Mercedes-Benz X-Class will be customisable

Mercedes-Benz is banking on individualisation and customisation to give its new X-Class ute a leg up when it launches locally in 2018, readying a range of genuine parts and accessories ranging from cosmetic to functional.

Dubbed the world's first luxury ute – or pick-up as the Germans refer to it – Mercedes will offer customers the usual add-ons such as tonneau tray covers, body protection and even a canopy, as you can see from the graphic it presented at the vehicle's reveal in Sweden this week.

Dominik Amman, a project engineer on the new X-Class ute, explained.

"We will offer many possibilities for individualisation with lines, packages and a full range of options to give the customer the possibility to create the vehicle they want."

The engineer also noted that Mercedes-Benz has established "a dedicated project that develops a comprehensive portfolio of customisation parts, for instance, bed liners, bed covers, styling elements and protection elements," which is a first for the German company.

"And of course these customisation parts are not just off the shelf products. They are designed, engineered and tested by Mercedes Benz so of course are of the highest quality. And they perfectly fit to the distinguishing design of our vehicle," said Amman.

Today's ute buyers are spending more money not only on their vehicles, but on accessories too. Popular top-shelf models in the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok lines command $63,000-plus prices, and many buyers add another $15,000 worth of options.

Mercedes-Benz Van Australia managing director Diane Tarr previously stated that X-Class pricing will target the dominant players, Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, but conceded prices won't be finalised until later in 2017.

"We haven't set out to position ourselves as the most expensive, and it'll come down to our specifications and options that we offer," said Tarr.

"When you look at the [rival] vehicles and you look at all the customisation that happens it's quite extraordinary, with people buying a $70,000 ute and spending another $20,000 on accessories, it's crazy. So we're conscious to be as competitive as we can as a premium offering," she added.

Competitive at the entry-level is one thing but with a beefy 190kW V6 diesel and a schmick interior in the flagship X-Class, it's almost certain – with accessories – to eclipse $100,000.

Not unlike the two X-Class concept vehicles unveiled last week -- affectionately dubbed beauty (urban) and the beast (offroad) by Mercedes' chief of design Gorden Wagener -- the German car-maker could even offer two distinct body styles, one lifestyle ute and one rugged off-roader.

The head of Mercedes-Benz Vans and the man charged with ensuring the X-Class is a success, Volker Mornhinweg, told motoring.com.au the silver concept ute will inform the design of the production model but that off-road accessories will be available.

"Our clear target is that we are going and heading for the modern lifestyle pick-up, a product in the urban area.

"But if a person in Australia wants to go in the Outback you can use it -- the car can do everything -- and for sure therefore we will then offer some special off-road cladding and these sorts of things."

Therefore we could even see an "off-road" package with reworked front bumpers offered better approach angles for more serious off-road work.

"If we see there is somewhere, take Australia, where customers want to go rough and tough more than normal people would, then we can think about or do this. We have a lot of opportunities," enthused Mornhinweg.

With a model range potentially spanning everything from a hard-core Simpson Desert dueller to a road-frying AMG version, Mercedes-Benz looks likely to have an X-Class ute fit for all purposes.