Mercedes X-Class goes glamping

We doubt anybody that can afford the new Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute will be keen on turning it into a camper van but, just in case, here are a couple of options to consider.

Revealed here ahead of their debut at the Caravan, Motor and Touristik (CMT) show in Germany – the world’s largest public tourism and leisure exhibition — are the first camper concepts for Mercedes’ new pick-up, which goes on sale in Australia in April.

The first is a demountable cabin from German bodybuilder Tischer, which says that despite its compact size – necessitated by its fitment to the dual-cab X-Class body – it offers “a comfortable sleeping system in an alcove 150cm wide”.

As well, there’s headroom of almost two metres, a kitchen with a three-burner gas stove and three “cosy” seats that “can be converted into a second bed in just a few simple steps”.

Completing the package for intimate overnight stays almost anywhere you please are a large, fold-away wash basin, a swivelling toilet unit and even a shower in the integrated bathroom.

“The sandwich design of the cabin sections ensures reliable stability and excellent insulation properties,” says Benz.

Meantime, another conversion concept created by VanEssa mobilcamping turns the X-Class load tray into a fully equipped kitchen based around a heavy-duty pull-out module weighing around 250kg.

Complete with a coolbox, cooking and washing-up facilities as well as space for crockery and supplies, it features a second pull-out module that can swallow other stuff like food and grog.

VanEssa has finished the integrated X-Class kitchen with a cover made from teak wood to make it look like the deck of a yacht, and ensure it’s tough and water-resistant.

For trips of several days or more, VanEssa suggests the fitting of a roof tent with rear-facing entrance over the top of the cover, which can be propped up at an angle of 45 degrees on pneumatic struts.

Neither of these two X-Class based concept campers are yet confirmed for production, but Mercedes-Benz has made it clear they’re a shoo-in to join the brand’s Marco Polo range of adventure holiday vans.

“It is important to us that our vehicles appeal to camper van bodybuilders as well, of course, to end customers,” said Mercedes-Benz Vans chief Volker Mornhinweg.

“The X-Class fits seamlessly into our established product range. We are proud to introduce first camper van solution approaches together with Tischer and VanEssa at the CMT, just two months after the vehicle’s launch.”

It’s unclear at this stage, however, whether either camping solution will be made available for the X-Class in Australia, where a range of genuine accessories will be offered.

Mercedes says a fording depth of up to 600mm, ground clearance as high as 222mm (with optional suspension), low-range gearing (in 4MATIC 4×4 models), rear differential lock (which is also optional) and 3500kg towing capacity make the X-Class the ideal base for the increasingly popular camper van craze.

According to the German Caravanning Industry Association (Caravaning Industrie Verband), almost 38,000 new vehicles were registered across all classes of camper vans between January and October last year – 5000 more than in the same period in 2016.

“Campers need two things for this: a vehicle with off-road capability, which is also comfortable for long journeys cross-country, and a living area with all vital essentials,” says Benz.

“Pickups with camper van solutions on board meet these requirements, and thus find their fanbase. In many cases the mobile home section can be demounted in a few easy steps, leaving the pickup to function as a straightforward vehicle for everyday use.”

Local pricing for the Nissan Navara-based X-Class twin-cab will open at $45,450 for the X220d Pure 4×2 manual cab chassis powered by a 120kW/403Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, with an automatic transmission costing $2900 extra, a pick-up tray adding $950 and a 4×4 drivetrain a further $4000.

The more powerful X250d is available in Pure (from $51,490), Progressive ($53,950) and Power ($61,600) specifications, with the 3.0-litre V6 diesel-powered X350d due in the second half of this year with a circa-$85K price tag — before ORCs and options.