Santiago, CHILE – Mercedes-Benz has never been one to shy away from exploring unchartered segments, or simply creating new ones. But it’s been brave this time. The X-Class leisure double cab enters a fiercely competitive local sector ruled by two bruiser bakkies: the Hilux and Ranger vie for sales honours as the rest of the competition is left floundering.
Sure, the Volkswagen Amarok posts commendable figures considering it’s available only in high-spec, high-price derivatives – and I’m mentioning the Volkswagen because it will function as a yardstick for the X-Class – but they’re still minuscule compared with the number of Fords and Toyotas that are snapped up. The Nissan Navara (which forms the basis of the X-Class; read more about how they compare here), Mitsubishi Triton, Fiat Fullback and Mazda BT-50, meanwhile, have failed to make inroads.
Some background…
Mercedes-Benz has a share agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance that’s been in place for many years. Some of the fruits of that partnership include powertrain sharing (such as the 1,6-litre turbopetrol used in a number of Benzes, including the C180), the GLA that served as a base for the Infiniti Q30, and the Smart ForTwo/ForFour and Renault Twingo twins.
The X-Class, however, represents the biggest (and costliest) co-engineering project on which the two companies have worked. First there was the Navara, which was then taken by Benz and reworked into the X-Class. The third part of this equation is the Renault Alaskan, which, like the X-Class, will debut in South Africa in the second quarter of 2018 (click here for a driving impression).
Speaking to Mercedes-Benz experts at the international launch in Chile, it was clear, however, that the X-Class isn’t simply a reskinned Navara. The raft of changes under the new bodywork includes strengthening the Nissan’s ladder-frame chassis in key areas, tweaking the damping, and altering the kinematics of the suspension (the attachment points for the multilink rear have been moved, for example). The German brand also claims to have added its own front and rear axles (the tracks are 62 and 55 mm wider than the Navara’s), quickened the hydraulic steering (the ratio is now 3,5 turns lock to lock) and revised sound deadening around the transmission tunnel and firewall.
Furthermore, it fiddled with the 2,3-litre biturbo-diesel used in the X250d in an attempt to improve NVH levels, and worked on the seven-speed torque-converter transmission, plus swapped the Nissan’s drum brakes at the rear for ventilated discs. All this comes at a cost, however; one Mercedes-Benz employee admitted the X-Class is quite a bit heavier than the Navara.
Right, what’s it like to look at and sit in?
You surely would have made up your own mind by now on the styling, but let me say that pictures don’t do the vehicle justice. In the flesh, that dual-bar grille looks more assertive and the rear-end understated rather than simply dull. That said, you need the chrome trim of the Power model to enliven the front-end – Pure and Progressive models employ more black plastic that, rather than appearing functional, can look a touch cheap. Alloy-wheel sizes span 17 to 19 inches depending on the model (the entry-level Pure has steel wheels), and X-Classes are fitted with road-biased tyres. The only obvious spot where the Navara peeks through is the rising shoulderline on the rear doors.
Click the unlock button on the Nissan keyfob (how expensive can it be to pair a Mercedes-Benz key to the electronics?), tug the Nissan door handle, grab a sturdy handle mounted on the cloth-covered and padded A-pillar (only on the Power) and lift yourself into what is clearly a Mercedes-Benz cabin. Yes, the climate controls and switches for the off-road bits and bobs are shared, but that’s where the obvious similarities end. There’s Benz’s familiar Comand system operated on a 8,4-inch colour screen, neat instrumentation and solid-feeling air vents.
Quality throughout feels good, but no better than the Amarok or Hilux’s unless you add the optional stitched dashboard top and doors. Without this feature, the doors are completely covered in hard plastic (some padding on the armrests would have been nice). Storage space is limited and it’s unfortunate that the lovely Benz steering wheel is adjustable only for rake, leaving it a little too far away from taller drivers. The seats, however, are comfortable and electrically adjustable as standard on this flagship Power spec.
Jump in the back and the same space issues that plague the Nissan are present here, too. In order to create a more natural seating position, the squabs have been raised, but unfortunately that also means that taller folk will struggle with headroom. I measure 1,84 metres tall and my hair brushed the rooflining and my knees touched the driver’s seat that was set to my position. There’s no doubt an Amarok and Ranger are more capacious. A neat touch at the back is vents piping air from the climate-control system.
And on the road (and off it)?
Here’s where the big Benz bakkie starts to claw back some points. Already a solid package in the Navara, the 2,3-litre engine develops a stout 140 kW at 3 750 r/min and 450 N.m on a plateau spanning 1 500 to 2 500 r/min. As mentioned, it’s coupled with Nissan’s seven-speed torque-converter driving the rear wheels until the driver toggles the centre console-mounted switch to 4H or 4L.
Whereas Nissan’s application of this engine becomes rowdy as the revs rise, Benz’s efforts to subdue the clatter and lessen vibration have paid dividends. Never intrusive even when extended into the upper regions of its rev range, the 2,3-litre also works well with the transmission, shifting smoothly and intuitively. That the engine doesn’t feel especially potent, however, points to the X-Class’ weight gain. That said, overtaking was never an issue and the vehicle cruised comfortably and quietly on Chile’s smooth highways. Mercedes claims the X-Class is as quiet as its smaller passenger cars; that might be a stretch, but subjectively it has the measure of the Amarok.
The ride, too, is good, but perhaps not quite as composed as you’d expect from a vehicle riding on coil springs aft rather than the more common leaf springs. Our test vehicle rode on 18-inch wheels wrapped in 255/60 tyres, which provided sufficient cushioning from sharp ridges, but the engineers have not been able to eliminate the persistent jiggle that plagues all ladder-framed vehicles. Ironically, the X-Class feels like a Benz in this regard: firm, controlled ride at city speeds that gives way to better comfort on the highway.
On gravel, the ride showed few vices (though pronounced kickback through the steering column once or twice was a surprise). It’s difficult to judge without assessing them side by side, but I suspect the Volkswagen still has the edge in terms of rolling comfort.
The steering is one of my favourite elements of the X-Class’ on-road manners. It feels a touch too slow, but the action is nicely direct and I found it extremely easy to place the large bakkie on the Chilean capital Santiago’s congested, narrow streets. The brake pedal is firm underfoot and stopping power strong. Body control is decent, but this is ultimately a bakkie designed to carry up to 1,1 tonnes so the related give in the suspension means it rolls in corners. Overall, though, this is probably the most dynamically adept vehicle in its segment, striking a fine balance between overall comfort and composure.
We took it off-road, too, but seeing as my Audi Q2 long-termer would have been able to conquer most of the mild course, I learnt very little other than 4H and low-range engage almost immediately, that hill-descent control works very well and that 222 mm of ground clearance is sufficient (the off-road suspension option, which will be standard in SA).
So, what will it cost?
I have no idea. The local Mercedes-Benz representative who accompanied us on the launch wouldn’t budge. However, judging by conversations with other Benz staffers, a fair guess would be that this X250d Power will closely match the price of an Amarok 3,0 TDI V6 Highline. The X350d, with its Mercedes-Benz engine and transmission, and 190 kW and 580 N.m, should be the first bakkie to butt up against, or breach, the R1-million mark.
There’ll be cheaper X-Class derivatives, of course, starting with the X220d in Pure trim, and some variants will come with the option of a six-speed manual transmission.
To conclude, the X-Class is an impressive product, but perhaps not the knockout I was expecting. Ultimately, some of its shortcomings can be credited to Nissan, chief of which is the somewhat cramped rear seat. Others, such as trim quality that’s no better than rivals’, is Benz’s doing. However, in most aspects, the vehicle is either on par with its main competition, or betters them.
The clincher will be price. If Mercedes-Benz South Africa succeeds in bringing in the X at class-competitive pricing (i.e. what the Amarok costs, but with a slight adjustment upwards to factor in the more desirable badge and likely better spec on the Power model), it has all the tools at its disposal to succeed. I can’t wait to see how the die-hard bakkie fraternity responds to it…
