Mercedes-Benz now has a pick-up truck. The X-Class is here but how you reacted to that news rather depends on your point-of-view. Was this Mercedes, a premium car brand known for its executive saloons and luxury SUVs, arriving in one of the most utilitarian sectors of the market with a rebadged Nissan Navara? Or was it Mercedes, a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer that already builds various tough off-roaders, including the G-Class and the mighty Unimog, adding a pick-up truck to its light commercial vehicle range to sit alongside the Sprinter and Vito?
It’s fair to say that the Mercedes X-Class did prove a little controversial over the course of its gestation period, but that was mainly among people who know Mercedes primarily for its passenger car range. Whether you feel a pick-up truck is slightly beneath the three-pointed star or not, the X-Class still looks a logical and potentially lucrative move for the brand into the strongly expanding global one-tonne pick-up market.
Part of the X-Class’ perception problem, if indeed it has one, is the way that it sits between Mercedes’ commercial vehicle and passenger car ranges. This 4-door, 5-seat truck is classed as a commercial vehicle for VAT purposes and also attracts the favourable BIK company car tax rates afforded to double cab pick-ups in the UK. Yet, even in base specification it comes with car-like equipment levels and an upmarket interior that can invite comparisons to Mercedes passenger cars.
It’s the top end of the pick-up segment that Mercedes is targeting, right where the growth – both in the UK and in global markets including Russia, South America, South Africa and Australia – has been over recent years. In this segment, the pick-up is bought very much as a dual-use utility vehicle that can straddle the line between business and pleasure.
As we’ve already intimated, the X-Class does indeed share its underpinnings with the Nissan Navara, and therefore the Renault Alaskan too. It uses the same robust ladder frame chassis and the multi-link rear suspension that’s unusually sophisticated for a pick-up. Mercedes however, is keen to point out that it’s taken various steps to improve the chassis and suspension in a bid to boost handling and refinement over its rivals.
There are two four-cylinder engines on offer – the same ones Nissan and Renault make available in their versions of the truck. The X 220 d gets a 161bhp 2.3-litre turbo diesel unit while the X 250 d bolts on a two-stage turbocharger that ups power to 187bhp. The X 350 d isn’t offered from launch, but will soon come on stream with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel. The V6 brings with it a big hit of extra power, that will be useful on the road as well as marking the X-Class out from its less salubrious sister vehicles.
There’s only one bodystyle, no single or king cab options here, but three trim levels are offered. Pure and Progressive are available with the entry-level X220 d, while you can get the X 250 d in Pure, Progressive or Power guises. All versions get 4Matic selectable all-wheel drive and while the X 220 d trucks have 6-speed manual gearboxes, all the X 250 d models have 7-speed automatic set-ups.
As you can probably imagine, the Mercedes X-Class isn’t a budget option in the pick-up class. It opens at just over £27,000 (+VAT), around £5,500 more than an entry-level double-cab Nissan Navara, but an X 250 d in top-spec Power trim is around £34,000 (+VAT). Even the VW Amarok, probably the X-Class’ most natural rival in the UK, opens at under £26,000 (+VAT).
The basic Pure models get you cloth seats, 17” steel wheels, unpainted bumpers and a matt black grille. There’s also semi-automatic air-conditioning and an infotainment system with DAB, Bluetooth and a 7-inch display screen controlled with a rotary dial. Move up to an X-Class Progressive and you get a smarter-looking truck with body-coloured bumpers and 17” alloy wheels. There’s a neat rail-based cargo securing system in the load bay, an 8-speaker stereo and automatic wipers, too. X-Class Power models get chrome detailing outside with 18” alloys and LED headlamps. The interior is finished in leather with keyless entry and start, climate control and electric front seats also included.
There’s a good level of standard safety kit on the Mercedes X-Class, but if you want satellite navigation you’ll need to specify it as an option – either as a bolt-on Garmin system or as Mercedes’ own COMAND infotainment set-up that also boosts the screen size to 8.4”. On top of this, there’s a big range of option packs offering extra ‘Style’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Parking’ assistance or ‘Winter’ capability for a fee. Metallic paint is also optional.
Overall, the X-Class sets the standard in the pick-up class for driving experience, comfort and interior quality but it’s expensive. If you’re after an affordable working vehicle, this isn’t, it but you’ll be in the minority of the UK pick-up market.
Increasingly, the taxation structure means double-cab trucks are bought by fleet customers and small businesses as tax-efficient company cars or lifestyle vehicles. This does take the edge off the X-Class prices while making its quality, composure and desirability stand out.
The interior design of the X-Class is probably the most adventurous we’ve seen on a pick-up. Elements from the latest Mercedes passenger cars are reproduced including the tablet-like floating display screen at the centre of the dash and the striking aeronautically inspired air vents. You get a lovely looking set of instruments plus column stalks and a steering wheel from the Mercedes parts bin, which really add a touch of class.
When you first climb inside the X-Class it makes great first impressions, especially the Progressive and Power models which up the quality of the materials from those in the entry-level Pure. Look a little closer though and there are lower rent plastics further down and even controls that remind you the Merc has origins in a Nissan. There’s no better pick-up interior, but don’t think the X-Class is the equal of Merc’s passenger SUVs on a quality scorecard.
The 7” infotainment system, which is controlled by a touchpad and rotary dial between the seats, may take a bit of getting used to. It’s less intuitive than the touchscreens in some rivals and the controller takes up room on the centre console meaning you only get one cup holder. There’s a flip-top storage bin between the seats with USB sockets for phone charging, but with the glovebox stuffed with the manual, the only other significant storage is the door pockets.
For a pick-up, the rear bench is spacious. The seat squabs are relatively high so you don’t have to bunch your knees up too much, and there’s room for adults to get in without too much hardship. Headroom is generous for all occupants too.
Performance is about par for the course in the pick-up truck segment and certainly nothing to write home about. Things will improve when the X 350 d models arrive with their V6 diesel engine, but for now you get 161bhp and 403Nm of torque from the entry-level 2.3-litre 4-cylinder diesel unit or 187bhp and 450Nm from the more powerful version of the engine.
All this equates to a 12.9s 0-62mph time and a 105mph top speed, or 11.8s and 109mph in the higher-power option thanks to its twin-stage turbo. That’s not particularly fast and on the road throttle response feels a little sluggish in normal driving. That being said, there’s enough muscle to shift the weighty X-Class around without undue drama and the extra sound-proofing Mercedes has installed means refinement is good.
Mercedes has taken the already impressive chassis it inherited from the Nissan Navara – with its independent multi-link rear axle - strengthened it, widened the track and retuned the suspension. The result is handling that is highly impressive for the pick-up class. The X-Class deals with the transference of its considerable weight well, not rolling too much in corners or pitching over undulations. It feels composed and inspires confidence with its well weighted steering but Mercedes hasn’t managed to expel the fidgety ride over rough road surfaces that afflicts many pick-up trucks. Without a load on board, the X-Class doesn’t crash over bumps or potholes but there's a constant patter through the springs that's amplified as the surface gets worse
It’s reasonably easy to manoeuvre for something its size, especially as all models as standard get a reversing camera (but not parking sensors). Visibility is good and the X-Class has a flatter bonnet design than the Navara, so you can see more out of the front. The seats are firm but comfortable, particularly the 8-way electrically adjustable ones on the Power models and there’s enough adjustment for taller drivers with plenty of shoulder room – so you don’t feel hemmed-in against the door.
Underpinning the X-Class is a selectable 4x4 system with a low range gearbox. The rear-wheel drive, 4x4 and low range 4x4 modes are selected by a rotary switch on the dash. There’s also hill descent control and the optional 360 degree camera that works as well when you’ve avoiding car park bollards as off-road boulders. Mercedes offers an optional locking differential for the rear axle and a 20mm increase in ride height to boost the off-road performance of the X-Class further.
While the standard specifications of the Mercedes X-Class don’t look particularly generous in some respects, they are comprehensive when it comes to safety kit. All models have twin front and thorax airbags plus a driver’s knee airbag and window airbags down the side of the cabin. There’s Active Brake Assist autonomous emergency braking, Hill Start Assist and Land Keeping Assist, too.
All X-Classes have a reversing camera and a traffic sign recognition system, but you’ll need to specify the Parking Package to get the Parktronic parking sensors and the clever 360-degree camera system that gives a bird’s-eye view of the X-Class and it’s surroundings on the screen. Trailer Stability Assist is also on the options list, as an add-on to the standard ESP stability control system.
It’s still early days for the X-Class but not for the Nissan Navara which it shares many components with. We’d expect any serious reliability issues to have been weeded out by now but ultimately time will tell how the X-Class fares.
Security
The X-Class has Mercedes’ anti-theft protection package as standard.
The Nissan Navara is one of the biggest pick-ups you can buy in the UK, but the Mercedes X-Class is bigger still. It’s 2,113mm wide including mirrors and a substantial 5,340mm long. That equates to respective increases of 38mm and 40mm over the Nissan with the expansion in length down to an extended rear overhang. Compare those numbers to the Mitsubishi L200, one of the more compact UK trucks, and the X-Class is 105mm wider and 55mm longer.
While its bulk may present issues when parking or threading your way down country lanes, the X-Class compensates with a big and almost square load area. The load space available is 1,587mm long and 1,569mm wide - or 1,215mm wide between the wheelarches. When combined with the 1,087kg maximum payload in the X 220d models, it makes for a very capable load carrying truck.
The X-Class will tow a 3,500kg braked trailer and Mercedes offers the usual wide range of load bay accessories to tailor the on-board cargo space to your requirements. There’s also an interesting hatch in the rear window of the cab that can be used to poke longer items through. It’s also electrically operated on higher spec models.
If you need more specialist load-carrying abilities, you can add a tough plastic load bed liner, hard tonneau covers of various types or roof-height hard-top canopies for a fully enclosed luggage space like that of an SUV.
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