Mercedes edging closer to pickup launch in the U.S.

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Updated Feb 27, 2017
Mercedes concept pickup, the X-Class Powerful Adventurer, was unveiled in October alongside the Stylish Explorer.Mercedes concept pickup, the X-Class Powerful Adventurer, was unveiled in October alongside the Stylish Explorer.

Daimler announced today that it’s closely watching the midsize pickup market in the U.S. and that growth of the segment has it considering a possible U.S. launch of its X-Class pickup.

Mercedez-Benz Vans division, a subsidiary of Daimler, has been developing its new midsize X-Class for European and Latin American markets. However, a strong midsize truck market in the U.S. may broaden the automaker’s approach.

“In the past year the mid-sized truck market has come back a bit. General Motors (GM.N) is launching a mid-sized truck. We are watching developments very closely, and we will take a decision at the appropriate time,” Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said Friday at a news conference in Stuttgart.

When pressed about where Mercedes might build additional pickups for the U.S. market, Mornhinweg said “a new production site in the United States was likely to be considered,” Reuters reported.

In October, Mercedes unveiled two midsize Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup concept vehicles: Stylish Explorer and Powerful Adventurer.