Mercedes-Benz Vans has pulled the covers off its all-new pickup, the X-Class. Debuting as a concept in Sweden, the pickup truck gives a glimpse as to what Mercedes will eventually bring to market in late 2017 as a 2018 model. The truck is slotted for markets around the world, including Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Australia. Sadly the U.S. and Canada are not included.

Mercedes brought along two design variants to the October 25, 2016 debut: the “Stylish Explorer” and the “Powerful Adventurer.” Both are based on the same ladder frame platform borrowed from Nissan, but each show Mercedes’ willingness to stretch the pickup beyond a luxury ‘ute or utilitarian tool.

The target audience, according to Mercedes, is a Gen Xer who lives an urban lifestyle yet enjoys outdoor activities like biking, skiing, and hiking. This buyer is also someone who has not previously considered a pickup as a vehicle choice. The automaker sees the mid-size pickup segment growing in the next several years, moving from 800,000 global units sold annually to roughly 2.5 million annual global sales. Mercedes is obviously planning to capture part of that market.

Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said at the debut, "With the Mercedes-Benz pickup, we will close one of the last gaps in our portfolio. Our target: we want to offer customers vehicles matching their specific needs. The X-Class will set new standards in a growing segment."

Volker Mornhinweg, the head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, followed Dr. Z by saying, "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." Mornhinweg continued, saying, "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. As an added value we bring safety, comfort, agility, and expressive design – in other words, everything that distinguishes vehicles bearing the Mercedes star. We will thus appeal to new customers who have not considered owning a pickup before."

Mercedes certainly sounds confident it can redefine the mid-size segment. Let’s take a deep look at its new X-Class to see if Merc is on the right path.

Continue reading for the full review of Mercedes’ new X-Class Concept.

2016 Mercedes-Benz Concept X-Class

Specifications
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  • Model: 2016 Mercedes-Benz Concept X-Class
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

Mercedes debuted two versions of the X-Class: the street-biased Stylish Explorer and the off-road-biased Powerful Adventurer. Both trucks share the same basic underpinnings and design elements, but each has a unique look and feel about them.

Stylish Explorer

The Stylish Explorer is more likely what we’ll see roaming the streets of the world. It has a more reserved and luxury-minded appearance, with its White Metallic paint, single bar grille, 22-inch wheels, and AMG-like “dog bone” lower fascia. The truck’s lines are rather conventional throughout the cab, featuring design cues not too far fetched from what we’d expect from a production Mercedes. The bed of the X-Class, however, departs from this entirely.


The bed features a one-piece style design with a hard tonneau cover, integrated rear bumper, a lower diffuser with dual exhaust, and a tailgate that takes after the EV Drone van concept. The circular taillight assembly would certainly be very visible at night, but will not likely make production. (At least we’re hoping not.)

Functionally, the pickup has an oddly short wheelbase for its overall length. The front overhang is dramatically short, giving it a respectable approach angle and likely helping it during cornering. The rear overhang, however, is extremely long. This would seem to be a dramatic disadvantage for towing, hauling, or off-roading. The extra leverage gained by the long overhang would surely lighten the front tires with any substantial amount of trailer tough weight or cargo weight. Then again, this is only a concept, so hopefully Mercedes will ensure its production model is fully capable.

Powerful Adventurer

While the Stylish Explorer looks more production ready, the off-road-ready Powerful Adventurer looks like it rolled off the set of a Jurassic Park movie. The goldish-green paint only accents the fact this truck has huge fender flares covering 35-inch mud-terrain tires on blacked-out wheels, integrated steps that serve as rocker panel guards, tie-down rails on the cargo bed, and a front bumper with an integrated winch and LED lights.


The Powerful Adventurer uses a different front grille than the Stylish Explorer, having two horizontal bars to hold the Mercedes Star in place rather than the single bar. The fake-looking winch has equally fake looking recovery points. LED lights along the lower fascia are obviously designed to illuminate the trail at night.

Around back, the cargo bed gets a different treatment thanks to integrated bed rails along the top, more traditional taillights, another integrated winch, and a funky tailgate that looks like an old-school tailgate net made popular in the 1980s by folks thinking it helped with fuel economy. The tailgate also looks like the shoe rack at McDonalds…

Interior

Both truck versions feature bespoke interior accommodations. The Stylish Explorer is obviously more luxury themed, with leathers and wood scattered throughout while the Powerful Adventurer is more sporty in nature, featuring carbon fiber accents, bright colors, and a dash-mounted fire extinguisher.

Stylish Explorer

The interior here is perhaps the most production-ready aspect of either truck. Nothing here really stands out as too flashy or extravagant to suffer the wrath of the cost-cutting bean counters. The dash is nicely finished in a dark wood trim along its forward face, while the rest is covered in matching brown suede. The same suede is found along the top of the doors, in the seats, and on the steering wheel.


Chrome air vents match the chrome door pulls yet are set apart from the less shiny satin chrome bits on the steering wheel, and center console. The overall look is nice, and fits Mercedes idea of a luxury-based truck.

Interestingly enough, several Nissan parts are clearly seen. The gearshifter, 4WD knob, and HVAC controls are all pulled right from the Nissan parts bin. Even the buttons above the headlight controls are pure Nissan. We’re hoping Mercedes injects a bit more Mercedes into these parts before production.

Other parts around the cab are clearly Mercedes. The steering wheel, infotainment screen, and the infotainment system’s console-mounted controls are easily recognized from other Benz products.

Powerful Adventurer

The more athletic version of Mercedes truck, the Powerful Adventurer, uses the same styling and controls as the Stylish Explorer, but turns the volume knob to 11. A muted lime green contrasts the back leather interior, with the lime green color extending to the contrast stitching, floor mat piping, and seat bolsters.


Besides the color, the main differences are the carbon fiber dash accents and the integrated fire extinguisher. It’s very doubtful the fire extinguisher will make production, but expect the carbon fiber to definitely be an option.

Drivetrain

Mercedes says it will offer several engine options in the X-Class once it hits production. For now, Mercedes has only named the range-topping engine – a V-6 turbodiesel mated to Merc’s 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive system. The displacement of this V-6 hasn’t been officially announced, but we’ll keep you updated. The same can be said for the transmission, though we highly expect to see the familiar seven-speed automatic make its appearance here, as well.

As for the AWD system, Mercedes says it is a permanent AWD system, which implies all four wheels continually receive power from the engine. A quick look at the Nissan-spec rotary knob just ahead of the gearshifter in the X-Class’ interior reveals something different. The knob shows a traditional part-time 4WD system with settings for 2WD, 4WD high range, and 4WD low range. It’ll be interesting to see which system wins out.

Mercedes did reveal that the X-Class does have a payload capacity of 1.1 tons, or 2,200 pounds and a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, or 7,000 pounds. That doesn’t match the capacities of its metric ton competitors, and for a couple good reasons. First, Mercedes isn’t trying to compete with these trucks in this regard. Second, Mercedes is taking a cue from Ram Trucks by utilizing a coil spring rear suspension. The live rear axle is held in place by a five-link system, much like the Ram and other ladder-frame SUVs on the market. This set-up gives the truck a smoother ride but slightly cuts its towing and hauling capabilities.

Pricing

Mercedes has not announced pricing for the X-Class, but we expect it to fall between the GLC and GLE SUVs, meaning it will carry a price hovering between $40,000 and $52,000. Tack on all the inevitable optional extras and the highest trim package, and the price will likely jump into the mid-$60,000 range.

Competition

Interestingly enough, the Mercedes pickup doesn’t technically have any direct competitors – at least in the sense of a lifestyle-oriented truck from a luxury automaker. Of course, there are a slew of mid-size pickups the X-Class will compete with in terms of payload, towing, and other capabilities, including these below.

Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger is a capable pickup that ranges from bargain basement to a surprising level of luxury. Obviously the Mercedes would be competing with the Ranger’s upper trim levels. Models like the Wildtrack come packed with leather appointments and all the electronic conveniences expected in a modern truck.

The Ranger is offered with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel making 158 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque and a 3.2-liter five-cylinder turbodiesel making 197 horses and 347 pound-feet of torque. Both engines can be had with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.

Read our full review on the Ford Ranger here.

Volkswagen Amarok

Perhaps the Amarok is the X-Class’ closest “luxury” competitor. The Volkswagen pickup is very German in its design and engineering. The interior is especially German and looks very much like other Volkswagen products. Its comfort levels are especially high thanks to a well-stocked optional list.

Power comes from several different engines, including a 3.0-liter V-6 TDI. Available in two tunes, the turbodiesel can put down 220 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque in its highest form. An eight-speed automatic comes standard and VW’s 4Motion AWD is optional.

Read our full review on the Volkswagen Amarok here.

Conclusion

Mercedes-Benz seems to have done its homework in researching its audience and their needs and lifestyles. Consequently, the X-Class isn’t the typical metric ton, mid-size pickup like the Ranger, Amarok, or Hilux. Rather, it offers more luxury and a SUV-like ride over outright capability and ruggedness. That’s not to say the Benz won’t be up to getting dirty, but don’t expect to see a Mercedes pickup getting knocked around some jobsite as a plumber’s truck.

Sadly, Mercedes doesn’t seem to think North America needs the X-Class despite the exploding mid-size pickup category. For whatever reason, the automaker is skipping the U.S. and Canada – at least for now. Hopefully this will change, but for now, we can only look in envy as other market around the globe enjoys Mercedes’ first pickup truck.