You can use a lot of things to fill in a gap. Depending on what you’re building, you can use concrete or putty or even dirt. Mercedes-Benz is building a comprehensive vehicle portfolio and it’s going to fill one of the gaps in it with a truck. Today, it’s giving us a peak at the eventual X-Class midsize pickup by showing off two variations of its Concept X-Class.
The “powerful adventurer” is Mercedes-Benz’s take on classic pickup characteristics: toughness, functionality, strength, and off-road capabilities. It’s got a front-mounted winch, all-business black wheels, knobby off-road tires, bedside rails, and another winch in the back bumper.
The Concept X-Class “stylish explorer” (aka city truck) features a simple one-bar grille, a large front air inlet with fog lights, 12-spoke wheels surrounded by low-profile rubber, a body-color tonneau cover, and a huge rectangular LED strip on the “tailgate.”
Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said, “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.” It’ll feature a suspension with wide axles, a five-link rear setup with coil springs, and spring/damper rates dialed in to deliver a pleasant ride quality on and off the road. The interior will feature C-Class and V-Class touches.
In top-of-the-line trim, the production X-Class will have a “high-torque” diesel V6 under its hood. That will enable the truck to carry a payload north of 1.2 tons and pull as much as 3.86 tons. Diesel will provide the grunt, 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive will provide the grip. A transfer case with reduction gear and a pair of differential locks will send the oil-burner’s power to the wheels with the best traction.
Look for the X-Class in Mercedes-Benz dealerships late next year – but only if you live in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe. Mercedes has listed those as the key markets for the X-Class. No mention of the US. Given the popularity of midsize trucks there these days, that’s another gap Mercedes needs to fill. We’ll just have to wait to see if it does.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
