The 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class has been revealed overnight in South Africa with Mercedes-Benz saying it’ll go on-sale here in early 2018.

THE 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ X-Class has been revealed overnight with the company’s top brass not missing the chance to take a dig at key rivals suggesting it is the world’s first premium ute… Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said:  “The segment for mid-size pickups is ripe for a premium vehicle. With the X-Class we will open this segment to new customer groups, just as we redefined the off-road segment with the M-Class more than 20 years ago. Our pickup convinces as a workhorse, yet also as a family and lifestyle vehicle. In short, The X-Class is the Mercedes among pickups.”

“The X-Class is the first genuine pickup with convincing passenger car characteristics. It’s robust, strong and with good off-road capability – just like a pickup should be. It’s also aesthetically pleasing, dynamic to drive, comfortable, safe, connected and individual – as you would expect from a Mercedes. As a result, the X-Class pushes the boundaries of the classic pickup and makes this vehicle segment attractive for private use, too. With three design and equipment lines and an extensive scope of further individualisation options, we offer the ideal vehicle for a range of different customer groups and their needs,” added Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

The X-Class will be available in three design and equipment variants as well as four- or six-cylinder engines, rear-wheel drive and engageable or permanent all-wheel drive, a six-speed manual transmission and a seven-speed automatic transmission. In addition, there are six different seat covers, including two leather variants, three sets of cockpit trim parts and a diverse range of accessories developed by Mercedes-Benz. The European launch is scheduled for November this year, with arrival in Australia expected in early 2018.

The variants are:

• The X-Class PURE basic variant is ideal for rugged, functional use. It fulfils all the demands placed on a workhorse. At the same time its comfort and design make it perfect for visiting customers or suppliers and for private activities.
• The X-Class PROGRESSIVE is aimed at people seeking a rugged pickup with extra styling and comfort functions – as a calling card for their own business, while also being a comfortable yet prestigious vehicle for private use.
• The X-Class POWERis the high-end design and equipment line. It is aimed at customers for whom styling, performance and comfort are paramount. Through its design and high level of equipment it reflects an independent and individualistic lifestyle.

There are nine exterior colours and a variety of exclusive 17, 18 or 19-inch rims to choose from across the three design and equipment lines.

While local pricing hasn’t been announced, Mercedes-Benz released pricing for Germany, which is 37,294 Euro (incl. 19 percent VAT). That works out to be about AUD$55,000 which is on the mark against the top-spec variants in its competitor line-ups. And the brand is targeting, “land owners and farmers in Argentina, business owners and building contractors in Australia, families with an affinity for premium products in Brazil, trend-conscious individualists in South Africa and Great Britain as well as sporty adventurers in New Zealand and Germany”.

We all know the X-Class is based on the Nissan Navara, but Mercedes has gone to great lengths to explain the amount of work it has done to the chassis to ensure the ride and handling is everything buyers expect from a Mercedes-Benz. It said, “This is attained thanks to a comfort suspension with the fine tuning expected of a Mercedes. It consists of a ladder-type frame, rear multi-link solid axle, front independent wheel suspension and coil springs on both axles”. The X-Class can carry a payload of up to 1067kg in its tray depending on the variant. And will be able to tow from 1650-3500kg depending on the variant. The tailgate can be opened out to 90-degrees, or dropped right down to 180-degrees, allowing you to get right against the back of the ute.

Inside, the three trim variants all offer something different, with matt black, an aluminium effect with longitudinal grain and a brown matt woodgrain effect available, as well as ARTICO man-made leather in either black or nut brown. There are round ventilation outlets. Depending on the design and equipment line, these come in either high-gloss black or silver shadow. With the PROGRESSIVE and POWER design and equipment lines, the centre console is also prominently framed by a decorative trim in silver shadow. The large door handles are also finished in silver shadow. In conjunction with the COMAND Online multimedia system, X-Class runs a screen diagonal of 8.4 inches, making it the biggest display in the segment. The X-Class (certain variants) also features Merc’s touchpad infotainment controller from its passenger car range; it can be controlled using gestures or by entering letters and characters.

From its market launch, there will be two four-cylinder engines available a 2.3-litre engine is available with a choice of two power outputs. In the X 220 d with single turbocharger it generates 120kW and in the biturbo X 250 d 140kW. Both diesel models are available with purely rear wheel drive or with engageable all-wheel drive. Power is transferred via a six-speed manual transmission. A seven-speed automatic transmission is available on request for the 140kW X 250 d and X 250 d 4MATIC models. A high-torque V6 diesel engine will be released mid-2018 and it will generate 190kW and a maximum torque of 550Nm. This top X-Class model will come as standard with permanent 4MATIC all-wheel drive and the seven-speed automatic transmission 7G-TRONIC PLUS with steering-wheel shift paddles and ECO start/stop function.

As a cost option, buyers will be able to choose Merc’s DYNAMIC SELECT which offers five drive programs to choose from: Comfort, ECO, Sport, Manual and Off-road. These modify the engine characteristics, the automatic transmission’s switching points and the ECO start/stop function.

Buyers wanting permanent all-wheel drive will be directed straight to the top-spec variant with its six-cylinder engine and the permanent set-up will only be available from mid-2018. “Off-road, both 4MATIC variants benefit from the same superior assertiveness thanks to the low-range gearing and optional differential lock on the rear axle. All the all-wheel drive models come with Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) on board as standard,” Mercedes said.

The X-Class will run comfort suspension in all European markets. Its ground clearance is 202 millimetres. A 20-millimetre higher suspension is available as an optional extra but will be standard in markets outside of Europe, including Australia, meaning our cars will offer up to 221mm of ground clearance

What about safety? Passive safety is provided via seven airbags and the i-Size attachment system for two child seats in the back seats. The airbags in the front for driver and front passenger come with a two-stage, deferred triggering mechanism. For active safety, three driver assistance systems are at the ready, simultaneously increasing safety and comfort: Active Brake Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Traffic Sign Assist. Additionally, there are Trailer Stability Assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, emergency call system, cruise control and LED headlamps that deliver the brightest light output in the segment thanks to six LEDs respectively. If required, a 360-Degree Camera is available in addition to a reversing camera.

Question: What do you think about the new Mercedes-Benz X-Class?