Mercedes X-Class concept "pretty much" production-ready

If you thought the Mercedes-Benz X-Class concept utes looked a bit too "conceptual" to sit in showrooms come 2018, you'd be wrong.

Even the wild LED brake lights that surround the entire tailgate of the silver X-Class concept are feasible.

At least that's the word from Gorden Wagener, Mercedes-Benz head of design.

Apart from the oversized 22-inch wheels the concepts are "pretty much" production-ready, according to Wagener.

That means the swoopy, angular headlights will remain, the bold front grille, the pumped wheel arches and most definitely the luxury interiors will see the light of day, too.

"The overall design, proportions, this is pretty much production," Wagener verified. "We put on bigger tyres and stuff and little details like the winch and some jewellery for the show car, but pretty much it's what you'll get," he confirmed.

Although there are two distinct concept X-Class utes, one an urban/lifestyle ute and the other a jacked-up off-roader (Wagener dubs them Beauty and the Beast) it's understood the production vehicle that buyers will see in dealerships is inspired by Beauty, the silver one, not Beast.

That said, a range of accessories including flared wheel-arches and underbody protection will allow owners to make their rides look more rugged.

And don't expect entry-level models to be quite as swish as the striking concept utes.
Wagener says of the workhorse models: "you will see more plastic material at the front end in order to make it more sturdy".

One of the major sources of inspiration for the new Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute design came from the USA, the home of the pick-up truck.

Wagener previously lived in the USA and said vehicles like the Ford F-150 pick-up played a big role in inspiring the X-Class concepts' designs.

In an ironic twist, the X-Class pick-up won't be sold in the North American market, despite strong consideration during development for it to be upsized to an even bigger ute to rival the F-150.

"The most beautiful pickups are always the old-school [Ford] F-150 and [Chevrolet] Silverado, the US pick-ups, that's the home ground," said the German designer.

"I like them very much and it's a great source of inspiration.

"Of course it has to be different, it's more upper class, and it also targets more a lifestyle direction [than US pick-up trucks]."

And how about the cabin fitouts? Wagener says customers can expect a level of extravagance similar to what you see in these preview photos.

"The interior is almost complete production," the ‘Benz design boss verified.

Wagener revealed that he was immensely proud of how the interior has been designed and how his team implemented the high levels of luxury.

"You've never seen a pickup with this kind of value and quality inside. We basically treat it like our passenger cars. It's above everything in the competition, aiming to deliver ambience far above everything else out there."

And we just had to know, which concept would Wagener drive, Beauty or the Beast?

"I would take the off-roader, the Beast. I love it, the huge tyres, high off the ground," he laughed.

"I'm a true pick-up fan, as my home was in the US. I love pick-ups, I have horses and stuff, so that actually is a car that I almost designed for myself."