Mercedes-Benz is reportedly planning to debut its new pickup truck this year.
The vehicle is expected to be presented for the first time at theParis Motor Show in October, according to Auto Express. It appears as if the German automaker is ahead of schedule—Coins2Day reported last year that Mercedes’ new pickup would be launched by 2020.
The car is currently unnamed, but will likely be called the “X-Class.” It will first be sold in Germany and left-hand-drive markets, including the U.K. Where it should reach dealerships by 2017, according to Auto Express, and deliveries are projected to begin by 2018 at the earliest.
Mercedes CEO Volker Mornhingweg told Auto Express that the car manufacturer’s new truck will compete against Volkswagen’s Amarok, another luxury brand pickup which claimed the car publication’s Best Pickup Award in 2013 and 2014.
An official sketch of the X-Class shows that it will have a “wide three-bar grille, swept back headlights and curvy front wings,” according to Auto Express, with slim taillights and a wide tailgate in a style similar to Mercedes SUVs. It will also include familiar technology such as a tablet-like central screen and safety/driver assistance.
This new addition to Mercedes’ fleet could help the automaker grab a piece of the pickup truck market, which currently accounts for about 2.3 million sales each year and, as the Wall Street Journal previously reported, is projected to gradually grow over the next few years.
