Very rarely will you come across an automobile that promises to deliver a wide range of benefits that are far superior than existing market offerings. The Mercedes X-Class pickup truck is one such vehicle that is set to stir the competition. By launching the X-Class luxury truck, Mercedes-Benz has challenged the likes of Ford, GM, Renault, Nissan and Toyota. The truck might be based on the Nissan Nirvana but it is also equipped with many of the luxurious features and technologies that are specific to other Mercedes vehicles.
‘Workhorse’ or a luxury pickup?
Even though it is designed as a luxury pickup truck, the Mercedes X-Class pickup is conceptualized to be a perfect vehicle to be driven on off-road tracks. The vehicle has a ground clearance of 202mm and it can be increased by fitting an optional suspension gear. In other words, the vehicle is fit to be driven on any type of terrain.
The vehicle is being made available in three variants namely X 200 d, X 250 d and X 350 d. All the versions will be equipped with diesel engines. Additionally, the models will be delivered 161 hp, 187 hp and 254 hp respectively.
The vehicle made its debut at the Frankfurt motor show and its interiors are as luxurious as any other Mercedes vehicle.
Competitor Reactions
While Mercedes is gearing up to improve its market share in the luxury pickup segment, the X-Class pickup trucks have sparked a debate amongst the competitors with regard to Mercedes’s strategic move. While BMW has clearly labelled the vehicle as ‘appalling’, Volkswagen has pointed that the vehicle will never be able to dissociate itself from the humbler Navara.
Mercedes X-Class in the UAE
As of now, the Mercedes X-Class pickup truck is being available in core markets like South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and select European countries. However, regional launches are soon to follow in a phased approach and UAE will get its own petrol-based version very soon. Customers in Dubai as well as other parts of UAE can expect the X-Class to be launched somewhere in mid-2018. Dubai customers can expect the starting price of the vehicle to be around AED 157,731.
The UAE is home to some of the major oil and gas companies of the world and hence the demand for pickup trucks in the region is ever increasing. I am predicted that the market will rapidly grow till 2020 and hence pickup trucks like Mercedes X-Class will have to good demand in the region.
