SUVs & Trucks

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLT: All-New Pickup Truck, But Not In North America

Rumors about the arrival of Mercedes’ first pickup are louder these days, but this is rather expected because the first testing mule has been spotted a few days ago. However, this prototype we have here isn’t anything that the future vehicle promises to be. The Germane car manufacturer has managed to hide everything in the body of the new Navara, but this is not any surprise for us when we take into account already arranged cooperation between Mercedes and Nissan. Namely, the future pickup will ride on Navara’s platform, yet we are not so sure about the actual name of the truck that will be ready sometime in 2017. Some reports indicate that the car manufacturer decided to call it the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLT, while the other suggests more likely scenario of the arrival the 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup truck. In each case, Mercedes’ interest in the segment promises completely new picture on the market.

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLT: Navara’s Platform, But More Apealing Design

The pickup that will choose to call the 2018 Mercedes GLT will use the same architecture like the new Nissan Navara, but it will be essentially different in many aspects. The testing mule seems to feature wider track, yet we expect more dynamic and Mercedes-like exterior styling (possibly something similar to the GLC crossover). In addition, the interior would get an exclusive design, pretty similar to the new B- or C-class, while in addition to the single layout, the pickup could get a four-door cab configuration too.

The Pickup Gets Existing Engines

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLT is also speculated to get some all-new engine options, especially built for the pickup, but we think that there is no chance that the car manufacturer plans to make any separate powertrain. The truck will rather get some of the existing four- and six-cylinder engines, both gas and diesel. The engines will be paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

There is no any information about the price of the vehicle, but we have found out that the German car manufacturer plans to sell the 2018 GLT in Europe, Australia, South Africa, and Latin America, just not in North America yet.