The new Mercedes-Benz X-Class has made its global debut in the Mother City, Cape Town.
Never has an unveiling of a bakkie in South Africa been this hyped-up.
The X-Class is a big deal for Mercedes-Benz, especially in South Africa where the bakkie is king.
Mercedes has dubbed the X-Class, a premium bakkie.
According to Wheel24's Alexander Parker, Daimler was keen to share the growth of the mid-sized pick-up (bakkie) market, which they estimate will grow to 43% over the next decade.
To help deliver this, Daimler have turned to their technical partner of almost eight years now, Nissan.
Now, let’s be clear about this. On every internet forum and no doubt blazoned across Facebook and Twitter the pub experts will tell you that the X-Class is a "Navara in a posh frock", or something similar.
Mercedes-Benz expected this, even bringing a rolling chassis all the way to Franschhoek to make their point.
The ladder frame is indeed from Nissan. With respect the folks at Benz, the chances of them building a better one off the bat was pretty limited anyway, and they probably knew it.
Now, saying that this makes the X-Class “a posh Nissan” is just silly. It’s like saying "I’m the equal of Wayde Van Niekerk because I also have a skeleton".
It’s absurd. Be that as it may, Mercedes have gone to great lengths to tell us that anything related to the ride, the steering, the suspension and the brakes was all pure Mercedes.
The stuff, in fact, that’s the difference between Alex Parker and Wayde Van Niekerk.
The truck is available in three trim lines; pure, progressive and power, with the former verging on being a workhorse vehicle, and the Power line enjoying a ton of bling and some lovely 19" alloys.
It is, in the posher two trim lines, a really good looking truck – big and assertive and tough.
It doesn’t do anything too radical but it sure as hell looks like a Mercedes - and that’s a good thing.
Mercedes reckon they’ve got a truck for your lifestyle.
Inside they’ve also gone to great lengths to lift the X-Class to a level beyond anything we’ve seen in a Bakkie.
If it’s fair to say that the best bakkie interior you can buy today is in the Amarok, then this is mission accomplished for Mercedes-Benz’s designers.
In the smarter models the use of leather and chrome combine to make this really feel quite special. We had a very brief time inside the vehicle but first impressions suggest a level of quality and spec you wouldn’t be unhappy about in a GLC.
http://www.wheels24.co.za/OffRoad_and_4x4/Bakkie_and_SUV/2017-mercedes-benz-x-class-bakkie-in-sa-interior-pricing-20170720
