South Africa loves its bakkies, and there’s certainly no shortage of options to choose from with models like the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Isuzu D-Max all making a compelling case as to why they should be your next 4×4.
Unfortunately, there is one bakkie that disappeared from the market that had a lot of interesting things going for it, this being the Mercedes-Benz X-Class.
The high-end German automaker is most famous for its luxury sedans like the C-Class, so it may come as a surprise to some that Mercedes even had a bakkie to begin with.
However, the brand does have a substantial presence in the commercial-vehicle sector with the likes of its V-Class vans and even its heavy-duty trucks, so a Mercedes high-rider certainly made for an interesting proposition, especially in a bakkie-loving country like South Africa where sedans have been losing their appeal for the past few years.
High-end off-roader
The Mercedes was available with a selection of four different engines, a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol, 2.3-litre turbo-diesel, 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel, and a range-topping 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel.
The availability of a V6 engine is particularly noteworthy, as the same class of engine was only recently added to the popular Ford Ranger with its top-spec Wildtrak model, and the V6 engine has also proven to be the most popular choice of powertrain among Amarok enthusiasts for years.
Mercedes’ V6 produced 192kW and 550Nm, in comparison to the Ranger’s 184kW and 600Nm and the Amarok’s 190kW and 580Nm, meaning that the X-Class was right up there in terms of performance in the bakkie segment, especially for its time considering that the car made its debut in 2018.
Arguably the most interesting thing about the X-Class, though, was that it was not a lone effort on the Mercedes’ part, as the Stuttgart-based automaker entered into a partnership with Nissan and Renault to develop the X-Class.
This meant that the X-Class ended up sharing the same architecture as the Nissan Navara, which on paper sounded like the perfect match as the Navara is itself a highly-capable vehicle.
The appeal of the Mercedes then was that it had the dependable underpinnings of a Japanese-made off-roader, but held the styling and interior of a German saloon car.
This is what made the X-Class such an intriguing option, especially in the South African market where you can find fans of fast sedans and practical bakkies in almost equal measure.
Of course, luxury 4x4s do exist, but the vast majority of these assume the form of an SUV, such as the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 or your typical Range Rover, whereas bakkies, by their nature, take on a more utilitarian role which is reflected in their general appearances and interiors.
This is something that has been changing, however, as automakers have been increasingly catering to the higher end of the market in response to the popularity of their range-topping models.
Arguably the most notable example of this has been with the new Ford Ranger and its SUV cousin the Everest, as both vehicles saw a significant jump in quality along with a corresponding price bump – the new Wildtrak now costing roughly the same as the old halo-model Raptor.
It suggests that the X-Class was ahead of its time in attempting to cater to the luxury 4×4 crowd, as it was the first bakkie in South Africa to breach the R1-million mark.
This may have also been the Mercedes’ downfall, as this sticker price put it in the same ballpark as something like Toyota Hilux Legend or the highly-acclaimed Ford Ranger Raptor with its special rally-inspired enhancements – a scenario where most buyers were more likely to stick with tried-and-trusted brands within the hyper-competitive 4×4 market.
It’s an unfortunate situation, as it’s always intriguing to see the addition of new models in South Africa’s most beloved segment, and, for its time, the X-Class was certainly bringing something a bit different to the table.
There may still be a few used models of the “luxury” bakkie floating around for those that saw its potential, but no accurate comparison on the new market quite exists.
Mercedes-Benz X-Class
Keyword: Mercedes-Benz X-Class – The bakkie we wanted more of