After plenty of spy shots and a handful of teasers, Mercedes-Benz has finally whipped the covers off the pickup concept that serves to preview its upcoming bakkie, which will be launched in late 2017.
The mid-size pickup concept – dubbed the Concept X-Class – was revealed at a special event at the Artipelag art gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, with Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management Daimler AG, in attendance.
Confirming that the production version will indeed be called the X-Class, Mercedes-Benz revealed two versions of the double-cab concept, saying they both provide “a concrete outlook” on the upcoming bakkie.
The first concept, dubbed the “powerful adventurer”, is meant to show that the X-Class will “possess all the strengths of a classic pickup – tough, functional, strong, and with off-road capability”.
The Stuttgart automaker says the “stylish explorer” version, meanwhile, “shows what will distinguish the pickup bearing the Mercedes star”.
“The X-Class will be a true Mercedes from the hallmark brand design and comfort to the driving dynamics and safety. This will make Mercedes-Benz the first premium manufacturer to account for the changing customer requirements in the global segment of mid-size pickups, and it will make the tough one-ton pickup with seating for up to five persons the first to be attractive as an urban lifestyle and family vehicle,” Mercedes said.
Zetsche, meanwhile, promised that the bakkie would be “best in class, in many disciplines”. Zetsche added that the production version would be a “highly competitive and a reasonable package for our customers”.
Mercedes-Benz furthermore confirmed that its own V6 diesel engine would be available in the range-topping version of the production pickup, linked to its permanent all-wheel drive system.
“Our future X-Class will be a pickup that knows no compromise. Ladder-type frame, high-torque six-cylinder engine and permanent all-wheel drive are compulsory for us,” said Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.
“As an added value, we bring safety, comfort, agility, and expressive design – in other words, everything that distinguishes vehicles bearing the Mercedes star. We will thus appeal to new customers who have not considered owning a pickup before,” he said.
The production version of the bakkie will share its underpinnings with the Nissan Navara. The Mercedes bakkie will be built alongside the Navara and Renault Alaskan in Argentina and Spain.
