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Mercedes Makes Up Its Mind About A US Market X-Class At Geneva

Mar. 12, 2017 2:00 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Trucks / 9 Comments After going back and forth several times, what is the truck's fate? To say that Mercedes-Benz has been indecisive about its upcoming X-Class pickup truck would be an understatement. First, Mercedes announced that the X-Class would not be coming to the US, claiming that mid-size pickup trucks, and a luxury one this case, do not sell well there. We guess Mercedes has never heard of the Toyota Tacoma or fully-loaded GMC Canyons. After hearing that the X-Class would still be sold in Canada, we had a glimmer of hope, and the automaker even hinted that it might change its mind about the US. Mercedes-Benz The X-Class was present at this year's Geneva Motor Show, which made it the perfect opportunity to ask Mercedes about its US market fate. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche told Car and Driver that the X-Class is bound for production, but will not be offered in the US. After we pause for a moment to mend our broken hearts, we wondered why Mercedes had forsaken us. It turns out, Mercedes is sticking to its explanation that mid-size trucks do not make enough market sense in the US. Full-size trucks have larger profit margins. However, we'd like to offer a solution that may work for Mercedes:build a pickup truck that's larger than the X-Class, and call it the XL-Class. The naming does make perfect sense. The US market is kind of a no-man's land for imported pickup trucks thanks to the ridiculous law called the Chicken Tax. This arbitrary law from the 1960s makes it almost impossible to sell a truck in the US that isn't built in the US. The X-Class would probably cost too much in the US, and Mercedes doesn't think that customers will pay the premium. Hopefully Mercedes will stop getting our hopes up and let our dreams of a US-spec X-Class fade into the darkness. But a full-size XL-Class? Remember, Mercedes does have a manufacturing facility in Alabama. Mercedes-Benz

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2 Photos Tags: #Mercedes-Benz News #2017 Geneva Motor Show #Industry News #Trucks Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top