2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class First Ride | A Passenger Seat Spin In Merc’s Hay Hauler
Mercedes-Benz knows that its first-ever dual cab ute, the 2018 X-Class, is very different from anything the company has done before. Of course most people would be familiar with the brand’s plush luxury sedans and growing range of upmarket SUVs - but few would expect to see the three-pointed star at something like the Denny Ute Muster.
With the X-Class that’s a plausible scenario though. A product of Mercedes-Benz’ commercial vehicle division, the X-Class is grouped with products like the Vito and Sprinter vans, but while those may not be full-blooded luxury products (V-Class excepted) the X-Class aims to bridge the gap between workaday practicality and more lifestyle oriented pursuits.
Of course, there is an elephant in the room, and it’s the Nissan Navara, Mercedes-Benz hasn’t gone it alone with the X-Class, instead the German company has relied on its association with the Renault-Nissan group to provide the underpinnings for its new ute.
Depending on where you stand that could help or hinder the new dual-cab’s changes, but at the unveiling of the X-Class in Cape Town, South Africa, Benz was more than happy to not only pull back the covers of its first dual-cab ute but also let the world’s motoring media ride along in pilot-build vehicles before full scale production begins.
Vehicle Style: 4x4 Dual cab ute
Price: TBA
Engine/trans: 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo diesel | 7sp automatic
OVERVIEW
At first glance a ute might seem an odd fit for a company that is probably better known for its limousines and sporty coupes, but the precedent is there. In 1954 Mercedes-Benz built its first ute, the 180D ‘bakkie’, in South Africa. Not only that but the G-Class is a legend in off-road circles, and the Vito and Sprinter vans have helped keep the wheels of industry turning for decades.
So, in the same way the ML helped create a segment of prestige SUVs in the 1990s, the X-Class hopes to stir up a new ‘premium pickup’ segment.
Australian buyers will be offered three engines, the X220d and X250d both feature a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, the 120kW/403Nm X220d runs a single turbo, the 140kW/450Nm X250d features a twin turbo setup. The third option is a V6 turbo diesel which produces 190kW and 550Nm, good enough to make it the most powerful dual-cab ute in its class.