Truck yeah: Mercedes-Benz now has a luxury pickup truck. The German automotive brand recently introduced the X-Class, an eye-catching mid-size truck with five seats that will hit showrooms in late 2017.
But if you love the look of this beast and you reside in America, we’ve got some bad news: The truck will not be initially targeted at the U.S. market. Instead, the truck will launch in South America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa.
It’s easy to see why Mercedes is jumping into the luxury truck game. Profits in the category are hefty at the moment, thanks in part to low gasoline prices and oil trading in the $50-per-barrel range. Plus, the automotive giant doesn’t even have to use its own car plants.
Japanese automaker Nissan will manufacture the X-Class at its plant in Barcelona, Spain, and French automaker Renault will produce the X-Class in Cordoba, Argentina.
“We will open up and change the segment of mid-size pickups — with the world’s first true premium pickup for the modern urban lifestyle,” Mercedez-Benz vans chief Volker Mornhinweg said in a statement. “Our future X-Class will be a pickup that knows no compromise.”
The X-Class’s top model will feature a six-cylinder diesel engine with all-wheel drive, payload of more than 1.1 tons, and a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tons. Mercedes-Benz said interior options available on its luxury cars will be available on the X-Class, too.
Mercedes’ New X-Class Offering, the Adventurer (Mercedes-Benz)
It will offer two design variants, as well. The sportier X-Class Powerful Adventurer will possess all the strengths of a classic pickup: tough, functional, strong and with off-road capability.
The X-Class Stylish Explorer, on the other hand, will be a little more luxurious, from the brown nubuck leather interior to the driving dynamics. Both will offer a powerful engine, a comfortable ride, and exemplary safety. Oh, and a place to haul stuff.
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