Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Previewed by two concepts and launched with great pomp and circumstance in July 2017, the X-Class is something thoroughly new for Mercedes-Benz. A luxury pickup truck with four- and six-cylinder turbo diesel power, the three-pointed star up front is what makes this fellow stand out from its peers in the mid-size segment.
But that’s just half the picture. Despite the badge, the X-Class features iffy plastic parts throughout the cabin and a body-on-frame construction closely related to the Nissan Navara. Shoehorning the OM642 3.0-liter twin-turbo diesel V6 in the engine bay was enough of a hassle considering that the platform was developed for four-cylinder applications, but now it looks as if Mercedes-Benz could level up to a V8.
Speaking at the Australian launch of the X 350d, head of engineering Frank Schumacher told Drive.com.au that the V8 would happen provided that there’s customer demand. “With a V8 you get out of the mid-size pickup but if you look at the market correctly most of the market is focused on the four-cylinder," he told the motoring publication.
The hi-po X-Class doesn’t sound bad from the standpoint of an enthusiast, but it doesn’t make sense for Mercedes-Benz. Just imagine for a second how much money the three-pointed star would need to pour into research and development, plus marketing and so forth. For a low-volume light commercial vehicle such as the X-Class, the V8 sounds as unreasonable as dendrophobia (a.k.a the fear of trees).
Adding insult to injury, the 3.0 TDI V6 in the Volkswagen Amarok in its range-topping tune is more powerful thanks to an overboost function that ups the output to 268 horsepower and 580 Nm (428 pound-feet) of torque. The X 350d, by comparison, develops 254 horsepower and 550 Nm (406 pound-feet) of torque.
This might not be the most popular opinion out there, but before adding a V8 option, Mercedes-Benz should focus on making the interior more premium and the V6 more powerful. Given these circumstances, being the only manufacturer in the segment with a V8 option is an act of cutting corners (in the pejorative sense).
Speaking at the Australian launch of the X 350d, head of engineering Frank Schumacher told Drive.com.au that the V8 would happen provided that there’s customer demand. “With a V8 you get out of the mid-size pickup but if you look at the market correctly most of the market is focused on the four-cylinder," he told the motoring publication.
The hi-po X-Class doesn’t sound bad from the standpoint of an enthusiast, but it doesn’t make sense for Mercedes-Benz. Just imagine for a second how much money the three-pointed star would need to pour into research and development, plus marketing and so forth. For a low-volume light commercial vehicle such as the X-Class, the V8 sounds as unreasonable as dendrophobia (a.k.a the fear of trees).
Adding insult to injury, the 3.0 TDI V6 in the Volkswagen Amarok in its range-topping tune is more powerful thanks to an overboost function that ups the output to 268 horsepower and 580 Nm (428 pound-feet) of torque. The X 350d, by comparison, develops 254 horsepower and 550 Nm (406 pound-feet) of torque.
This might not be the most popular opinion out there, but before adding a V8 option, Mercedes-Benz should focus on making the interior more premium and the V6 more powerful. Given these circumstances, being the only manufacturer in the segment with a V8 option is an act of cutting corners (in the pejorative sense).
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