One of the most awaited light commercial vehicles arrived this week in the form of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute – such is the demand for this three-pointed star light commercial that Mercedes-Benz held 9,000 expressions of interest for it, 69 percent of those from outside the brand. Based on the Nissan Navara but heavily modified in styling and specification. Not surprising is the fact that the X-Class ute carries a large three-pointed star on its grille. The selling-power of this brand symbol today is just so strong – in fact, in a different vein, brand power is something the Banks and AMP no longer seem to care about.
The Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute has a very unique presence – I spotted a black one on the M2 Motorway this week – there’s 13 variants, 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 drivelines, three model grades with pricing starting at $45,450 – watch this space. Bound to be one of the success stories of the new vehicle industry this year. I’m David Berthon

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