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Mercedes-Benz X-Class to Show V6 Engine at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show

Mercedes-Benz’s first ever pick-up, the X-Class, is getting a new engine under the hood this year, and the Germans will show it off at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show starting March 6.
Mercedes-Benz X-Class 5 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz X-ClassMercedes-Benz X-ClassMercedes-Benz X-ClassMercedes-Benz X-Class
Developed together with the Nissan-Renault alliance and based on the Nissan Navara, the X-Class has been up until now powered by four-cylinder engines only, one gasoline and five diesel units.

In Geneva, Mercedes-Benz will present the six-cylinder that, combined with the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, would become the heart of the X 350d 4MATIC model in the X-Class offering.

The new power plant is a 3.0-liter diesel, developing 258 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque, available starting at 1,400 rpm. Controlling the new engine is a 7G-Tronic Plus transmission.

The six cylinders in the new unit are arranged in a V-shaped formation and use, says the carmaker, the Nanoslide liner coating Mercedes regularly uses in Formula 1.

Five different driving modes will be available for the X 350d 4MATIC, selectable through the Dynamic Select system: Comfort, Eco, Sport, Manual and Offroad. Mercedes brags its pick-up truck is one of the few available offering a driving mode switch.

The X 350d 4MATIC will be available in two trim levels, the Progressive and Power, just as all the other vehicles in the X-Class range. The two trims are different from one another in terms of design, level of equipment and functionality.

The X-Class is currently being sold in Europe and South Africa, and, starting this month, Australia, with New Zealand to follow.

The biggest and most profitable pick-up truck market in the world, the U.S., has for now been ignored by Mercedes, mainly due to the fact that the X-Class, as a mid-sized truck, is not in any position to take on the giants of the American market, full-size trucks like the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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