Mercedes X Class announced

[MrMickS]

Not satisfied with a toe in the SUV market Mercedes has now announced an upmarket pickup, the X Class. How long before Maserati decide that they too must have a slice of this pie to boost their US sales?

 

[conaero]

I dont think I have ever heard class and pickup in the same sentence. That Gypo Dan certainly has none in his pickup!

 

[Wack61]

I wonder if it'll rust as much as a sprinter

 

[philw696]

Never had one until I bought my Ford Ranger down here from the Dealer.
That was a first too and I rate it as the most useful vehicle in my fleet.
Let's see how they do.

 

[alfi boy]

I saw these rescently, looks different

 

[UlstermanAbroad]

Would be a smart move for both marques, given the significant proportion of pickup owners in North America who only use these vehicles as daily drivers and leisure vehicles.

 

[Grant V]

There's a HUGE bakkie (pick up) culture in SA and the fact that the X Class was launched in Cape Town confirms this.

Most of the Uber-bakkies are penis extensions that never see a day of work in their lives and regardless of this being a re-skinned Nissan Navaro, South African alpha males will be paying the premium and buying them by the dozen.

I sometimes wonder what the Daimler board of the 70s would have thought if they had a peek into the future....

 

[StuartW]

I've had two Nissan Navaras over the last 15 years for our dogs. I have purpose made crates in the back so that I can transport 4 in comfort and it keeps their stink & hair out of the cab it's an ideal situation for me. I have tried SUVs but the pick up is the way forward for us. I'll be looking to change in a couple of years and there is so much choice now, Jeep have a Wrangler pick up on the way too, so I'll be taking a look at all of them but his X class looks pretty decent to me

 

[Corranga]

I've had two Nissan Navaras over the last 15 years for our dogs. I have purpose made crates in the back so that I can transport 4 in comfort and it keeps their stink & hair out of the cab it's an ideal situation for me. I have tried SUVs but the pick up is the way forward for us. I'll be looking to change in a couple of years and there is so much choice now, Jeep have a Wrangler pick up on the way too, so I'll be taking a look at all of them but his X class looks pretty decent to me

Conversely, I don't have dogs to avoid the stink and hair, and owning a Nissan Navara


It will be interesting to see if Maserati (and, possibly more likely Porsche...) follow with something like this. Perhaps more likely to see Alfa than Maserati doing one the way things are at the moment.
Fiat already make one, is that based on something else in the Chrysler catalogue, or is the Jeep to be based on the Fiat?

This isn't really much of a departure for Mercedes though, the G-Wagen has been around since the late 70s and is basically a luxury version of a trade / farmers vehicle. Mind you, there is something a little cool about a G-wagen, that X class is very uninspiring..

Who was it that said, about the first ML Class something like if you like your suv to look like an old Ssangyong...

 

[Nayf]

It's a wise move and it's a surprise it's taken so long for a luxury mainstream pickup to turn up, given the huge demand for them in the US, and frankly over in the UK. I always wondered what the point was when most of them I saw were driven on the school run and the most heavy duty thing the load bay would see would perhaps be a Christmas tree, twice a year.
Then it was pointed out to me the tax benefits of a commercial vehicle if you're self employed, which explains why there are so many among non farmers.
With regards to the Fiat pickup, I believe it's built in Brazil and is currently only available thee. I saw one last year while visiting the inlaws. It's certainly not a hardcore work vehicle and I can understand why some (mainly Land Rover Defender devotees) would take the ****, but it suits middle class Brazilian life so well. Surfboard/beach stuff in the rear, and can carry motorbikes/quads, or tow a small boat/jet ski. The Fiat even looked great for what it was, even in metallic brown. Though the persistent sunshine, 38 degree heat and many capiroskas may have had something to do with it...

As for a Maserati pickup? Never say never - Ferrari are now planning an SUV after many denials - but I think given the glacial manner in which things seem to happen at FCA, I doubt it will be soon and who knows where we'll all be in three years. Probably just in time for widespread diesel toxin taxes and the **** to fall out of the pickup market.

I reckon the Fiat would make for an interesting toe in the water in Mercedes' wake, but Fiat hasn't equated to premium for a long time, maybe the 130 Coupe? Maybe an Alfa prospect...


To be honest I'm looking for an X-Trail AMG to do battle with an F150 Raptor. Utterly pointless in the UK but still...

 

[mjheathcote]

Was behind a new Fiat pickup only this weekend.

 

[StuartW]

Anyone remember this concept sketch posted up on t'interwebs? Never say never ...

 

[SPX]

Fiat pick-up is a re-badged Mitsubishi L200.

The Mercedes pick-up will sell by the absolute bucketload, with how involved they are in the commercial vehicle sector I'm surprised that it's taken them this long to bring one to market.