Dear readers, we have something awesome in store for you today. You can see the latest spy shots of the German new mid-size pickup truck wonder prototype the 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class. Thankfully it retained the same name (X-Class) as the concept that was previewed last fall.
According to what people over at Mercedes stated this isn’t just a lifestyle offering (although the company is prepping those as well) but a serious workhorse that just happens to have some of the typical luxuries that Mercedes has to offer. The base of this pickup has been borrowed from the latest Nissan NP300 Navara, and as you can notice it still shares some of the cues with Navara such as the headlights, but the grille is purely Mercedes and German all the way. One more automaker has its own version of Nissan’s NP300 Navara, and that is Nissan’s alliance partner Renault, and they call it Alaskan.
All three of these trucks are going to be built at Nissan’s plant located in Barcelona, Spain, as well as a Renault plant in Cordoba, Argentina. But for those who are worried about differences between these vehicles, don’t you worry because distinct visual cues and details inside and out are prepared just for that. As it is the case with German engineering and design the X-Class concept hosted rotary dial and touch-pad controller system found in the latest Mercedes models, as well as premium materials on the dash and a large infotainment screen.
As for the engine department, you will be glad to hear that there is a huge possibility that the Mercedes will stay true to their offer. As some of you remember, the concept came with the turbocharged V6 diesel which was paired with an automatic transmission and was equipped with a live rear-axle with spring dampers that, according to Mercedes, help smooth on and off-road driving.
This is a big step forward for the Mercedes, but they can play it cool especially now that they are definitely a very formidable player in the commercial van market. Some of the potential rivals are Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Volkswagen Amarok, not to mention two models from Nissan and Renault we already talked about.
The official debut of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class can be expected sometime late this year or eventually very early in 2018. The only downside, at the moment, is the fact that Mercedes does not plan to sell this one on the US markets, pity.
