MERCEDES-BENZ X-CLASS

We’ve been waiting with bated breath since Mercedes-Benz revealed in 2015 that it was going to produce a bakkie, and after being launched a year ago, the X-Class has finally made it to South Africa.

We’ve previously spoken about the German firm’s technical cooperation with Nissan and the platform the X-Class shares with the Nissan Navara in go! Drive & Camp #5 when we attended the international launch of the X-Class, but we will point out that though Stuttgart’s engineers received a blueprint, they’ve added their own touch here and there, specifically with a lengthened and widened chassis.

What you see

Looks are subjective, but it’s safe to say that the Mercedes-Benz X-Class is certainly not ugly. There are definitely similarities with the Navara when viewed from the side and rear, but that’s about where it ends, because the nose differs noticeably from its Japanese counterpart, using the latest design language from the company’s SUV range.

What you get

For the South African market the X-Class comes standard with a 20 mm increase in ride height, which takes the clearance up to 240 mm. The good news for campers is that the X-Class also comes standard with a tow bar, trailer sway assist and a rear parking camera so that lugging your caravan to your next destination is a breeze.

Well appointed

When you open the driver’s side door it’s no surprise to find that the seats are comfortable, offering up a good compromise between suppleness and support. It was quite refreshing to drive a bakkie with a quality cloth upholstery again instead of cowhide. But being a Mercedes-Benz, the quality is high and gives off the impression that it will last for many years.

Speaking of good quality, hard plastics normally get a bad rap in the local motoring fraternity, but the X-Class’s fascia and doors are capped by solid black panels that don’t rattle or feel flimsy. I’m personally not a fan of the gloss black trim that houses the vents and the centrally mounted infotainment screen atop, and if you’re going to drive plenty of dirt roads you might find yourself wiping down the surfaces quite often. People shorter than six foot will also have to position themselves quite close to the multifunction steering wheel, as it’s not reachadjustable. The six-speed gearbox features a stubby little shifter that looks the part in such a smartly appointed cabin but feels a bit out of place in a vehicle that’s not a sports car. The higher specification packages also offer a front camera to assist with your 4x4 excursions, which will probably help point your wheels in the right direction or give you a better view of what’s in front of the bakkie when you have the nose pointed up towards the sky. It’s definitely a niceto-have, but otherwise the X-Class is already bestowed with the sort of kit that could make light work of some rough mountain roads.

From behind the wheel

The 2,3 ℓ turbodiesel motor isn’t as noisy as some of the Merc’s contemporaries, which is quite welcome. The full fat of the maximum torque output is on tap at only 1 500 rpm, which means that there’s very little stirring of the six-speed manual needed, where most of the time a simple flex of the right foot will do for overtaking manoeuvres. The clutch bites a bit high for my liking, however; nearly halfway up the pedal action. The event organisers threw the assembled motoring media right into the deep end, with the bakkies being driven from a field at the launch venue to the start of a 4x4 obstacle not even five minutes away – a steep descent that served to demonstrate the effectiveness of the low-range gearing and DSR (downhill speed regulator), which means that while you’re resting both feet in the footwell, you can leave the X-Class’s systems up to their own devices and hold on to the multifunction steering wheel while the bakkie does the rest. The multi-link rear suspension even allowed some impressive articulation too. For the next demonstration, the hill start assist on a loose surface, the drivetrain was left in 4WD high. After you’ve come to a stop with the footbrake, the electronics will keep the anchors engaged for approximately >

three seconds so you have sufficient time to climb back on the power and ensure you don’t roll backward a. Once the party tricks were out of the way, we headed for the old Duiwelskop Pass – a pretty much unused old stretch that includes some climbing, low-range engaging and choosing the right lines. The X-Class didn’t miss a beat, despite the tyre pressure being a little high for off-road use, but overall quite impressive for something that can just jump off the freeway right onto an abandoned old pass and traverse it without sweat. The suspension system’s light work of the rocky terrain and how well insulated the cabin was against the outside world stood out for me as strong points. Of course, given that our country benefits from a raised ride height and that the vehicle I drove wasn’t equipped with side steps, the X-Class was favourably kitted out for the excursion. Given the X-Class’s sorted suspension set-up and comfortable off-road ride, I was expecting it to be a little more compliant on the tarmac of the N9 and later, the Outeniqua Pass, with some of the asphalt imperfections feeling slightly harsh under my backside. But that could just have been due to tyre pressure, because this particular bakkie had the entry level 17” wheels fitted wrapped in chunky sidewall rubber. As for the rest of the dynamics, the bakkie can’t really be faulted, on or off the beaten track. Body roll is minimal and there’s very little pitch under braking and acceleration too.

More coming soon

Cabin refinement is definitely up there among the best of this class of vehicle, possibly even knocking on the door of the luxury SUV segment. There’s hardly any diesel clatter and not much outside noise that permeates the X-Class’s interior. If you think the four-cylinder line-up currently on offer in the X-Class range doesn’t have enough meat on the bone you can always stick it out till sometime in the first quarter of 2019, which is when MercedesBenz says the V6 version of this bakkie will make it to SA. We can’t wait to hitch a caravan to this thing for a comprehensive tow test and do a little more off-roading with some of the creature comforts on the options list ticked off. Yes, The X-Class is more expensive right now than anything else out there, but that price premium matches the package. It’s going to be a hit.

UPMARKET. The Merc badge looks impressive on the X-Class. Stylish alloy wheels that range in size from 17 to 19”, shiny badges, load bay liner, and folding mirrors are part and parcel of various packages offered by the German company so you can customise your bakkie to your liking.

SIGNATURE LOOK. There’s no mistaking those vents because it’s a classic Merc hallmark. The switchgear, though gem-like in finish, feels durable and appropriate for use in a bakkie. You’ll pay R15 000 should you prefer leather upholstery. Thanks in part to a raised ride height for our market and the short front overhang, the approach angle is impressive.