Mercedes unveils X-Class pickup

Mercedes-Benz has marked its entry into the pickup truck segment by unveiling the X-Class. The vehicle will be available in Europe from November 2017, in South Africa and Australia from 2018, and in Argentina and Brazil from the beginning of 2019.

It will initially be offered with two 2.3-litre diesel engines making 161 BHP and 188 BHP in the X 220 d and X 250 d respectively. Though the displacements are same, the former comes with a single turbo whereas the later has two turbos (biturbo). These will be available in both - rear-wheel drive as well as the all-wheel drive (4MATIC) configurations in both - left-hand drive and right-hand drive markets. While a 6-speed manual transmission is standard, a 7-speed automatic transmission is available on request in the X 250 d.

Markets like Dubai and Morocco will get the X 200, which is powered by a petrol engine with 164 BHP on tap. This will come with rear-wheel drive and left-hand drive configuration only. A V6 diesel engine making 255 BHP will be launched in mid-2018 in the X 350 d 4MATIC trim. This model will come with all-wheel drive system and a 7-speed automatic transmission as standard.

The X-Class has a length of 5,340 mm, width of 1,920 mm and height of 1,819 mm. Its wheelbase measures 3,150 mm, while the front and rear tracks measure 1,632 mm and 1,625 mm respectively. The vehicle has a maximum payload of 1.1 tons, a towing capacity of 3.5 tons and a fuel tank capacity of 73 litres.

Standard features include 7 airbags, i-Size child seat mounts, active brake assist, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign assist, trailer stability assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, emergency call system, cruise control and 6-LED headlamps. A 360-degree camera system along with a reverse camera can be ordered as well. It also features a communication module with SIM card that allows use of Mercedes me connect system with mobile access to a host of services in 21 European Countries. 

The X-Class will be available in 3 trims - Pure, Progressive and Power. It will come in 9 exterior colours, with a choice of 17,18 or 19-inch wheels, and with an option to order one without the rear bumper for a 180-degree opening tail-gate. The X-Class is equipped with a COMAND online system with a multi-function touchpad, hard-disk navigation, voice control and internet access via a smartphone. Apart from this, Audio 20 USB and Audio 20 CD systems are also available.