Mercedes enters the pick-up business. The medium-sized model is said to compete against competitors such as VW Amarok, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi L200. This makes it a class smaller than the US bestsellers Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. However, the Stuttgart company does not have its sights set on the North American market either, but primarily targets Latin America, South Africa and Australia, where robust platform trucks are in demand. An introduction to Europe is also planned. The pickup could probably be on the market in 2017 at the earliest.
The manufacturer has not yet given any technical details. The group does not really have a suitable platform in its range: the M-Class would probably not be robust enough, the G-Class too expensive. Cooperation with Renault-Nissan would therefore also be conceivable. The French-Japanese alliance already has a tried and tested pick-up in the Nissan Navara range, and it is already working with Daimler on the small car duo Smart Fortwo / Renault Twingo and on the Mercedes Citan / Renault Kangoo van.
Author: Holger Holzer / SP-X