Mercedes Class X 350d: the premium pick-up with SUV looks

We test the most powerful and best-equipped version of the Mercedes Class X, the 350d, to see whether a pick-up can also work as an everyday SUV.

In the first test of the Mercedes Class X we carried out at the international launch, we were already amazed by the enormous possibilities this pick-up offers. Now, after living with it for several days, we can go into more detail and answer some questions that may arise when buying a vehicle of this type, whether for business or leisure.

Especially since June 2017, when a change in the law put pick-ups on the same footing as conventional passenger cars under the Traffic Regulations, so they are no longer classed as trucks, for example, when it comes to the speed at which they may travel on main roads and motorways.

That being the case, anyone considering a car like the Class X might ask, for example: can the Class X be a real alternative to an SUV for everyday use on the road? And to a 4×4 when it comes to leaving the tarmac and facing difficult conditions? Does it offer the refinement and comfort you would expect from a car that wears the star on its bonnet? Is it more expensive than other models in this category?

We will answer these and other questions in this test, for which we have chosen the top-of-the-range version and the latest to join the family last summer, the Mercedes Class X 350d with the 258 hp V6 engine. Let’s begin.

A pick-up is always a pick-up…

…even though Mercedes insists otherwise. To put things in context, the Mercedes Class X is a large vehicle. Very large. It measures 5.34 metres long, 1.92 metres wide and 1.82 metres high, with a wheelbase of 3.15 metres. It is also heavier – it exceeds 2.3 tonnes – and has poorer aerodynamics than an SUV that we might consider equivalent.

It has to be this way. Being a pick-up, it must be robust, with a large load bed that makes transporting easy, with a great load and towing capacity, and with ground clearance and 4×4 specifications that guarantee mobility when driving off the tarmac. Something that, in a pick-up, will be much more frequent than in any SUV or in most 4x4s.

This has two consequences that are as logical as they are immediate. The first is that the Mercedes Class X is not a car that is easy to manoeuvre. The second is that you cannot expect dynamic behaviour on a par with an SUV. And here we are talking about comfort and agility, not performance or safety, as we will see later.

Even so, Mercedes uses technical solutions in the Class X that set it apart from other pick-ups, allowing this vehicle to stand as the absolute benchmark in its class even when used for what it is not.

Premium image: yes, it is a pick-up, but it is a Mercedes

That said, and in case there was any doubt after seeing the pictures, I must say I was surprised by how much attention the Class X attracts. Something that had never happened to me with any other pick-up. To some extent this has a lot to do with it being the first pick-up from the star brand. But there is more.

With the eye-catching red of our test unit, the adventurous touch of the black roll-bar, the chrome bumper and side steps for easier access characteristic of the top-of-the-range Power version, and the load-bay cover in body colour, the Class X stands out among the rest of the cars.

You notice it straight away in people: they turn to look at it, they ask you at the petrol station or the car wash, they point you out in traffic or stopped at traffic lights… and they are astonished when they see the pace it is capable of maintaining on the road.

A V6 engine that can handle anything

Here we find one of the solutions Mercedes provides when it comes to offsetting weight and aerodynamics: a powerful engine. The Class X is offered with three possible engine options. On one hand, a 2.3-litre four-cylinder that comes in two variants, the 220d with 163 hp and the 250d with 190 hp. And at the top of the range, the 3-litre V6 with 258 hp.

Let’s start from the premise that the middle version, the 250d, already offers enough performance to move with ease in any situation. But the 350d we have tested is “the real thing”. The figures speak for themselves: more than 200 km/h top speed, and less than 8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h are figures that not long ago some GTI could boast about. And so does the feel: the Class X 350d feels powerful and smooth at the same time.

There is a big price difference between the two engines. But if you want a Class X that, besides working as a pick-up, can perform in certain uses the way a premium SUV would, the choice is the V6. In addition to a more forceful response in any situation, its operation, as well as that of the gearbox – different from that of the 4-cylinder versions – is much more refined and pleasant.

Fuel consumption is in line with what is expected for a car of this size, weight and performance level. Around 12-13 l/100 km in town, with even the possibility of dropping below 10 l/100 km on road trips, where, if you wish, the Class X 350d can move with more ease than most of the surrounding traffic.

And not just because of the engine. True, its dynamic behaviour does not match that of an SUV, mainly for reasons of weight and size. But the Mercedes Class X is not uncomfortable, nor is it an unsafe or difficult car to drive.

Mercedes has made the Class X the benchmark in its class (pun intended) thanks to the adoption of an independent rear suspension with conventional coil springs, instead of the solid axle with leaf springs normally used by pick-ups. A solution that sacrifices some robustness when using the car as a work tool for carrying heavy loads, in exchange for improved precision and comfort.

For this reason, the Mercedes Class X is the best alternative for anyone considering a pick-up as a private vehicle, to travel in and to make use of its load platform for leisure activities.

A 4×4 in every sense

And when it comes to leaving the tarmac, the Class X 350d clearly shows us that it has practically nothing to envy from the most capable 4x4s on the market.

In fact, one of the reasons for the large price difference – around 8,000 euros – between a 250d and a 350d with the same equipment is also found in the drive system.

Whereas in the 4-cylinder models the drive can be rear-wheel or switchable with a low-range gearbox, but without a centre differential, which limits its use to off-road or snow situations, the Class X 350d has a permanent all-wheel drive system. It retains the low-range gearbox and hill descent control. And it adds a driving mode selector that lets you choose between Comfort, ECO, Sport, Manual or the specific Offroad programmes.

The traction this system provides, the good performance of the suspension and its ground clearance figures are responsible for the Class X’s excellent ability to keep going when things get tough. So much so that you will almost certainly find the limit in the tyres… or in the car’s own size.

But even so, you can be almost sure that the Class X 350d gets through. Even more so if you choose the suspension option that raises the minimum ground clearance by 20 mm, which as standard already reaches 20 centimetres. And the maximum wading depth is 60 centimetres.

An interior more akin to a passenger car

The Mercedes Class X is only sold in a double cab version, with five seats. In terms of fit, finish and material quality, it sits above any pick-up on the market. And its design clearly recalls that of other models from the star brand.

In the front seats, therefore, driver and passenger can feel practically the same sensation as on board an SUV from the brand, although the lack of steering wheel reach adjustment may affect the driving position in some cases.

The same goes for equipment: nobody would say this is a pick-up. It doesn’t lack the central screen of the multimedia system, which can be 7 or 8.4 inches as an option. Nor driver aids such as lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, LED headlights or the surround-view camera, among others.

The 350d version is offered only with the two top trims, called Progressive and Power, with very complete equipment and decorative differences inside and out.

The area where the Class X, like all pick-ups, loses out when compared with an SUV or a conventional passenger car is the rear seats. And not for lack of space, which is among the best in its category. Getting into these seats is more difficult than in an SUV, even with the help of the side steps. And the seatbacks are too upright, which can be uncomfortable on long journeys.

As for the load bed, it is very well resolved, with rails with sliding hooks, and the option of lighting, a power socket, tie-down rings, different floor covers and even various solutions for covering the load, from an aluminium roller shutter to a rigid cover finished in body colour.

The Mercedes Class X versus its rivals

To sum up, it is clear that the Mercedes Class X, especially in the 350d version in either of its two trim levels, Progressive or Power, can be a perfectly good alternative to a high-end 4×4. And to an SUV too, if you are willing to accept a logical loss in comfort, agility and refinement.

But how does it stack up against the rest of the pick-ups on the market? The first thing to keep in mind is that the Mercedes Class X is the result of a joint development with Nissan and Renault, which also gave rise to the Nissan Navara and the Renault Alaskan. Compared with them, the Mercedes has more equipment and technical differences in the transmission system, as well as an exclusive diesel V6.

Other possible rivals are the Mitsubishi L200, the Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger or the Volkswagen Amarok. Compared with all of them, the Mercedes is the most expensive, or the least equipped if we match on price. But it also stands out in build quality, interior presentation and refinement. The one that comes closest to the Class X 350d would be the Volkswagen Amarok, which is also available with a V6 TDI engine.

As for price, the e Class X 350d 4Matic Progressive costs 55,965 euros, while with the Power trim it goes up to 59,360 euros. If the budget is more modest but you still want the best all-purpose pick-up on the market, even sacrificing some refinement and performance, our choice would be the Class X 250d 4Matic Progressive Automatic, which comes in at 45,000 euros.