Following the international driving event last week, Mercedes-Benz has now released the full UK pricing for its new X-Class pickup truck.
And, guess what? It isn’t cheap – with an entry price starting at £27,310 plus VAT.
Fast-forward to the top of the range, and non-business Mercedes X-Class buyers will need to fork out over £40,000 to get the best version available at launch.
Read the full Mercedes X-Class review
What do you get for your money?
The X-Class is based on the Nissan Navara – which has an equivalent starting price of £21,820 – but the Mercedes has been so extensively modified that you’d be very hard-pressed to tell from behind the wheel.
With not only an almost completely bespoke interior but also a significantly more premium driving experience, the X-Class really does feel a cut above the rest of the pickup truck class – with the possible exception of the VW Amarok V6 TDI.
Initially the X-Class will only be offered with four-cylinder engines – the same 163hp and 190hp 2.3-litre turbodiesels as the Navara, albeit with Mercedes’ own calibration – so you’ll have to wait a bit longer (and pay even more) to get the X-Class V6, which is due in mid-2018.
There are three trim level choices at this stage: Pure, Progressive and Power – though there are rumours of an AMG version to come later. All models are four-wheel drive.
Mercedes X-Class pricing
That entry-level £27,310 figure – which is £32,772 including VAT – gets you an X 220 d in Pure specification. This means 163hp, unpainted bumpers and no carpets in the cab; just 2% of UK buyers are expected to choose this version.
The same X 220 d engine in the middle-ranking Progressive trim costs £1,200 more – so £28,510 ex VAT / £34,212 inc VAT.
If you want a Progressive with the more powerful 190hp X 250 d engine that’s another £2k – £30,510 ex VAT / £36,612 inc VAT – but that increase does also include an upgrade from the long-winded six-speed manual gearbox to the much nicer seven-speed automatic transmission.
The range-topping Power trim line (pictured) is only available as an X 250 d complete with auto ’box, and this costs £34,100 ex VAT or £40,920 with the tax. This is the predicted best-seller.
Expensive, yes. But you do get quite a bit of kit for your money – as detailed in the full Parkers Vans X-Class review – not to mention the prestige of the Mercedes badge and that vastly improved driving experience.
Why consider a Mercedes X-Class?
In pickup truck terms it really does give you excellent refinement, neat handling and a good level of comfort – while still offering a 1.0-tonne payload and 3.5-tonne towing capacity.
Realistically, it isn’t quite as comfortable as a regular car or an SUV – this may yet change when the V6 arrives next year – but it does come with potential tax advantages.
All light commercial vehicles (LCVs) are taxed at a fixed rate, both in terms of VED car tax and company car benefit-in-kind (BiK), which means many will find an X-Class far cheaper to run than a conventional motor.
Private-use fuel tax is also fixed-rate for LCVs. Though be warned this pickup’s official fuel economy is only in the mid-30s mpg, so you may find yourself refuelling rather more often.
The X-Class is heavy enough to be limited to van speed limits, too – meaning 50mph on country roads, 60mph on dual carriageways and 70mph on motorways only.
Also read:
Mercedes X-Class full review on Parkers Vans
Van and pickup tax – everything you need to know
Does a pickup make sense as a company car?
Van and pickup speed limits explained
