Mercedes releases new X-Class pickup teaser video

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Mercedes pickups, including the Powerful Adventurer shown above, will be on sale outside North American markets later this year.Mercedes pickups, including the Powerful Adventurer shown above, will be on sale outside North American markets later this year.

Mercedes recently released a new teaser video for its highly anticipated X-Class pickups.

Powerful forces of nature figure prominently in the roughly one-minute clip posted below.

Despite a thriving mid-size truck market in the U.S., Mercedes still has not announced plans to import either the Stylish Explorer or the Powerful Adventurer, both of  which will be available with a V6 diesel engine. Pictures of the trucks are shown below.

The so-called chicken tax may be to blame. Started in the 1960s under the Johnson administration, the chicken tax requires foreign businesses to shell out a 20 percent tax on vehicles they wish to import into the U.S. Nonetheless, Fox News reported in October that a representative with the automaker said that the trucks were under consideration for the U.S. market.

The one-ton pickups will be launched in late 2017 around the world. The key markets will be Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Australia with New Zealand and Europe.

Mercedes partnered with Nissan to develop the trucks, which feature ladder-type frames and seating for up to five.

The V6 diesel engine works in combination with a 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, which combines an electronic traction system, a transfer case with reduction gear and two locking differentials.

The traction system and the electrically operated on-demand differential locks channel the power to where traction is best. Under extreme off-road conditions, the rear differential and the inter-axle differential can be locked.

Payload capacity is rated at 2,425 pounds and towing capacity at 7,716 pounds. The specially constructed suspension features wide axles, a five-link rear axle with coil springs and a precisely calibrated spring/damper set-up designed to provide a comfortable ride on- off-road.

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Interieur, Kombination aus weißem Nappaleder und braunem Nubukleder ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Interior, Mix of white nappa leather and brown nubuck leather;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterieur, Weißmetallic ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterior, White metallic;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Interieur, Kombination aus schwarzem Nappaleder in Glanzoptik und schwarzen, geprägten Lederflächen im Carbon-Stil, Akzente in der Farbe des Exterieurlacks (Lemonaxmetallic) ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Interior, Mix of glossy black nappa leather and carbon-style black embossed leather surfaces, Highlights in colour of exterior paint finish (lemonax metallic);

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Exterieur, Lemonaxmetallic ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Exterior, Lemonax metallic;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterieur, Weißmetallic ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterior, White metallic;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterieur, Weißmetallic ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterior, White metallic;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Exterieur, Lemonaxmetallic ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Exterior, Lemonax metallic;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Interieur, Kombination aus weißem Nappaleder und braunem Nubukleder ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Interior, Mix of white nappa leather and brown nubuck leather;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Interieur, Kombination aus schwarzem Nappaleder in Glanzoptik und schwarzen, geprägten Lederflächen im Carbon-Stil, Akzente in der Farbe des Exterieurlacks (Lemonaxmetallic) ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS powerful adventurer – Interior, Mix of glossy black nappa leather and carbon-style black embossed leather surfaces, Highlights in colour of exterior paint finish (lemonax metallic);

16C945_021Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS / Artipelag / Stockholm 2016 / von links nach rechts: Gorden Wagener (Leiter Design Daimler AG), Dr. Dieter Zetsche (Vorstandsvorsitzender der Daimler AG und Leiter Mercedes-Benz Cars) und Volker Mornhinweg (Leiter Mercedes-Benz Vans) bei der Enthüllung des Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS / Artipelag / Stockholm 2016 / from left to right: Gorden Wagener (Head of Design Daimler AG), Dr Dieter Zetsche (Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars) and Volker Mornhinweg (Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans) at the reveal of the Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS – Erster Ausblick auf den neuen Pickup mit SternMercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterieur, Weißmetallic ;

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-CLASS stylish explorer – Exterior, White metallic;