Hotted-up X-Class possible

One of the most talked about new vehicles coming our way is the first ever ute/pick-up from Mercedes-Benz – the X-Class.

As we covered here, the new X-Class will land in April next year with a choice of 103kW and 104kW outputs from a 2.3 litre turbo-diesel engine.

The X-Class V6 diesel, producing 190kW/550Nm, will be here around mid-2018.

Pricing? At this stage Mercedes-Benz Vans aren’t saying.

We had Blake Vincent, PR and Corporate Communications Manager at Mercedes-Benz Vans, on this week’s Behind the Wheel Podcast.

“Those details will be revealed closer to the launch,” was Blake’s answer when we asked him “how much?”.

But what about a Mercedes-AMG X-Class? Is that a possibility? Well, Blake didn’t exactly give us a no…

“At this stage, there’s no plans for an AMG line in the X-Class, however it is something that we will definitely monitor in the market.

“We really want to see how this vehicle is accepted in the marketplace.

“We’ve got really good open communication with our German colleagues on this project.

“Australia is one of the key markets for the product so we will be able to give feedback based on what our customers are telling us.

“So, you never know down the track, but at this stage there’s no plans for it.”

And when asked the question that most people seem to want to ask – “Is it a Nissan Navara in disguise?”

“No, it won’t be. It meets the very strict requirements of you’d expect from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle.

“I have seen the vehicle up close in South Africa and you can really tell the high grade materials that have been used.

“It was also incredibly quiet and will come with exemplary safety features across all of the variants as well.

“So yeah look we’ve developed and designed numerous components completely from scratch.

“So, it’s really a genuine vehicle.”

Blake also confirmed that the 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class would boast a 3.2 tonne towing capacity on 4×2 variants, and 3.5 tonnes on the 4×4 models.

Check out the full chat with Blake on this week’s Podcast and stay up to date with all the latest Mercedes-Benz News at behindthewheel.com.au.