If you thought Mercedes-Benz is not coming out with any fresh ideas, you would be wrong. The Stuttgart-based carmaker will launch an all-new midsize pickup for markets such as Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and Europe. This will be Merc’s first dive into the murky depths of the unknown. The luxury carmaker has never been at the helms of pickup design and manufacturing. The pickup market is an untapped source for Mercedes-Benz, and this new upcoming product could well prove to be fruitful.
The G-Wagen is the most ‘utilitarian’ vehicle by the carmaker, yet.
Dr. Dieter Zetsche, the Chairman of the Daimler Group said, “We will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains, and value.” According to Dr. Zetsche, the upcoming pickup model will contribute to the overall sales and growth of the company. This distinct task will be handed over to the Mercedes-Benz Vans division. Volker Mornhinweg, who is the Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said that “As part of our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ strategy, the pickup is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model.”
The Mercedes-Benz V-Class is an MPV made by the Vans division.
Whenever the Mercedes-Benz pickup shall come, which it will, as the Germans don’t make false promises, it will have to face competition from the likes of the Toyota Hilux, Volkswagen Amarok etc. But, come on, the Merc pickup would annihilate the other two with its more premium interiors and manic powerplants. That latter might even entail an AMG version, someday. However, all of this is to be seen in years to come. One thing is certain, Mercedes-Benz will come up with a midsize pickup by 2020. Will it make it to India? Perhaps not, but that isn’t the point here. It’s about Mercedes-Benz doing something that they have never done, before. Making a pickup!