Mercedes X-Class may be dead in name, but its spirit lives on in the numerous copies that Mercedes sold throughout its production run that spanned from November 2017 to May 2020.
This model has its name written in the automotive history books as a great fail, as the three-pointed star brand wanted a premium pickup, and instead of developing one from scratch or perhaps turning the G-Wagen into a veritable workhorse, they turned to Nissan, which granted them access to the platform of the Navara.
Thus, the X-Class was born as a mid-size model that wanted to take the pickup segment by the horns in Europe. And you know what? Soon the workhorse crowd figured out that they could buy a Nissan Navara for far less money and enjoy the same truck experience without the hassle of the issues that struck the X-Class. And everyone knows that it was the poor build quality and all kinds of problems that eventually sealed its fate two and a half years after production started at the Barcelona factory in Spain.
The X-Class was a lesson learned the hard way by Mercedes, as they probably won’t dip their fingers into the pickup segment ever again, not with the same recipe, anyway. But the moniker has been digitally resurrected a few times over the last three years, and the latest attempt at reimagining it came from kdesignag on Instagram. The pixel manipulator, who has given us multiple interesting projects over the years, decided to use the new Ram Rampage as a starting point this time around, giving it new front and rear ends and a few other bits and bobs.
Compared to Stellantis’ new pickup destined for South America, the rendered Mercedes-Benz X-Class features an entirely new face defined by a narrower yet much taller grille bedecked by the three-pointed star corporate logo. The headlamps kind of look similar to those of the real X-Class, and the bumper is new and sends more premium vibes. The hood was also replaced, and further back, it retains the body panels of the 2024 Rampage. Decorated by the Mercedes logo, the tailgate is flanked by a pair of new taillamps, and the digital model gets a new bumper. The rendering artist finished the project with new wheels, a white paint finish, and a chrome delete package.
We don’t have to tell you that Mercedes has absolutely no interest in re-bodying the new Ram Rampage and calling it the second-gen X-Class, do we? As we already mentioned, the original X-Class was a failure, and they won’t risk that much money ever again. In fact, we think that if they want another pickup in their portfolio, they might build one from the ground up, giving it all-electric power to take on similar models from other brands. But that’s our two cents. So, what’s your take on this Rampage-based new-gen X-Class that lives in fantasy land?
2024 Mercedes X-Class Pickup Reimagined By K Design AG
02/08/2023
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Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-AMG
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