Bakkie with a V6 heart and big price
ROAD TEST/ There’s now some righteous muscle in Merc’s luxury double cab, but it tickles the R1m mark, writes Denis Droppa
To those who thought the Nissan-engined, four-cylinder Mercedes X-Class bakkie wasn’t “pure” enough to carry the threepointed star, the muchanticipated six-cylinder X350d recently entered the arena.
Not only does it have a genuine Benz engine, but with gladitorial outputs of 190kW and 550Nm, it’s become SA’s most powerful double cab, outgunning VW’s Amarok V6 (165kW and 550Nm), which has until now single-handedly ruled the muscle-bakkie arena.
The price tag is also pure Benz: R904,188 for the “entrylevel” X350d Progressive and R973,188 for the X350d Power derivative. Both come with a six-year/100,000km warranty and maintenance plan.
These prices exclude a raft of optional extras, including a canopy, style bars and bed liner, which could make the price breach the R1m mark.
The standard equipment level in the X350d Power we tested is decent if not overendowed. It includes items such as electrically adjustable front seats, LED headlights and seven airbags (see full list alongside), but you’ll have to pay extra for items such as navigation, a 360° parking camera and a lanekeeping assist that vibrates the steering wheel when you cross lines without indicating.
Also, the steering column is adjustable only for height, not reach a curiosity in such a premium vehicle.
The infotainment is controlled by a knob and a touchpad between the front seats touchscreens haven’t yet come to the Benz bakkie.
Nevertheless, in terms of user-friendliness the cabin ergonomics are good and I like that there are physical buttons to quick-access the main media and climate-control features.
Space inside the cabin is plentiful up front, but passengers in the back seat have a bit of a tight squeeze in both leg and headroom, and the angle of the rear backrest is also quite upright.
Mercedes set out to build the market’s most luxurious bakkie, but things are a mixed bag in terms of the cabin look and feel.
Most of it conforms to the brand’s premium standards and there’s plenty of brushed metal to give the interior a classy vibe.
The turbine-style air vents are a visual and tactile highlight, as is the stitched soft-touch material covering the top of the dashboard and upper parts of the doors.
However, the hard and plasticky lower part of the dashboard seems rather lowrent at the price.
The 3.0l engine is paired with a 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox and the X350d gets permanent fourwheel drive instead of the selectable 4WD of the fourcylinder X-Class models (the X220d and X250d). The offroad ability is enhanced by a selectable low-range reduction gear and a rear diff lock.
The permanent 4WD ensured excellent traction, particularly in the wet weather we’ve been experiencing in Gauteng lately, though it makes for quite a large turning circle.
The V6 is fairly refined but sounds “whooshy” in that typical bakkie way, and it’ sa strong performer.
Once it shakes off some initial turbo lag, this Benz hustles forward with plenty of gusto, with strong cruising legs and an easygoing penchant for climbing steep hills.
Fuel consumption averaged 11.ll per 100km, which is acceptable but not great (Mercedes claims 9l).
For reasons we can’t necessarily explain, the X350d is not as quick as VW’s less powerful (on paper) Amarok V6. Mercedes-Benz claims a 7.9 second 0-100km/h sprint time for the X350d, but we took both vehicles to the Gerotek test facility near Pretoria and conducted acceleration tests using a Vbox.
The Benz bakkie recorded a 0-100km/h time of nine seconds versus the Amarok’s 8.2 seconds.
The X350d also lagged in the overtaking stakes, achieving 60-120km/h in 8.3 seconds compared to the Amarok’s nippy 7.7 seconds.
Both these V6 bakkies are still considerably quicker than all the opposition vehicles, including the Hilux 2.8 and Ranger 3.2, but to settle those braai-side arguments, the Amarok V6 remains the “Porsche” of bakkies.
With solid-axle rear suspension paired with coils instead of the traditional leaf springs, a smooth ride is one of the selling points of the X-Class.
For a bakkie, the ride quality is good, though it still feels noticeably more choppy than an SUV. As with any bakkie, putting a load in the back would smooth out the ride.
As a workhorse, Merc’s luxury double cab pays its dues with a useful 1-ton payload and 3.2-ton towing capacity.
Adventure-seeking owners will find this Benz has decent off-road credentials too, with its permanent all-wheel drive traction and selectable lowrange transfer case.
Its obstacle-tackling repertoire includes a generous 220mm ground clearance, the ability to climb gradients of up to 45°, and ford through water up to 600mm deep.
The transmission also has an Offroad setting along with Eco, Comfort, Sport and Manual modes which changes the gearshift strategy to best suit the terrain and conditions.
In summary, MercedesBenz has produced a powerful and very capable luxury double cab, but it’s got some strong competition in SA.
Objectively it’s not easy to make a case for the Mercedes X350d costing R155k more than the top-of-the-range V6 Amarok, which sells for R818,200. But there is admittedly a lot of cachet in that Benz badge.