Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz plans to follow rival Volkswagen into the one tonne pickup truck segment by the end of the decade but not in North America or Asia, at least initially.
“Thanks to their versatility, all-round utility, and payload of about one metric ton, pickups are popular across the world and thus have good sales potential,” Daimler said in a statement.
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Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said: “As part of our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ strategy, the pickup is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model.”
Daimler said more pickups are being used for private purposes, and commercial as well as private users are increasingly asking for vehicles that have car like specificiations so Mercedes-Benz is the first premium manufacturer to respond to this market shift by developing its own pickup.
Daimler cites the success of the M-Class around 20 years ago which it claims, as the first sport utility vehicle (SUV) from a premium manufacturer, “completely redefined the segment”.
The new truck will initially be targeted at Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and Europe, all of which are posting sustained growth in the segment.
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By GlobalDataThe vans division will develop the vehicle.
Still unclear is whether Mercedes will do a joint venture model with another automaker, as it did until recently with large vans with Volkswagen and as it currently does with Renault for a small van line.
But the general tone of Mercedes’ release suggests an in-house job rather than re-badging, say, VW’s Amarok. Or, as VW once did with the Hilux, a Toyota.
