Mercedes-Benz has introduced an SUV in every segment that exists. What the German carmaker never had was a pick-up truck. Not anymore though. Some time ago, Mercedes-Benz disclosed their X-Class Concept in October 2016 and in less than a year’s time, the all-new X-Class pick-up breaks cover. Dubbed as the lifestyle pick-up by the manufacturer, the X-Class caters to a different set of customers amongst the growing demand of mid-size pickups in the passenger car market, stated Mercedes-Benz. Let’s have detailed look at Mercedes-Benz first ever pick-up in our photo gallery.
The X-Class has remained true to its concept form with little change in the appearance. The overall design is imposing, especially with Mercedes-Benz’s louvered grille, now found in all its SUVs, and the GLS-esque headlamps.
The wheel arches are rightly bulged whereas the bumper cladding helps with the rugged appearance of the pick-up. The large profile tyres wrap the sporty wheels while the roof rails add character.
The X-Class boasts of amazing angles of approach and departure with 49 degrees of maximum tilt. The ground clearance is impressive at 202mm while the whole pick-up measures 5340mmx1930mmx1819mm with a wheelbase of 2150mm.
The rear bed is practical and has a payload capacity of 1042kg. The vertical tail lamps are straight out from the concept. The grab-handle bars in the bed look at home and add a practical touch to the X-Class.
The X-Class can be had in three configurations – the X-Class Pure which is rugged and functional, a private consumer-grade X-Class Progressive, and the X-Class Power, that is a lifestyle variant with comfort and performance.
Part of the X-Class’ quick development is because Mercedes didn’t have to build it from the ground-up. With the ladder-on-frame architecture borrowed from Nissan Nevara, the X-Class comes with a solid rear axle.
The interior of the twin-cab four door pick-up isn’t as plush as the Concept, but it is functional and takes a new approach rather than following the same layout as other SUVs from the three-pointed star.
The 8.4 inch infotainment screen sits atop quad air-con vents. The centre console is minimalistic, whereas other creature comforts like lumbar support, connectivity and leather upholstery comes as standard.
Driving aids in the pick-up includes brake assist, lane assist, traffic assist, trailer stability assist, TPMS, cruise control and 360degree cameras. It boasts a towing capacity of 3.5 tonne, as was spotted testing in our spy shots.
Engine wise, there are three options. There is a turbocharged 2.3-litre diesel with two states of tune – the X220d with 160bhp and the X250d with 187bhp. The petrol engine in the X200 delivers 163bhp.
Both the engines come mated to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic transmission. The X220d and X250d 4Matic comes with optional four-wheel drive set up while low rang gearing and locking rear differential is standard.
A powerful X350d will join the roost next year onwards. It will have a V6 turbodiesel and permanent 4MATIC as standard fitment with 250hp at disposal and 7G-Tronic automatic transmission.
Mercedes promises the X-Class will be suitable for different customer groups ranging from farmers of Argentina, businessmen/contractors in Australia, Brazilian families to individualists in South Africa and UK and adventurers in New Zealand and Germany.
The all-new Mercedes-Benz X-Class will hit the showroom in November priced at 37,294 Euros. It will be available for sale across markets in South Africa, and Australia by next year followed by Argentina and Brazil in 2019.
Interestingly, deemed too small for the world’s biggest market for pick-up trucks, the X-Class won’t be sold in the Unites States. Chances of the X-Class making it to Indian soil is slim to none.
