The head of engineering for the Mercedes-Benz X-Class says that the double-cab bakkie will “probably” one day be offered with a V8 petrol engine, if there proves to be demand for such a vehicle.
Speaking to drive.com.au, engineer Frank Schumacher first confirmed that the Stuttgart-based automaker was in a position to draw more oomph out of its turbodiesel V6 (to continue the power war with the Volkswagen Amarok V6) before admitting that dropping in an eight-cylinder engine was entirely possible.
“Yeah, there is always more [power to be extracted from the V6], but that’s if the requirements come from a marketing point of view and if customers want more power – [this is no different to] other platforms, we react to customers’ wishes,” Schumacher told the Australian publication.
“If there will be wishes after the launch of the vehicle that says we need to have a V8, then probably we will put in a V8, but that’s always a response on customer request,” he said.
Don’t go thinking Schumacher is talking about a full-fat Mercedes-AMG version of the X-Class, though, something that the brand has repeatedly ruled out (even if it has applied to register various trademarks that may suggest otherwise). Indeed, drive.com.au reported that he was “slightly dismissive” of talk that Affalterbach’s twin-turbo 4,0-litre V8 could be used in the bakkie, instead suggesting that a detuned version was more appropriate.
“We surely can make it happen; it’s just a question of what V8 you want to put in. You can [even] put the six-litre [V12] in, yeah, but so far there is no plan,” he said.
“With a V8, you get out of the mid-size pickup [segment], but if you look at the market correctly most of the market is focussed on the four-cylinder. A [pick-up] like that’s a different size of vehicle, it is very limited to the US really – they will have their own market.”