Mercedes to add a new luxury pick-up truck with off-road capabilities to is line-up in 2017

Mercedes is all set to enter yet another new segment, the one tonne pick-up market. Mercedes vans CEO Volker Mornhinweg recently said that Mercedes will launch a pick-up by the end of 2017 to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Amarok.

The design is similar to the Mercs range of SUVs like the recently revealed GLE and GLE Coupe, and features a double-cab arrangement on a ladder chassis with a single cab under consideration. Under the hood, the newcomer will use four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines paired with manual and automatic transmissions. A petrol-hybrid variant is likely to arrive later.

Mercedes is known for its plush interior and to make it feel like any other passenger car in its range so it is expected a familiar design and focus on technology will be seen like in the Mercedes V-Class MPV.

Luxury features like a floating tablet-like central screen and the latest active safety and driver assistance are expected, but to make sure the pick-up has off-road capabilities too, it will also use tough plastics.

The unnamed newcomer pick-up will sit alongside the existing Mercedes-Benz light commercial vehicle range of Sprinter, Vito and Citan vans. It’s believed Mercedes will offer two versions of the pick-up for different markets: Commercial and a posh high-spec model for passenger car duties featuring big car equipment like leather and wood trim.

All of the Mercedes styling studios in USA, Asian and Germany submitted sketches, but the final design was from Sindelfingen studio. The new Mercedes pick up is expected to be in the showrooms by the end of 2017.