MERCEDES SEEKS LABOURER LOVE

The cheapest model has vinyl floors but t the Benz ute will woo tradies with the latest tech and a ton of power er

Mercedes has rolled up its corporate sleeves and joined the booming ute market — with what promises to be the most hi-tech vehicle in the category. The new X-Class is due in Australian showrooms in early 2018 and will include a bare bones workhorse — complete with a vinyl floor — and top out with a flagship turbo diesel V6 that will be the most powerful and most advanced ute in the class to date.

It also will be the most expensive. Prices have yet to be announced but the three-model line-up is expected to range from $40,000 to beyond $70,000.

The new X-Class is on track to become the first ute sold in Australia with automatic emergency braking (up to freeway speeds), a 360-degree view camera, high resolution iPadstyle central display screen, and six interior trim options — including two types of leather.

There will be three engine choices. A Nissanbuilt 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin turbo diesel with two power outputs (120kW/403Nm and 140kW/450Nm) will be available from launch in six-speed manual and seven-speed auto guise.

Six months later, in mid-2018, Mercedes will add its own 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel — which with 190kW/550Nm tops the current power king, the VW Amarok (165kW/550Nm). It will come solely with a seven-speed auto and permanent all-wheel-drive.

Mercedes was able to accelerate from concept to reality in a relatively short amount of time because it used the Nissan Navara as the foundation for the X-Class, rather than develop its own vehicle from the ground up.

The X-Class will be built on the same Spanish production line as the European Navara (Australian versions come from Thailand) and use Nissan four-cylinder diesel engines (with identical outputs).

However, Mercedes has made extensive changes to the body, suspension and safety technology.

The X-Class is longer and wider than the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and the Navara but it is slightly narrower than the Amarok.

All X-Class variants will come with a coil spring rear end (most rivals have leaf springs) and four-wheel-disc brakes, giving it an edge over all other four-cylinder pick-ups that have drum brakes at the rear.

The suspension overhaul means the X-Class has a wider track than its Navara sibling. It also has a larger cargo bed than the Nissan. The interior is unique to the Mercedes, with a passenger-car layout including the tablet-style central screen and digital speed display in the instrument cluster.

Not just a show pony, the X-Class will be able to tow up to 3500kg. Payload is competitive with rivals, from 918kg to 1092kg.

Mercedes says it has made extensive revisions to the vehicle, including changes to its suspension geometry.

The man in charge of bringing the X-Class to market globally, Christian Pohl, says Mercedes has been studying the Australian ute market since 2013.

“Australia is a big ute market and we have high expectations,” Pohl says. “We measure our vehicle against what Australian customers expect and not what somebody in Stuttgart expects.

“Head office in Germany has listened very carefully to what Australia wants. The Australian customer when it comes to utes has a higher demand than European customers (in terms of) durability, robustness and off-road capability. “Our engineers truly understand the needs of pick-up customers. We are by no means looking arrogantly at Toyota when it comes to HiLux.”

Mercedes says some of the engineers on the new X-Class previously worked on the military grade G-wagen pick-up and Sprinter 4WD.

“We are not only bringing bling to the vehicles, we can bring vehicles to the ground that are durable and can actually be taken to harsh conditions.”

Mercedes Australia utes and vans boss Diane Tarr says there will be affordable X-Class versions as well as super luxury models.

“It’s not focused totally on the top end,” she says. “We have a line-up of variants that will look at a broader customer base, including fleet customers.”

Mercedes says its intention is to “aim high” when it comes to sales volumes.

“We understand it is a competitive segment we’re going to jump into,” Tarr says.