2020 Mercedes X-Class Review, The Most Luxury & Advanced Pickup Truck

The X-Class is Mercedes’ attempt to enter the lifestyle pickup segment. The 2020 Mercedes X-Class has to compete against the likes of Nissan Navara, VW Amarok, and Toyota Hilux, who have been on the market for years. Fortunately for the German automaker, it doesn’t have to build the pickup from scratch, as it uses many of the rivals’ parts, especially Nissan, to create the X-Class.

Now the question is, what kind of a lifestyle pickup truck the 2020 Mercedes X-Class is? Just read on. Below, we will tell you the design, interior, engine, driving, and price of Mercedes’ first lifestyle pickup segment.

Table of Contents

2020 Mercedes X-Class Design

Let’s start with the design. The design is what you would expect from a Mercedes vehicle. It is sleek, rugged, and very stylish, especially the silver ones. It has many sharp, defined lines. The front end looks quite distinguishing especially with Mercedes’ insignia in the middle. The rear end is more practical than stylish, as it has strip-like taillights on both sides, a Mercedes’ insignia in the middle, and less-distracting, minimalist design.

2020 Mercedes X-Class Interior

Moving on the inside, it is much less stylish and more practical than the outside. It has many Mercedes design cues such as column stalks and clicks wheel. You can just recognize that it is a Mercedes vehicle from the get-go.

The build quality is a mixed bag. Its switchgear is decent. However, the plastic moldings feel cheap and slabby, the flat seating is not supportive, and it just feels and looks a downgrade compared to Mercedes’ passenger cars.

Engine Specs

There is only one engine option for the 2020 Mercedes X-Class: a 2.3-liter turbocharged diesel engine. This engine, however, has two different outputs. The first output is 161 horsepower, which is the standard. And the second output is 187 horsepower, which is available on the higher model or trim levels.

The engine is paired with either a six-speed manual transmission gearbox or a seven-speed automatic one. For a pickup truck, the outputs that the engine delivers are decent at best.

Driving

When it comes to driving, the X-Class has different dampers and springs, improved stability, as well as enhanced sound insulation, which are better than the Nissan Navara, the model that the X-Class is based on.  The X-Class also has coil springs at its rear, which improves the ride comfort.

However, due to its solid rear axle and the fact that it is based on a ladder frame, the X-Class can never provide the same comfort as an SUV. Also due to these features, the steering is ponderous, sluggish and heavy to drive, and worse yet, the pickup truck just shudders when it hits a bump.  All in all, both strengths and weaknesses considered, the X-Class is a bit better than many other pickup trucks on the market.

Carrying Capacity

For a pickup truck, the X-Class surely has a large boot, almost 1.6 meters long and just over 1.2 meters wide. You can put just about anything on the boot. The maximum payload is over a ton with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons.

Load lines and roller covers are optional, costing around $3,000.With such carrying capacity and optional features, the X-Class makes a good pickup truck for those who love snowboarding and/or mountain biking. The X-Class is, after all, marketed with such an image.

2020 Mercedes X-Class Price

There are two different models and three different trim levels, each has its own price. For the X220d model, the starting price is around $42,118 and for the X250d, $45,202. The trim levels, from the highest to the lowest, are Power (starting price around $57,087), Progressive (around $54,131), and Pure (around $52,589).

Here are the details for the trim levels:

  • The Pure trim will get you 17-inch steel wheels, fabric trims, and fabric trims.
  • The Progressive trim will get you alloy wheels, aluminum trim pieces, and painted bumpers.
  • The Power trim will get you keyless entry and ignition, LED lights, standard electric seats with leather upholstery and more.

Verdict

The 2020 Mercedes X-Class is a nice option if you like a pickup truck that is comfortable, looks good, and well-equipped. The engine is decent at best and lacks the necessary power at worst. But, as good as it is, it is nothing special. It is neither stands out too much nor revolutionizes Mercedes or its lineup. It is just, well, good. Nothing more and nothing less.