Johannesburg - It was always a given that the Mercedes-Benz X-Class bakkie would be more expensive than the other mainstream double cabs on the market, but with the release of the South African prices on Thursday, we now get to see exactly how much more you’ll need to fork out to own the snazziest bakkie in town.
As reported earlier, initial models are powered by Nissan’s 2.3-litre diesel in two flavours: single turbo X220d (120kW/403Nm) and twin-turbo X250d (140kW/450Nm).
You can only have it in double cab guise, but there is a choice between 4x2 and 4x4, as well as six-speed manual and seven-speed auto.
As you'll see below the X-Class commands a significant premium over the other mainstream double cab bakkies on the market, including the Nissan Navara that it's based on. Bear in mind, however, that the Merc does have a plusher interior. But is it ultimately worth the premium? We'll have to drive them back to back before drawing any definitive conclusions, but for now let's take a look at the pricing.
As the features list will vary from vehicle to vehicle, this is not intended as a completely direct comparison, rather it's meant to give you a basic idea of where the new X-Class fits in pricewise.
4x2 manual (lower output)
Mazda BT-50 2.2 SLE 4x2 manual110kW/375NmR477 700Ford Ranger 2.2 XLT DC 4x2 manual118kW/385NmR484 900Mercedes X220d 4x2 Progressive man
120kW/403Nm
R642 103
4x2 auto (higher output)
Mitsubishi Triton 2.4 DI-D 4x2 auto133kW/430NmR479 995Isuzu KB300 D-Teq LX 4x2 auto130kW/380NmR516 500Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 4x2 Raider auto130kW/450NmR529 300Ford Ranger 3.2 XLT 4x2 auto147kW/470NmR536 900Nissan Navara 2.3 LE 4x2 auto140kW/450NmR538 900VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDI 4x2 Highline auto132kW/420NmR565 100Mercedes X250d 4x2 Progressive auto
140kW/450Nm
R694 025
4x4 manual (higher output)
Mazda BT-50 3.2 SLE 4x4 manual147kW/470NmR541 700Isuzu KB300 D-Teq LX 4x4 manual130kW/380NmR566 500Nissan Navara 2.3 LE 4x4 manual140kW/450NmR573 900Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 4x4 Raider manual130kW/420NmR576 400Ford Ranger 3.2 XLT DC 4x4 manual147kW/470NmR586 900VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDI 4x4 Highline manual132kW/420NmR600 400Mercedes X250d 4x4 Progressive manual
140kW/450Nm
R696 785
Mercedes X250d 4x4 Power manual
140kW/450Nm
R791 315
4x4 automatic (higher output)
Isuzu KB300 D-Teq LX 4x4 auto130kW/380NmR580 600Nissan Navara 2.3 LE 4x4 auto140kW/450NmR594 900Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 4x4 Raider auto130kW/420NmR595 700Ford Ranger 3.2 XLT DC 4x4 auto147kW/470NmR601 900VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDI 4x4 Highline auto132kW/420NmR618 700VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDI 4x4 Extreme auto132kW/420NmR705 700Mercedes X250d 4x4 Progressive auto
140kW/450Nm
R723 810
Mercedes X250d 4x4 Power auto
140kW/450Nm
R818 340
What about the V6?
Mercedes-Benz will be launching a V6 version of the X-Class - together with permanent all-wheel-drive - at the end of this year and it will naturally rival the Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI V6.