Ready for a Mercedes Pickup?

mmcartalk

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Ready for a pickup with the three-pointed star on the grille? We won't get it in the U.S., though.

Anyhow, this is a joint project with Nissan, based on that company's mid-sized Navara pickup. I can understand the hesitance of M-B to introduce it here in the U.S., though........I wouldn't place much stock in it knocking either the Toyota Tacoma or Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon off their pedestals, especially with an all-new Ford Ranger on the way late next year.

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/07...x-class-pickup-is-ready-to-haul-in-style.html

Forbidden fruit: The Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup is ready to haul in style
By Gary GasteluPublished July 18, 2017
Fox News
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(Mercedes-Benz)

Mercedes-Benz has finally unveiled the production version of its first proper pickup, the X-Class.

The long-gestating midsize truck the product of a joint venture with Nissan and based on the Japanese automaker’s Navara pickup. The German’s take looks very much like a Mercedes, however, from the shape of its grille to its interior design.

With a starting price of around $40,000 in Germany, it’s also a very luxed-up effort. Mercedes calls it the first pickup from a premium manufacturer, which is a little bit of a stretch considering Lincoln and Cadillac have both had offerings in the segment, not to mention the fact that you can easily spend over $70,000 on a high tech, leather-lined Ford, Chevy or Ram today.

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(Mercedes-Benz)

Nevertheless, it is dressy for a midsize pickup and will be offered with a list of electronic safety features that includes emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. A range of four diesel and gasoline engines will be available, the most potent one a 258 hp gasoline V6.

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(Mercedes-Benz)

Built with a traditional body-on-frame construction and a live rear axle, the X-Class uses coil springs front and rear like a Ram 1500. Its four-wheel-drive system has a low range transfer case and a locking rear differential is optional for added traction. Mercedes says its maximum payload and tow ratings are 2,200 pounds and 7,000 pounds, respectively.

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(Mercedes-Benz)

Aside from its platform, one very important thing that the X-Class has in common with the Navara is that it will be sold just about everywhere but the United States. In its current form, it wasn’t engineered to meet safety standards here. It would also be subject to a 25 percent import tax, unless Mercedes started building it here, where it doesn’t think there’s a big enough market for a high-end small truck.

At least not yet.
 

mmcartalk

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I was expecting a little more, personally. It's literally a Nissan Navara with the face of a GLE and Mercedes HVAC vents inside.

Meh.


Yeah...they made it clear it was a joint product with Nissan. I didn't know, though, until this vehicle debuted, that M-B had any formal ties to Nissan.
 

mikeavelli

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I had no idea it was going to be Nissan based. They must feel good about the partnership to go this deep!
 

CIF

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Wow. If we look back on history, and Mercedes struggles in the future, this may be pointed out as the start of a decline. What an atrocious product for Mercedes to associate itself with. If Lexus stuck its badge on a Nissan truck or on a Tacoma, the internet would be rioting. Mercedes is mostly getting a free pass it seems.
 

mmcartalk

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Wow. If we look back on history, and Mercedes struggles in the future, this may be pointed out as the start of a decline. What an atrocious product for Mercedes to associate itself with.

Don't forget, though.....M-B owned Chrysler not that long ago.
 

Ian Schmidt

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Don't forget, though.....M-B owned Chrysler not that long ago.

I still only vaguely understand what that was meant to accomplish on either end. At the time M-B had questionably engineered cars built to precise standards and Mopar had a history of great engineering built to no standards at all. So on paper that kind of worked, but in reality it's unclear how the merger could fix either company.
 
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mmcartalk

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I still only vaguely understand what that was meant to accomplish on either end. At the time M-B had questionably engineered cars built to precise standards and Mopar had a history of great engineering built to no standards at all. So on paper that kind of worked, but in reality it's unclear how the merger could fix either company.

Mercedes had their own engineering criteria....like Volvo, it was mostly in the field of safety-innovations for their cars. Chrysler, on the other hand, had a different kind of engineering history....things that were mostly chassis and powertrain-related.
 
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mmcartalk

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On a related note I miss the R-Class now...

How does the R-Class relate to a pick-up, though? I'm not sure I follow you there. The R-Class was a lot more like the first-generation Chrysler Pacifica (and a larger version of the Mazda5)...essentially a 2+2+2 people-mover with 4 conventional side-doors and a lift back.