Mercedes-AMG X-Class Will Never Happen, Says Performance Brand’s Boss

That's due to the Navara underpinnings and the fact that it's already the most expensive pickup in the segment

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by Cristian Gnaticov

September 25, 2018 at 19:30

Ford may be kicking it with the Raptor version of the Ranger, and of course the F-150, but this is not enough to make Mercedes-Benz authorize an AMG version of the X-Class.

Mercedes-AMG’s lack of interest in a high-performance X-Class was confirmed by the Affalterbach-based brand’s head honcho, Tobias Moers, reports CarSales.

At the launch of the GT 4-Door Coupe in Texas last week, Moers simply said that “there will be no X-Class AMG”, not now and not ever, as the “AMG culture would be a difficult fit with Nissan and Renault cultures”.

Also Read: First Drive: Is The New X-Class The True Mercedes Of Pickup Trucks?

First and foremost, the X-Class is already the most expensive pickup truck in the segment. Thus, a high-performance derivative would make it even pricier, and could end up being a failure, so this scenario is enough to scare Merc’s execs.

And second, the X-Class is based on the same platform as the Nissan Navara, so stuffing a big V8 engine under the hood, like the widely-used twin-turbo 4.0-liter unit, would require a lot of work.

Of course, there’s always the possibility to combine the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six gasoline unit with an EQ Boost starter-alternator and call it the Mercedes-AMG X-Class 53, but Moers himself used the word “never” when referring to an AMG version of the vehicle.