Mercedes X-class
Newcomer promises to bring upmarket feel to pick-up sector. Does it deliver?
MODELTESTED: Mercedes X 250 d 4MATIC Power auto PRICE: £40,920 ENGINE: 2.3-litre 4cyl, 187bhp
THE X-class combines the utilitarian appeal of the Mercedes commercial vehicle range with the premium quality of the brand’s road cars. There are two engines: the 161bhp X 220 d manual or 187bhp X 250 d auto tested here. Prices start from £32,772 (including VAT), although that’s still more expensive than the top-spec Navara Tekna with a manual box.
Design & engineering
TO dismiss the X-class as simply being a Navara with a three-pointed star on the nose is doing a disservice to the engineering Mercedes has put into its pick-up. Yes, it uses the same chassis, suspension and engines, and the X-class is built in the same Spanish plant as the Nissan, but many parts have been redeveloped to ensure the newcomer feels like one of Mercedes’ own products.
Line the Merc up next to the Navara and you can see that every panel apart from the roof and rear of the cab has been changed. The X-class gets smoother wheelarches and door skins, the Navara’s awkward ‘duck bill’ tailgate design has been replaced by a smoother rear door and the truck’s overall design is in keeping with the German brand’s SUV range.
Climb aboard and the differences are still well defined. The redesigned cabin has the same 4x4 and window switches as the Navara (the key is the same, too), but Mercedes’ familiar infotainment set-up, circular air vents and full-colour trip display between the simpler dials give it an upmarket edge.
Soft-touch plastics feature on the dash top and doors, the COMAND control wheel is a user-friendly system that feels like a high-quality item and the metal-effect trim across the dashboard is another design cue taken from the Mercedes car range.
Overall, the X-class has the air of an upmarket product that easily justifies its price premium in the pick-up truck class. It’s not far off the GLC SUV for luxury, and it easily shades the Amarok.
Driving
THE feeling of quality that the X-class exudes continues when you’re driving it. All one-tonne pick-ups have compromised rear suspension settings to support a heavy payload, so a certain amount of ‘bounce’ is to be expected when they’re unladen. However, Nissan took pride in fitting the Navara with multi-link rear suspension, as opposed to a traditional leaf spring set-up, and yet Mercedes has developed matters further so that the X-class does a far better job of delivering a smooth ride.
It still bounces, but it just feels more consistent. If the front end is unsettled, then the rear will behave in the same manner, without any extra bucking due to the unladen bed. The suspension is much smoother over bumps, too, even though the X-class tested here featured larger 19-inch wheels compared with the Navara’s 18-inchers. These did make a bit more road noise when cruising, although you’d hardly call it harsh. In corners the Mercedes rolls, but it feels more stable than either rival here, while the light steering means it’s easy to manoeuvre at low speeds.
The X 250 d has the same 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel as the Navara, but with a 14bhp power deficit to the Amarok V6, as well as 50Nm less torque and extra kerbweight to haul around, it was roundly beaten by the VW in our performance tests. Still, these trucks aren’t designed to win drag races, and the X-class feels more than quick enough in isolation.
Practicality
TO qualify as a light commercial vehicle (LCV), all double cab pick-ups must be able to carry a one-tonne payload. The X-class achieves this, with a maximum weight of 1,066kg permissible, which is slightly more than the Navara (1,054kg), but behind the Amarok (1,112kg).
That will be plenty for most needs, while a 2.48square-metre load floor means there’s a vast boot if you add a £1,700 lockable tonneau cover from the accessories list. Yet the drop-down tailgate makes it tricky to reach the furthest parts of the bed, while a floor height of 854mm is high for loading heavy items.
Inside, there’s plenty of room for four people, and five can ride along on shorter trips without complaint. Up front, the driving position is a bit more natural than the Navara’s offset seat position, but if you add the electric window in the back glass (part of the £1,614 Style Package), its frame limits rear visibility a little.
Ownership
ALL three trucks have been tested by Euro NCAP, and the X-class has the highest rating; it’s the only one to receive five stars and offers plenty of safety tech. All models get seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane assist, traffic sign recognition and stability control with trailer assist, while a full-size spare wheel is fitted under the bed floor. Isofix child seat mounts with top tethers are fitted in the rear.
Running costs
PRICES for the X-class are high if you’re buying privately, but as with other Mercedes, this premium is designed to reflect the product’s more upmarket nature. On the whole, the way the truck looks and drives justifies this, while it plays the workhorse brilliantly, too.
If you’re a business user, you can take advantage of the X-class’s LCV Benefit-in-kind costs. Like its rivals here, a flat rate of tax is applied, with a charge of £670 or £1,340 per year for 20 and 40 per cent taxpayers. That’s only slightly more than you’d be charged for a Ford Fiesta Zetec as a company car, and considerably less than for a similarly equipped or priced SUV.
However, this benefit is tempered by higher running costs, with fuel economy just under 30mpg. It was only marginally behind rivals, though, and driving style is likely to make a bigger difference.