Mercedes is getting into the pickup game, and from the latest reports, it looks like it'll come a lot sooner than expected. According to Auto Express, having spoken with Benz's van chief Volker Mornhinweg, the German automaker is slated to reveal its debut pickup truck – in concept form at least – before the end of this year. That means we might see it at the Paris Motor Show in October.
The project emerges as a result of Daimler's collaboration with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The partnership has already lead to joint manufacturing operations in Mexico and the sharing of powertrain technologies. The pickup program is slated to grow from the NP300 Navara, a truck that Nissan makes for Europe and other markets. The Japanese automaker is expected to lend its expertise garnered from producing models like the Frontier and Titan as well.
Reports speculate that the model could be called the X-Class (following the model of the V-Class van), but we could easily see it labeled the GLX as well, depending on how Mercedes wants to position it. The bigger question on our mind is whether we'll see the Silver Star pickup on American roads.
If Mercedes follows the same formula it has with the Sprinter van, it could ship the pickup to the US partially assembled and complete the process Stateside so as to avoid the dreaded Chicken Tax. If it follows the lead of some of its own crossovers, it could build them from scratch in Alabama. It could alternatively have Nissan build the truck on its behalf in Mexico. Or it could, like the Volkswagen Amarok, stay the heck out of dodge altogether. We'll have to wait to find out, but we have at least some reason to hold out hope.
By: Noah Joseph
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