The long-awaited Mercedes Benz X-Class pickup is finally here. Showcased last year in the concept form, the X-Class is the result of a parts-sharing deal between Mercedes and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. As a result, the midsize pickup truck is based on the ladder-frame platform of the Nissan Navara. Thankfully, the X-Class hasn’t strayed too far from the concept and looks fantastic, especially from the front. In fact, the styling is pure Mercedes. The front fascia looks very similar to the German automaker’s GLS SUV. On the inside, the cabin does get some fresh new design touches, but the rest of it is easily recognizable as a lot of switchgear can be found elsewhere in the Mercedes range.
With the X-Class, Mercedes has adopted a two-pronged approach to a luxury pickup that either focuses on lifestyle or actual ruggedness with the help of three variants: The X-Class Pure, which focuses on rugged use and utility. The X-Class Progressive, which ups the style points while maintaining its ruggedness and the X-Class Power, which targets the lifestyle segment with a focus on luxury and comfort.
The engine line-up of the X-Class is based on four and six-cylinder diesel motors. The X 220d with 161hp and X 250d with 188hp use the same 2.3-liter four-cylinder diesel in single and twin-turbo form respectively. Both of these engines get a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is offered as an option on the higher-powered unit. A V6 diesel unit will be on offer in the future. The X-Class is only going on sale in Germany and other parts of Europe this year with a price-tag of €37,000 ($42,758). Next year it will come to South Africa and Australia. As of now, there are no plans for it to come to the US.
[Via:Acquiremag]
