Production-ready Mercedes-Benz X-Class pick-up unveiled in Germany

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class pick-up was unveiled just yesterday at an event in Stuttgart. It is the first lifestyle pick-up truck from the brand, and according to Mercedes, is a result of the number of pick-ups being used privately and the fact that "they are no longer viewed purely as workhorses." The Mercedes-Benz X-Class will be available in three variants – Pure, Progressive and Power. Pure, which is the base variant, is supposed to be "ideal for rugged, functional use." The Progressive variant on the other hand aimed at people seeking a "rugged pickup with extra styling and comfort" for private use. The top-spec Power variant, is targeted at those who looking to use the car mostly in an urban environment.

At the front, you are reminded a little of the Mercedes-Benz GLS thanks to the shape and position of the headlights and grille. But that's about all the resemblance you'll find to any car in the Mercedes stable. From the side onwards, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class has a comparatively more boxy design, but that's not to say it looks bad. There aren't too many complicated strokes or lines around the car which suits the overall appeal. The rear of the pick-up looks the simplest, and maybe even a little bland, with the vertical taillights, and lack of design elements. The interior meanwhile looks modern, with interesting details like the shape of the AC vents.

To help differentiate the three variants from the outside, the Pure's front and rear bumpers won't be painted, while the Progressive gets body-coloured bumpers. The Power variant gets body-coloured bumpers too, but with chrome garnishes. The Mercedes-Benz X-Class will be offered in nine colours and can be optioned with 17, 18 or 19-inch wheels.

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class is measures 5,340mm, 1,920mm and 1,819mm in length, width and height. That makes it 178mm longer, 62mm narrower and 31mm lower than the Mercedes-Benz GLS. It's got a wheelbase of 3,150mm which is 75mm shorter than the GLS's wheelbase. The Mercedes-Benz X-Class will feature a ground clearance of 202mm, but higher suspension, which increases it by 20mm, is an optional extra.

When the car goes on sale, it will be offered with two 4-cylinder diesel options – both run a 2.3-litre unit. The first one, the X 220d, will get single turbocharger and produces 163PS, while the second one, the X 250d, which gets a bi turbo engine, will produce 190PS. Both variants will come with a rear-wheel-drive powertrain or an engageable all-wheel-drive system. Select markets, like Dubai and Morocco, will get just a 165PS X 200 petrol variant with rear-wheel-drive. All variants get a six-speed manual but the X 250d will be offered with a 7-speed automatic too. Mercedes-Benz says that it will launch a 258PS/550Nm V6 diesel engine by mid-2018. It will come with a 7-speed auto box, paddle shifters, full-time four-wheel-drive and five drive modes -- Comfort, Eco, Sport, Manual and Offroad.

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class will go on sale in Germany by November 2017 at a starting price of €37,294 (approximately Rs 27.60 lakh). However, it is highly unlikely that we'll see this in India any time soon.