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The Mercedes-Benz premium X-Class bakkie just landed in South Africa. Can it sway us from the much-beloved Toyota Hilux?
Talk around the braai this year could no doubt revolve around the all-new Mercedes-Benz X-Class. Mercedes specializes in producing quality, luxury vehicles and their new offering is no different. The X-Class may very well be the world’s first premium bakkie – and it’s just landed in South Africa.
Nobody ever really expected the German giant to get in on the best-selling bakkie market, but now may be the opportune moment to do so.
Let’s take a look.
Mercedes Delivers The First Premium Bakkie
Mercedes had a record year last year, selling more vehicles than ever before. The bakkie – or pickup – is the top selling vehicle in the world, so it only seems logical that Merc would eventually want to get in on the action. With style. Over in the US, Ford F-150 sales absolutely dominate the market, outselling pretty much everything else to emerge. Here in SA we’ve seen a similar trend with the Toyota Hilux over the last couple of years. But, will such an expensive bakkie, such as the X-Class, sell here in South Africa? For the price of the Mercedes you could probably pick up a Hilux and a little entry-level hatchback as a second car. Both brand new. Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa, Nadia Trimmel, said:"There has never been a more perfect time for Mercedes-Benz Vans to enter the bakkie segment in South Africa. But in true Mercedes-Benz fashion, we are opening this segment to a new customer group who want a robust bakkie with refined sophistication and unparalleled driving comfort."SUVs seem to be grabbing all the hot car awards lately, but the bakkie business remains ludicrously profitable. Modern bakkies have begun to introduce levels of comfort and tech features previously only seen in high-end family vehicles. And indeed – double cabs could very well be perceived as such these days. How could Merc resist? But, how does the X-Class measure up to the tough and rugged competition in South Africa? How much can this bakkie even haul – that’s all we really want to know. Will the X-Class manage to change the SA bakkie landscape forever, or will it only serve to reinforce our Hilux loyalty?
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X-Class Price Range
The X-Class launched locally in George earlier this week, almost two years after Mercedes announced it in Geneva. And to the surprise of many nay-sayers, the price is exorbitant, but not as expensive as we thought it would be. According to Wheels24, we’re looking at the following prices for a brand new X-Class which has been launched with two design lines, the Progressive and the Power: The entry level X220d 4X2 Progressive manual kicks the pricing off at R642 103. The automatic X250d 4X2 Progressive comes in at R694 025. From here on in, all models are 4X4. We then have the manual transmission X250d at R696 785. Then the X-Class 250d Progressive automatic at R723 810. The manual X250d Power costs R791 315 and then finally, the X-Class X250d Power automatic tops off the list at R818 340. The Progressive line has been aimed at consumers seeking a rugged bakkie, but also looking for comfort and style. Power, on the other hand, is aimed more toward those who value comfort, style and performance above all. It’s the higher-end option, as seen from the pricing. Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the top-of-the-range V6 X-Class will arrive in SA later in 2018 – and it could very well be the first local R1 million bakkie. So, they’ve given bakkie-enthusiasts quite a lot to work with here. Whether it will serve as a vehicle of status for the city-dwellers or for bundu-bashing in style out on the farm all depends. Perhaps, even, a bit of both. The X-Class comes standard with the Mercedes PremiumDrive – cover for 100 000km / six years. Whichever occurs first. Customers also have the option of extending the maintenance plan up to 180 000km / 8 years.
X-Class Stats
The new bakkie runs a 2.3l four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, based on the Nissan Navara engine, with one of two power outputs. The X220d engine generates 120kW and the X250d hits 140kW. The X220d comes in rear-wheel drive, while the X250d is offered in rear-wheel or with low-range all-wheel drive. Manual transmissions offer six speeds, while a seven-speed automatic is offered for the bigger 140kW X250d and X250d 4Matic models. In testing, the X-Class has shown excellent off-road capabilities.- Wading depth 600mm;
- Ground clearance 221mm;
- Approach angle 30.1°;
- Departure angle 25.9°;
- Maximum tilt 49°;
- Breakover angle 22°;
- Gradeability 100%;
Entertainment
The Command Online multimedia system in the X-Class is state of the art. It offers intelligent navigation with high-quality 3D mapping and takes live traffic info into account to employ route guidance. It also offers concert-hall acoustics, DVD player, internet browser, etc. The multimedia system can also be operated via voice control, which is another handy safety feature.