Mercedes X-Class AMG still on the cards

If you’re hanging out for an AMG-stamped X-Class, then we’ve got some advice for you - tell all your friends to buy the incoming V6-powered X350d.

That’s the advice of Mercedes-Benz Vans marketing director, Dr Marion Friese, who told CarsGuide that if a market presents itself for a high-powered Mercedes ute, then the brand would happily meet that demand.

Speaking at the launch of the V6-powered X-Class, which will launch in Australia later this year, she also pointed out there were several suitable engines in the regular Mercedes stable that would fit the bill, so a go-fast X-Class wouldn’t have to be exclusive to AMG.

“An AMG version? We will see,” she said. “We are at the beginning of the lifecycle, but we’ll see how the V6 engine performs, and how big the demand is for that kind of engine, and then we’ll see what that lifecycle brings.

“Of course, since we have AMG within our company, and we have also different types of engine that we can look into, we just have to wait and see if there is enough volume for that kind of thing.

"It's always a question of volume. If the total volume is big enough, and then the share of V6 is big enough, then we can think about everything. You need the figures to justify new versions and variants. To bring a new engine into a car it needs a lot of testing, a lot of costs, and therefore you need a lot of volume."

At the LA Auto Show last year, the boss of AMG, Tobias Moers, told us a true performance-focused X-Class would be at least three years away, owing to the added complexities of working on a shared product produced in Nissan’s plants.

But with Dr Friese confirming a sportier X-Class wouldn't necessarily need to be an AMG, Australia's performance-ute fans could be sinking their teeth into something much sooner.

Our passion for performance-focused dual cabs is well understood by Dr Friese. She hosted several research trips to Australia during the X-Class development phase, and says she noticed one thing above all else about our local dual-cab market.

“What I really I found is that (Australians) are really interested in power,” she said. “And not only to make a vehicle powerful on the inside, in terms of big engines, but to make the pick-up look powerful on the outside. That’s something special about the Australian market."

The new X350d is powered by Mercedes' own turbocharged diesel V6, producing 190kW/550Nm. We'll have a full review on June 29 when the international embargo lifts.

Are you hanging out for a go-fast X-Class? Tell us in the comments below.