I think that product is appalling.” The official carried on, offering the media a handful of arguments.
“I listened to some of your colleagues from other countries,” Kunheim said, and “they said it was very cheap, very plasticky, not very much Mercedes-like what you would expect.” The bottom line is, Kunheim appreciates most of the three-pointed star’s lineup. “They build fantastic cars,” he commented, “but this one was a disappointment.” To each his own, but one thing is certain. The X-Class manages to polarize the public’s opinion because of its Nissan origin.
Steering away from the bashing of the Mercedes-Benz pickup, the BMW higher-up then went on to confirm that his company is looking into the concept of bringing a workhorse to market. But in stark comparison to the body-on-frame design borrowed from Nissan, the BMW pickup would be unibody. In fact, there’s a case to be made for the platform of the next-generation X5.
Such a scenario would see the BMW pickup less utilitarian than Mercedes-Benz’s X-Class. More focused on feeling premium and adequate driving characteristics is a different take, but it suits the character of any machine garnished with the blue-and-white roundel. Motoring argues that if green-lighted now, the Bavarian pickup would become a reality at least three years from now on, making for a tentative world premiere in 2020 at the very least.
If BMW goes ahead with CLAR underpinnings for the might-or-might-not-happen pickup truck, then an M-branded performance version could be in the cards. In fact, make that do because the M division also does diesel power.
“I listened to some of your colleagues from other countries,” Kunheim said, and “they said it was very cheap, very plasticky, not very much Mercedes-like what you would expect.” The bottom line is, Kunheim appreciates most of the three-pointed star’s lineup. “They build fantastic cars,” he commented, “but this one was a disappointment.” To each his own, but one thing is certain. The X-Class manages to polarize the public’s opinion because of its Nissan origin.
Steering away from the bashing of the Mercedes-Benz pickup, the BMW higher-up then went on to confirm that his company is looking into the concept of bringing a workhorse to market. But in stark comparison to the body-on-frame design borrowed from Nissan, the BMW pickup would be unibody. In fact, there’s a case to be made for the platform of the next-generation X5.
Such a scenario would see the BMW pickup less utilitarian than Mercedes-Benz’s X-Class. More focused on feeling premium and adequate driving characteristics is a different take, but it suits the character of any machine garnished with the blue-and-white roundel. Motoring argues that if green-lighted now, the Bavarian pickup would become a reality at least three years from now on, making for a tentative world premiere in 2020 at the very least.
If BMW goes ahead with CLAR underpinnings for the might-or-might-not-happen pickup truck, then an M-branded performance version could be in the cards. In fact, make that do because the M division also does diesel power.
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