It seems like an awful long time since March 2015 when Mercedes-Benz announced it was to enter the pick-up market but we have finally got up close and personal with the 4×4 truck in the metal.
Although the X-Class is built upon the underpinnings of the Nissan Navara, Mercedes promises it will set a new benchmark at the luxury end of the market.
First impressions are that the brand has succeeded in producing a high quality and capable vehicle that performs very competently both on- and off-road.
It is somewhat ironic that our coverage of the X-Class coincides with the first slackening off in UK pick-up sales after almost a year and a half of relentless growth, with automotive data analyst Cap hpi predicting the first fall in overall new LCV sales in six years as operators adopt more cautious buying strategies during the current economic instability.
The sales figures from September’s plate-change month should make interesting reading.