First-ever Mercedes pick-up truck development is on track, Daimler’s chief Dieter Zetsche has announced at the Paris motor show. Expected to be badged the GLT, the new model will be built in Europe and South America.
The Mercedes GLT will share some of its architecture with the all-new Nissan NP300. It will be engineered and designed by Daimler to meet the specific needs of its customers in Europe, Australia, South Africa and Latin America. The vehicle will have all of Mercedes-Benz’ distinctive characteristics and features.
According to inside info, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz pick-up truck will indeed borrow the technical basis of the Japanese model, but with wider-tracks compared to the Navara. The Mercedes GLT is also said to have a different interior to that of the Nissan, even if the heavy camouflage is hiding any possible design cues.
The Mercedes-Benz GLT will come in only one bodystyle, a four-door twin-cab. Independent rear suspension (the mixed torsion beam and five-link rear axle exotic combo which debuted on the Nissan Navara), 4Matic AWD and six-speed manual transmission will be standard, with a seven-speed automatic on the options list.
A wide choice of drivetrains will be available, with four- and six-cylinder engines expected to be offered alongside the GLT, in petrol and diesel flavours. Autocar reveals prices are going to start around $30,000 in the cheapest markets.
Production of the Mercedes-Benz pickup truck will take place at the Renault plant in Cordoba, Argentina, and at Nissan’s Barcelona plant in Spain, where the Nissan NP300 Frontier and the Renault Alaskan will also be produced. In October, Mercedes-Benz will provide further insights into the new pickup truck’s design, strategy and markets.
