Benz reveals plan for one-tonne pick-up

The ultra-competitive mid-size pick-up market is set to expand, with Mercedes-Benz announcing it is currently developing a new model to challenge the established players.

While rumours of a pick-up bearing the three-pointed star have been circulating for several years, Mercedes-Benz has now provided official confirmation of the vehicle's existence, and says it will debut before the end of the decade.

The model is already benefiting from extensive local input, with Mercedes-Benz in both Australia and New Zealand playing key roles in the model's development. Mercedes-Benz has given no indication at this stage of the new pick-up's likely engine or driveline.

Mercedes-Benz says it is targeting Latin America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Europe with its new pick-up. Its mention of Latin America ahead of all others could hint at where the model is likely to be produced – the region is a growth market for pick-ups and the manufacturer has a history of building commercial vehicles outside of Germany (Spain for its Vito van, for example).

Curiously, Mercedes-Benz makes no mention of Asia in its list of intended markets, despite Thailand being the world's biggest for one-tonne utes.

The Middle East is another notable omission. Toyota's HiLux has a tight grip on Middle Eastern markets, although here the prestige of the three-pointed star could well sway significant numbers of pick-up buyers.

Details are still scarce, but the manufacturer has confirmed the vehicle will in fact be produced by its vans division and that it will be a "premium offering".

An artist's impression supplied by Mercedes-Benz Vans reveals a tough, muscular ute in a dual-cab format. The design sketch features numerous styling cues to aesthetically tie the model to its passenger-car siblings, such as the grille, headlights, and prominent badging.

"The mid-size pick-up segment is currently undergoing a transformation worldwide," states a media release.

"More and more pick-ups are being used for private purposes, and commercial as well as private users are increasingly asking for vehicles that have car-like specifications. Mercedes-Benz is the first premium manufacturer to respond to this market shift by developing its own pick-up."

In concealing its late entry to such a large global market, Mercedes-Benz has drawn an analogy with the release of its M-Class SUV around 20 years ago – a release that "completely redefined the segment", the company says.

According to Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management, Daimler AG, and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, the segment's promising growth represents an excellent opportunity.

"The Mercedes-Benz pick-up will contribute nicely to our global growth targets," he said in a statement.

"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."

The head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, Volker Mornhinweg, said the model will further broaden the division's horizons.

"As part of our 'Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global' strategy, the pick-up is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model," he said.

According to Diane Tarr, the Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia/Pacific, the model will benefit from extensive local input.

"We are very excited that we will be able to perfectly serve customers looking for a vehicle that offers a high level of utility and at the same time has the comfort, safety, and design of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car," she said.

"We have been working on this project for a number of years and Australia and New Zealand have been an integral part of the program from the very beginning. We will be conducting product testing in Australia over the next couple of years."

Australia's fiercely contested one-tonne pick-up market accounted for over 175,000 new registrations in 2014 (VFACTs data), with 133,566 of those sales attributed to 4WD offerings.

Local Mercedes-Benz PR chief David McCarthy said the project will only further Australia's global standing for automotive engineering excellence.

"We've been part of this from the very beginning and we are genuinely excited," he said.

Mercedes-Benz will have its work cut out for it in penetrating the one-tonne ute market – a category in which several manufacturers are releasing updated models this year.

Revised offerings of Ford's Ranger, Nissan's Navara, Mitsubishi's Triton and Toyota's HiLux will all be released in 2015, while strong sales of Volkswagen's Amarok have amply proven there's a place for a premium German-made one-tonner.

motoring.com.au will bring you more details of Mercedes-Benz's new pick-up as they come to hand.

Picture courtesy Mercedes-Benz Vans