Remember Mercedes’ X-Class pickup? Probably not, since it was only sold abroad from 2017 to 2020 before being dropped. But why didn’t this fancy German truck migrate to the massive US pickup market?
American folks’ love affair with their pickup trucks is strong, and premium brands like Mercedes do well in the country. So, why didn’t the Mercedes truck see the light of day in the US?
Not Up to the American Standard
Turns out several factors sealed the X-Class’ fate, and among them is that it was pretty puny by American standards. The midsize X-Class looked like a Tonka toy next to Detroit’s beefy full-size offerings. Americans like them big and bold!
Sure, smaller trucks like the Frontier and Ranger sell here, but Americans overwhelmingly prefer big rigs for serious towing. A posh poser parked next to an F-150? No contest.
Price Tag
There was also the price tag. As a rebadged Nissan Navara, the X-Class would’ve cost way more than rival midsize trucks.
And its luxury leanings did it zero favors competing with highly equipped Chevy Colorados and Toyota Tacomas. Americans expect bargains with their pickups.
Non-US Brand
Finally, non-US brands historically flop selling pickups stateside. It’s nigh impossible to crack the F-150 and Silverado’s good ole boy domain as an outsider. Mercedes probably knew that and likely wanted to dodge that losing battle altogether.
So despite colorful ads of the X-Class bombing down Outback dust trails, it never stood a chance up against expectations of the almighty American pickup. The X-Class remains a little-known footnote abroad rather than a conquest on American soil. Probably for the best – can you imagine a Mercedes pickup at a Texas tailgate? The Lone Star faithful sure got a kick out of that mental image.
