Mercedes-Benz to end production of X-Class pick-up in May

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed it will end production of its X-Class premium pick-up in May, citing low global demand.

The Ford Ranger rival has been in production for just two years, but rumours of its demise began to circulate in 2019 as the company embarked on a wide-reaching cost-cutting drive.

Mercedes said: "It has been decided that from the end of May 2020, we will no longer produce this relatively young model." It added that the model is a 'niche product', that "plays a great role in a few markets, including Australia and South Africa".

In February last year, the company axed plans to put the truck into production in Argentina, claiming "the price expectations of the Latin American customers have not been economically viable".

The X-Class shares its underpinnings with the less expensive Nissan Navara, alongside which it is built in Barcelona. It was never offered in the US, despite that being the biggest global market for pick-up trucks.

Mercedes sold just 15,300 X-Class units in 2019, while Nissan sold 66,000 Navaras in the first half of the year alone.

The X-Class remains available to order on Mercedes' UK website, but from May will remain on sale only while stocks last.