Mercedes-Benz X-Class Could be Short-lived, Sources Say
Some pickup fans were disappointed when Mercedes-Benz confirmed that its brand new X-Class would not be sold in North America.
If you are one of them, this will probably make you feel better: According to a report from Automotive News Europe, which cites anonymous sources within the company, the luxurious pickup will soon be dropped from the lineup.
Only 16,700 units were sold last year in Europe, Australia and South Africa, which is far from what Mercedes-Benz had envisioned when it launched the model in 2017. Daimler, which owns the brand, is currently looking for ways to reduce costs at all levels—due in part to emissions regulations and technology development—and the low-selling X-Class is an obvious candidate to get the axe.
Sharing its platform with the Nissan Navaro, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class is neither as rugged as the G-Class nor as refined as the GLS. Even though midsize pickups are increasingly popular around the world, most people have a hard time swallowing the big sticker price and are turning to more affordable competitors instead.
In Germany, the X-Class starts at 37,294 euros, or nearly $55,000.
For that kind of money, customers in Canada and the U.S. can get a much more capable full-size truck with a pretty decent amount of amenities and luxury touches.
Even pickups from American luxury brands were short-lived experiments. Remember the Lincoln Mark LT and Cadillac Escalade EXT? It seems like people here prefer to spend their money on high-end versions of the Ford, Ram and Chevy trucks they’ve known and loved for many years than something new and fancy that might not be as dependable and competent.