Mercedes-Benz X-Class pick-up truck concept unveiled

Mercedes-Benz has taken the veils off its pick-up truck concept, named the X-Class. This is Mercedes' first attempt at making a pick-up truck. Two concept variants have been revealed - the Powerful Adventurer and the Stylish Explorer. While the former has been designed to possess classic pick-up strengths, the latter adds Mercedes' luxurious characteristics to the package. The X-Class pick-up will go on sale later in 2017, with Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and Australia being its key markets.

The Mercedes X-Class has jointly been developed under a contract between Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. It borrows the same platform that underpins the Nissan Navara and Renault Alaskan. Under this contract, Renault-Nissan will be made responsible for production of the X-Class at Nissan plant in Barcelona, Spain. This plant will be catering to the European, Australian and South African markets. For the Latin American market, the X-Class will be produced at Renault's plant in Argentina. Once launched, the pick-up will be sold through Mercedes's passenger car division.

The Mercedes Concept X-Class gets a large grille housing the three-star logo, and the company’s latest headlamp lineage. On the Adventurer version, the bumper gets a scuff plate and a winch that signifies its off-road tackling capabilities. On the other hand, the Explorer gets a toned down front bumper design, less bulgy wheel arches and 22-inch alloy wheels. Both the concept versions feature dual cab construction with a loading bay at the rear. Mercedes claims that the concept X-Class with the ladder-type frame has a payload capacity of 1.1 tonne and can tow up to 3.5 tonne.

The interiors borrow design cues from various other Mercedes models. As a result, it gets a floating infotainment display, circular AC vents and touch-pad controls for the infotainment system. The designers have used Nappa leather, wood veneers, and polished aluminium in the cabin. Mercedes has claimed that the production-spec X-Class will come with various safety features and driver assistance systems. The automaker will be equipping the production model with its existing cameras, radar and ultrasound sensor-based technologies.

Both concepts are powered by a V6 diesel engine along with Mercedes' 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. It also gets an off-road ratio transfer case and differential locks for both axles. This very setup will be used in the top-end production model. Meanwhile, the lower trims will get a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.