Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute axed

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class experiment is officially over.

The German car-maker has confirmed its commercial arrangement with Nissan to produce a dual-cab ute based on the Navara will formally end in May, when production of the X-Class ceases.

In Australia, Mercedes-Benz will sell current stock of the X-Class until it has been depleted, which a spokesman for the importer said would "serve existing demand".

The axing is being blamed on lack of demand for the X-Class, which has struggled to gain a real foothold in the competitive dual-cab ute segment since its introduction three years ago. In October, Benz confirmed the X-Class' future was "under review".

"With the X-Class launch in 2017, Mercedes-Benz entered into a new segment and presented a mid-size pick-up. We drew in a lot of attention with this vehicle," the car-maker said in a statement.

"Now it has been decided that from the end of May, 2020, we will no longer produce this relatively young model.

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"In our global product portfolio, the X-Class is a niche product which plays a great role in a few markets, including Australia and South Africa," read the press statement.

To give Mercedes' decision perspective, the X-Class garnered 15,300 sales globally last year. Combined, the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton find more homes in in Australia alone every two months.

Domestically, Mercedes-Benz Australia sold 2186 X-Class utes in 2019, which itself was a 40 per cent increase on the previous year due to the introduction of the V6-powered X 350d model. Its Nissan Navara twin attracted 13,412 sales during the same period.

"The X-Class has definitely heightened the attention on our van business in Australia. It gave us the opportunity to talk to a different type of customer, expanding our reach beyond a commercial and private van audience," a spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia said.

"Our focus is on continuing to service the current demand for the X-Class with the remaining stock we have. What’s more, service and warranty coverage will continue to be assured by Mercedes-Benz Vans.

"People can still walk into a dealership and order a new X-Class. Production ends at the end of May but we won’t be ordering any more from the factory."

The X-Class' future has been under a cloud for months. In September, Mercedes-Benz  failed to address rumours at the Frankfurt motor show that its X-Class pick-up would be dropped without a replacement in sight.

Plans for the X-Class to be built in Argentina were abandoned recently after it was determined that earlier price expectations for Latin American customers were "not economically viable".