Mercedes’ first pickup truck, called the X-class, will be unveiled soon. The model was previewed earlier as two concepts – the Powerful Adventurer and the Stylish Explorer. A three-way joint venture with parent company Daimler and alliance partner Renault-Nissan has led to the creation of this car. It uses the same ladder-frame platform as the Nissan Navara and Renault Alaskan.
A new teaser video shows the production version’s design, that includes the traditional Mercedes grille treatment with a prominent, centrally-mounted three-point star. On the inside, the dash is inspired by other Mercedes Models – there’s a free-standing infotainment display, circular air con vents and rotary and touch-pad controls for the infotainment system.
There’s a pickup bed similar to the Nissan Navara and Renault Alaskan. The Merc pickup features a unique LED tail-lamp design and the company claims it’s capable of carrying between 1,100kg and 3,500kg, depending on the variant.
Under the hood will be a range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The cars will offer rear-wheel drive as standard for the four-cylinder versions and 4Matic four-wheel drive as an option. The range-topping V6 will be all-wheel drive.
Mercedes-Benz is aiming to sell its pickup in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and South Africa.