This VW Australia Exec Is Not Impressed By The Mercedes X-Class

Remember when that BMW exec called the Mercedes X-Class “appalling”? Now someone from VW has taken a pop at Stuttgart’s new ‘lifestyle’ pick-up truck.

“It’s very difficult to disguise a Nissan Navara,” VW Australia corporate communications chief Paul Pottinger told Motoring. As a reminder, the X-Class is based on the ladder-framed pick-up from Nissan, and is built on the same production line.

“If I was a buyer I might be surprised [with the quality]. When a Mercedes-Benz owner opens the door and sees Nissan hinges, the game might be up,” Pottinger added. He refused to give his opinion on the styling, but did say that “it perhaps could be a polarising design.”

The X-Class may look remarkably similar to the Navara, but almost all of its body panels are bespoke. Which makes you wonder why Mercedes didn’t do more to differentiate them.

It’s quite different under the skin, too: it has different axles with a wider track, its own suspension setup aimed at sharpening up the driving experience, and is loaded up with a whole bunch of Mercedes safety electronics. The interior has been completely redesigned, incorporating bits from the C-Class and V-Class.

Regardless, it seems like this debate will rumble on.