Mercedes-Benz X250d Rides Through Australian Outback
Matt Raudonikis of 4X4 Australia pushes the Mercedes-Benz X 250d to the limit through boggy mud, brutal gravel and more.
Every truck manufacturer we know has been jumping into the luxury game for what seems like forever. But if any manufacturer was going to show us all how to do a luxury truck, it would only have to be Mercedes-Benz, which they’ve accomplished with the introduction of the X-Class line of pickups.
4X4 Australia’s Matt Raudonikis has driven the new X-Class through various terrains around the world, but only now does he get the chance to ride historic in his native Australia. And while the truck, which debuted in the Australian market in May, is suitable for hitting the streets of Sydney, Raudonikis thought of a better witness to all the X 250d can do: the Outback.
According to Raudonikis, those who live in the Outback use tough vehicles for every aspect of their lives, and Mercedes was “keen to get into that market” with their own truck. Thus, he and his crew drove over 5,000 kilometers of Australia’s finest roads from western New South Wales into Queensland and down through the Darling River, all to test the might of the X-Class.
The top-line Mercedes-Benz X 250d Power and mid-spec X 250d Progressive pushed through all the Outback threw at it, from gravel roads capable of tearing up tires to a flock of emus running across the road, all with the help of their 2.3-liter biturbo diesel engines, seven-speed autos, and part-time 4MATIC four-wheel drive.
And while things were rough outside, the inside—pulling from the E-Class and C-Class parts bins—kept everyone comfortable in “a real Mercedes-Benz cabin,” not just “a rebadged [Nissan] Navara.”
The verdict? The X 250d held up excellently in the Outback, and despite not being a game-changer on the market, the new truck by Mercedes is money well-spent.
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