A bakkie from Mercedes? Regtig?
The German manufacturer has spotted a gap at the top end of this market — can it fill it?
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending the Geneva Motor Show at the invitation of Mercedes-Benz South Africa to view the automaker’s first ever bakkie — the X-Class. I can’t imagine I am the only motoring enthusiast who had dreamt of seeing a bakkie from the luxury car brand, and shortly after an overnight flight to the snow-covered city of Geneva, I found myself sitting at the wheel of the X-Class.
At a glance, it is easy to see that the X-Class has all the traits of a commercial bakkie, in that it is tough, functional and appropriately aggressive looking, and in full possession of the required off-road stance we South Africans deem fit for a bakkie. The only thing that throws you off is the three-pointed star we more readily associate with the Merc premium range of vehicles.
The first thing that might come to your mind as you read this is — why? Why would Mercedes-Benz, a reputable manufacturer of premium cars, venture into the world of pickups? And what would a luxury carmaker know about making bakkies tough enough to take on the African terrain, to say nothing about competing with established bakkie brands in South Africa?
That’s precisely what I asked when coming face-to-face with MercedesBenz Vans boss Volker Mornhinweg. On the question of why, he swiftly replied that Mercedes-Benz had spotted a gap at the upper end of the bakkie market, a fact that no one can dispute. There is only one bakkie I would describe as being luxurious, being the top-specced 2.0L Volkswagen Amarok, which retails at about R650000. With that answered (and because I didn’t have a heel to peg any further argument on), I kept my game face on and launched into the topic of what Mercedes-Benz might know about building vehicles to match the unforgiving African roads.
Mornhinweg patiently gave an account of his brand’s association with Nissan before emphasising that Mercedes-Benz would simply be using the Navara “ladder frame” and that the components for the power trains, suspension and braking systems would be 100% Mercedes-Benz. Once more, I was suitably silenced by Mornhinweg’s honest and transparent answer.
Speaking of powertrains, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class will be available in both petrol and diesel variants, manual and 7G-Tronic automatic, 4x2 and 4x4, and in two drivetrains — manual and a 7G-Tronic. The engine line-up will also include a powerful V6 diesel engine, complete with Mercedes-Benz’s 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive. These powerful drive systems will allow for payloads greater than 1.1 tonnes and a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes. As with all other Mercedes vehicles, the X-Class will be fitted with class-leading safety systems as well as modern driver assistance systems designed to increase the bakkie’s high levels of comfort.
The Mercedes-Benz X-Class will be launched internationally in June, and is expected in South Africa in the second quarter of 2018. Pricing will only be known at the launch.