Mercedes-Benz X 350d 2019 Tow Test Review

Our first tow test of the entry-level, four-cylinder Mercedes-Benz X-Class left us a bit cold, primarily because its performance and towing ability didn’t seem a lot different to the much cheaper Nissan Navara on which the new ‘Benz ute is largely based.

However, there was cause for optimism with the arrival of a new X-Class range-topper in late-2018, headlined by a more powerful 190kW/550Nm single-turbo diesel V6 from the Mercedes-Benz engine stable (in lieu of the Navara’s wheezier 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel).

More grunt, better towing, right?

For this tow test we grabbed a Mercedes-Benz X 350d 4MATIC POWER – a real mouthful, but so is the starting price of $79,415 (plus on-road costs) for the now top-shelf X-class.

For that you get the grunty V6 engine matched to a seven-speed auto, permanent four-wheel drive with low-range gearing and other handy off-road tackle like a rear diff lock.

The top-spec Power grade adds such niceties as a 360-degree camera and aluminium dash trim, while another $10,000 or so worth of options on our test vehicle, including a powered sliding window in the rear windscreen, side steps, roof rails, black leather upholstery, a plastic tub liner, chrome sports bar, silver metallic paint, fancier 19in alloys and a full tow kit, took it to an ‘as tested’ price of $88,718, plus on-roads.

That’s big money for a medium dual cab ‘one tonne’ ute, and makes Ford’s otherwise impressive, but much cheaper Ford Ranger Wildtrak priced around $60grand, a relative bargain.

However, you do get a lot more than a fat three-pointed star on the shiny front grille and nicer trim for your $30-odd grand. The ‘Benz really takes the dual-cab ute segment to a new level in cabin comfort, technology and refinement, from the superb leather-wrapped, multi-adjustable powered seats to the top-notch trip computer and infotainment system. The cabin is also well sealed from outside noise, to make the most of the sweet eight-speaker sound system.

All up, It feels more like a modern SUV to drive around town than a commercial ute, with Mercedes doing a better job than most of hiding the utilitarian, ladder frame workhorse platform.

The V6 Merc’s safety kit is also un-ute like, extending to seven airbags, four wheel disc brakes, autonomous emergency braking, active lane keeping assist, trailer sway control and tyre pressure monitoring.

Pity then, about the cramped, if nicely upholstered, upright bench seating and solitary 12V socket for rear passengers. The big Benz is also missing a few basic items you’d expect in a premium priced vehicle, like auto-folding side mirrors and reach adjustable steering wheel.

On the plus side, the rear tub with Navara-style adjustable load securing rails gets a 12V socket, although you’ll only want to run a portable fridge when driving, for fear of draining the vehicle battery.

Like the four-cylinder version, the V6 X-Class boasts a 3500kg maximum tow rating, and 350kg towball download limit. Gross Combination Mass (GCM) is a dcent 6180kg, Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is 3250kg and the listed kerb weight is 2190kg, delivering a payload up to 1060kg.

However, with all the accessories fitted to our test vehicle you could probably slice as much as 150kg off that payload figure, along with up to 350kg if towing the heaviest trailer possible.

That said, the extra weight of the X-Class wouldn’t hurt towing stability, providing a heavier counter-weight to potential trailer sway.

We hitched up a 20ft 6in Salute caravan weighing 2670kg and with a ball weight of 202kg, which resulted in the rear dropping 30mm and the front rising 10mm.

Given you want the rig to ride as level as possible when towing, this amount of dip in the rear suspension at just 60 per cent of maximum tow ball mass is concerning. It’s an issue we’ve encountered before with the Navara’s similar coil sprung rear suspension, and would require a solution like fitting a weight distribution hitch.

Towing out on the road, the six-cylinder X-Class pulls as strongly as any of its rivals (except perhaps the V6 Volkswagen Amarok) and easily keeps up with traffic. It had no problem holding speed or even accelerating up hills; on one particularly steep gradient where other tow vehicles have struggled, the Benz kept going above 60km/h with the foot right down, holding on to fourth or fifth gear up to 2500rpm.

And it remained quiet and refined while doing it, with barely a rumble at higher revs.

The X-Class was also happy to slot into seventh (top) gear on the highway, sitting on 1600rpm, although much of the time it hovered closer to 2000rpm in fifth or sixth.

Although less of an issue when towing, it still gets caught flat-footed thanks to some turbo lag when accelerating hard from the lights with a caravan behind – a lighter touch on the throttle will prevent this.

Stability was reasonably good up until around 90km/h, when the nose-up stance manifested in a floaty front end and lighter steering, plus a touch of rear sway around 100km/h.

Ride quality, both with a trailer and without, was also below average on the tarmac; an often crashy and fidgety ride on suburban roads when unladen, replaced by some noticeable yawing and pitching when towing on rural back roads and country highways.

We can’t give you an overall fuel economy figure when towing, as during the first half of our test (mainly stop-start, undulating roads), the reading on the trip computer refused to go beyond 20L/100km.

However, after resetting it for a less strenuous stint on the highway, it dropped to 16.8 L/100km – still on the high side for a dual cab ute with this weight caravan.

The V6 X-Class was also on the thirsty side driving ‘solo’, hovering around 12.0L/100km around town and recording a low of 7.5L/100km on the freeway.

Otherwise, the factory tow brake controller worked well, in tandem with the Mercedes’ very effective four-disc brakes. However, engine braking when towing down hills wasn’t the best – you also have to keep an eye on things if using the steering wheel paddles to manually change gears, as the transmission doesn’t automatically change up at the 4300rpm redline.

Another quirk we noticed when towing was after strapping some towing mirror extensions to the side mirrors – one of the straps blocked a camera, causing a black shadow down one side of the surround-view camera display!

If you’re looking for an upmarket sporty ute with plenty of grunt, high levels of safety and a luxurious SUV-like cabin, the X-Class is on the money.

However, if you need something that’s comfortable over all types of terrain and happy hauling big loads including heavy trailers, there are better options.

If it was our money and we were after a good dual-cab ute for heavy-duty towing, we’d pocket the change and go for a Ranger…

How much does the 2019 Mercedes-Benz X 350d Power cost?
Price: $79,415 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 190kW/550Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 230g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)