The Germans had prepared two pickup truck studies for the near future. 2018 Mercedes X-Class will go live by the end of next year. With this concept, Mercedes-Benz is the first brand entering the premium mid-sized pickup class.

Mercedes X-Class will be offered as an upgrade to large SUVs, aiming at farmers, builders, foresters, as well as families with an active lifestyle. The car will be powered by powerful V6 engines. The usability will be increased with permanent all-wheel drive with a dual differential lock.

2018 Mercedes X-Class highlights

• Two design variants: X-Class Stylish Explorer and X-Class Powerful Adventurer.
• Powerful engine, high ride comfort, and exemplary safety.
• Market launch in late 2017.
• Key markets Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and Australia.
• The first true premium pickup on the market.

Shared concept between Mercedes X-Class, NP300 Navara and Alaskan

Mercedes X-Class is the result of joint cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and Renault-Nissan alliance and will share the technique with Nissan NP300 Navara and Renault Alaskan.

The collaboration with Nissan is somehow logical and smart decision. Especially since Nissan is the second most successful manufacturer of pick-up trucks with a load capacity of at least 1,000 kilograms.

Mercedes X-Class will be manufactured at Nissan’s factory in Barcelona, Spain. Vehicles for the South American market will be built at Renault’s factory in Argentina, where the production will begin in 2018.

Pick-up takes the role of a classic SUV upgrade

The content of Merces-Benz X-Class will apparently go much further and will not be only the same pick-up in a different guise. Therefore, Stuttgart engineers heavily adapted the Nissan Navara chassis to accommodate their needs.

They also announced an enormous amount of comfort and advanced technology. At the premiere of the new Mercedes X-Class, two concepts with different format and purpose were shown.

One for the city: Mercedes X-Class Stylish Explorer

Among the key buyers for the Mercedes-Benz X-Class Stylish Explorer they expect families with an active lifestyle, successful individuals with the equally sporty lifestyle and individuals with a desire for an emerging everyday vehicle.

With this version, Mercedes wants to draw attention with the elegant design philosophy of the brand and primarily urban and family usability. The front part carries typical Mercedes large front grille, with a single-louvre grille, reserved for X-Class Stylish Explorer. This version in general looks more urban, SUV-like and polite.

Mercedes X-Class Stylish Explorer has a distinct continuous LED rear light, which literally surround the entire tailgate. Also the interior of this version is more premium, with lots of leather.

And one for the wilderness: Mercedes X-Class Powerful Adventurer

The second version, which at the front offers a true off-road radiator grille with two louvres, is called Mercedes X-Class Powerful Adventurer. With its looks, it appears much more rough. Mainly because this concept has a higher ground clearance, four-wheel drive, two winches and different wheel arch, which can accept all terrain tires in sizes up to 22 inches. And the rear lights are more classic and vertical in this version.

Mercedes X-Class Powerful Adventurer is primarily intended for various builders, architects, service providers and owners of large estates and farmers. All of these will need to have affection for premium vehicles, and will have to, of course, also pay more than as they would when buying a similar pick-up from the existing competition.

Pick-up truck market on the rise

Mercedes-Benz will try to catch the increased demand for pick-up trucks, just like their competitors. In the recent period Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford, Fiat and Renault introduced new models in this segment. The difference is, they will try to catch buyers among premium customers and offer them an upgrade of the classic SUV.

Some countries are really in favor of pick-up trucks. In Australia, they have a 14 percent market share, and nearly 12 percent in Argentina. Almost one in eight new vehicles registered in these countries is a pickup with a load capacity of at least one tonne.

On one hand, pick-up truck is robust, safe and versatile vehicle, which today exceeds its former perception as a working machine. The pickup has become daily useful. Therefore, the increasing share of private owners is logical. And the most common body style has already become a double cabin.

This body style reduces the loading area, but so can carry up to five passengers. Due to the wider use, pickup trucks are nowadays more comfortable and friendlier to passengers, some of them are already also better equipped.

Success of Mercedes X-Class in the USA written off?

Mercedes-Benz first showed X-Class study in Sweden. The mass production and sales are going to start towards the end of next year (2017). The development of the vehicle, which shares its genes with Nissan NP300 Navara and Renault Alaskan, will cost around 100 million euros.

Key markets for the new Mercedes X-Class are Europe, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil, claims the company, led by Dietrich Zetsche. Among these markets we miss the homeland of pick-up trucks, the United States, dominated by large pickups of US origin (Ford F-Series for example).

The Management Board of Mercedes-Benz in Stockholm acknowledged they closely monitor the situation in the North American automotive market, where this year sales of pick-ups rose by around 6 percent.

Mercedes X-Class with V6 engine, permanent all-wheel drive, dual differential lock, reduction gear…

Mercedes-Benz X-Class will offer a V6 diesel engine with permanent four-wheel drive. The vehicle will have a reduction gear and two differential locks (center and rear) with electronic support, which will redirect the torque to the wheel with the best traction.

All the above facts predict a powerful drive and will definitely make sure the Mercedes X-Class ride confidently on poorer terrain. The rear suspension is fitted with conventional leaf springs because of the high carrying capacity. For better driving characteristics and comfort on the road, Stuttgart engineers added coil springs.

Because of the changing usage and users of pickups, the driving experience on paved roads became more important. Therefore, the driving characteristics of the Mercedes X-Class are approaching to the SUV level.

The load capacity of Mercedes X-Class will amount to 1,100 kilograms. The vehicle is able to tow cargo weighing up to 3,500 kilograms.

Mercedes X-Class interior

The interior of Mercedes X-Class dual cabin is very similar to other modern Mercedes models, including the steering wheel and infotainment system, controlled from the center console. The ventilation control buttons, classic hand-brake and gear lever are borrowed from Nissan Navara. Behind the driver and co-driver there is a place for three adult passengers.

Mercedes X-Class is obviously most advanced pick-up in the market regarding assistance systems, as it will benefit a number of technologies from other Mercedes models. These assistance systems include cameras, radar and other sensors for detecting danger during the journey and in slow maneuvering.

Is X-Class first pick-up from Mercedes?

The answer is: No. A few years ago, they created a small series beast G63 AMG 6×6. They also had a representative in this class quite a while ago, in the 40’s of the last century. In the 70’s Mercedes also built (for the Argentinian market only) probably the most premium pickup of its time, which was made on the basis of a prestigious sedan W115.

Image credit: Mercedes-Benz