THERE'LL NEVER BE ANOTHER MERCEDES-BENZ X-CLASS, BUT CARLEX DESIGN CAN UPGRADE EXISTING ONES LIKE A BOSS.

In the automotive world, things aren’t always guaranteed. Take Mercedes-Benz for example, an automotive manufacturer with more experience in the game than anyone else. The company has the richest motoring history dating back to 1925, with even older roots. Some of the most iconic cars ever feature a Mercedes-Benz badge, as do some of the fastest on and off the track. It’s safe to say they know the worldwide car-buying market very well. Unless you’re talking about pickups, or if you’re reading this in SA borders, bakkies. In 2017 Mercedes-Benz decided to create a pickup of its own, something with the size and capabilities of the market leaders like the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Hilux but with the elegance and finishings synonymous with the brand. Surely this would be a sought-after vehicle in markets that are filled with bakkie-loving buyers like Australia and South Africa and even the USA where pickups of this size also have a dedicated fan base? Well, for some reason, as pretty as the X-Class was, the pickup was quite an embarrassing failure. Some say pricing, but one thing that never worked in the X-Class's favour was the fact that it was built in a joint partnership with Nissan, it was basically a Nissan Navara under the skin. There’s nothing wrong with a Navara at all, but paying a premium for one simply because it wears Mercedes-Benz badges just didn’t make sense. It’s why South Africans like to call the X-Class A Navara in mascara. The thing never saw a follow-up model, which is actually quite sad because it really is good.