The Mercedes-Benz pickup truck could be coming to America

Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class may be the most highly anticipated pickup truck in recent memory. Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz Vans - the division of the the German automaker responsible for the X-Class - has made it very clear over the past year that it has no plans to bring the model to the US. That is until now.

On Friday, MB Vans boss Volker Mornhinweg indicated that his company is looking closely at US demand for mid-size trucks like the X-Class, Reuters reported.

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In addition, Mornhinweg told reporters that the current X-Class production facility in Argentina won't have sufficient capacity to meet US demand. As a result, US spec trucks will be made domestically, the executive said.

Last October, Mercedes-Benz gave the public its first look at the company's upcoming pickup truck in the form of the new X-Class Concept. According to Mercedes-Benz, the new X-Class will be the world's first true "premium" pickup truck.

Introduced in a ceremony in Stockholm, the new X-Class marks Mercedes' official entry into what is perhaps the most competitive, territorial, and lucrative segment in the automotive market.

"With the Mercedes-Benz pickup, we will close one of the last gaps in our portfolio," Dieter Zetsche, Daimler chairman and head of Mercedes-Benz, said in a statement at the time of the launch. "Our target: We want to offer customers vehicles matching their specific needs. The X-Class will set new standards in a growing segment."

In the US, the midsize pickup segment, where the X-Class would compete, is growing at more than 20% a year. It also dominates in Argentina, Australia, and Brazil.

Mercedes is expected to offer the X-Class in Europe, Latin America, South America, and Africa when it enters production in late 2017. No official pricing information for the X-Class has been released.

Here's a closer look at the Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup: