Mercedes-AMG has shot down rumors of a high-performance version of the X-Class, ending speculation that the pickup would get a sportier alter ego. No less than AMG boss Tobias Moers dropped the hammer on rumor at the launch of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe in Texas recently. Those who have pined for such a model can now rest easy. Your calls won’t be answered. There will be no Mercedes-AMG X pickup in the near — or far — future.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but did any of you really expect Mercedes to green light an AMG version of the X-Class? Ok, so maybe I had my hopes up, too, but AMG boss Tobias Moers made a number of good points on why a performance-oriented Mercedes-AMG pickup is not happening.

Speaking with CarSales, Moers said that an X-Class AMG is not in the cards because AMG’s culture “would be a difficult fit with Nissan and Renault cultures.” It’s a strange comment on the surface, but the realization kicks in once you think about it. The Mercedes X-Class uses the same chassis and body structure as the Nissan Navara. There’s a reason the X-Class isn’t sold in the U.S. market, at least not yet.

The aforementioned platform is a big issue why an AMG version of the X-Class isn’t happening. If Mercedes decided to build one, it would have trouble fitting a V-8 engine under the hood of the pickup. It’s not exactly impossible, but it’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of resources to do it. That could cut into the financial savings the company already made by sharing the pickups the underpinnings with the Navara. More important than that, though, is that there doesn’t seem to be much interest on Mercedes’ part to even build a performance version of the X-Class.

That point could be tied into the price of the X-Class, and subsequently, the potential price tag of an AMG version. The standard X-Class is already the most expensive pickup in its segment, so a high-performance derivative is expected to be more expensive. . Mercedes isn’t high on the X-Class to take that risk, so it’s not going to even bother.

Granted, there’s always the possibility that Mercedes could change its mind in the future, but considering how emphatic Moers was in shooting down the rumors of an X-Class AMG, it’s hard to imagine that “future” coming around soon, maybe even ever.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class.

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Mercedes-Benz X-Class AMG.