One of the more interesting partnerships in the automotive world was between the likes of Nissan-Renault and Mercedes-Benz. Initially, we couldn't figure out why it would benefit either party.
Fast forward today and it makes a whole lot of sense.
That's because Infiniti benefits from the likes of the GLA-Class with its QX30 compact sport-utility vehicle. And now Mercedes-Benz can leverage the Nissan Navara to bring to fruit the X-Class pick-up truck. Oh and then there's other part sharing.
But, how good is Mercedes' first effort to build a proper pick-up truck? Considering Daimler has a proper truck division we would hope the company used some of its talent from its relatives.
This is Autocar's takeaway after spending some time with an X-Class. Keep in mind they're comparing it against the likes of a VW Amarok and the Ford Ranger. Something tells me they're not overly familiar with the likes of proper pick ups like the Ford F-150.
Should I buy one?
The X-Class is the closet pickup yet to blend working abilities with car-like comfort. More could undoubtedly have been done to push its premium aspirations, but Mercedes has styled and honed it sufficiently to differentiate it from the Navara.
Although priced from £27,310 (excluding VAT, as it’s a commercial vehicle) for an X-Class Pure, the more representative price for the well-specced Power trim is £34,100 (nearly £41,000 including VAT), which makes it £3,600 more than a similar Volkswagen Amarok and £6,500 more than a Navara.
Of course, the X250d is only the beginning of the story; the main event will be the X350d V6. Only then will the X-Class truly come into its own.