A top BMW executive has taken a swipe at the Mercedes-Benz X-Class, saying the Nissan Navara-based pickup is “appalling.”
The X-Class was first shown in concept form last autumn and was then later displayed at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show earlier this year. Speaking to Australia’s on the floor of the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW’s senior vice president for Asia and South Africa, Hendrik von Kunheim, revealed he wasn’t impressed with the X-Class pickup at all after seeing it in Geneva.
“When you look now at our German competitor from Stuttgart I think that product (X-Class) is appalling,” von Kunheim told . “You would have expected something more serious.”
“I saw that car (X-Class) in Geneva and was actually disappointed. Very disappointed.”
“They can do better, they build fantastic cars, but this one was a disappointment.”
SEE ALSO: Mercedes Jumps into the Pickup Market with the New X-Class
Those are harsh words, but BMW may be willing to put its money where its mouth is. The German luxury brand has apparently given very serious consideration to a pickup, to the point where von Kunheim had a photo of a rendering of a BMW pickup on his phone case. He also said he is “aware that BMW engineers have looked into the detail of what it takes,” to build a proper pickup truck.
“I personally believe, having been in Australia for more than three years, that there is room for a luxury ute, which is not there at this point in time,” von Kunheim said.
“I believe our company could play a crucial role to fulfill that particular niche, but it’s a question of time when this will actually happen.”
He elaborated to say that if the market were to shift where 60 or 70 percent of vehicle sales were crossovers and SUVs, then the business case would be made for a luxury pickup. Consumers are currently going crossover-crazy, so if current trends keep up, we might see a luxury BMW pickup one day soon.
[Source: Motoring]
Leave a Reply