Summarize

Mercedes-Benz has revealed its flagship turbodiesel V6-powered X-Class set to spark a new big bore turbodiesel V6 bakkie war when it arrives in South Africa soon. 

The new X 350 d 4Matic features an all-Mercedes-Benz drivetrain this time around, rather than sharing some Nissan and Renault components as its four-pot siblings do and is powered by a 190kW 550Nm 3-litre turbodiesel bent-six.

That’s mated to a 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic with steering wheel shift paddles and an Eco start/stop function and an all-Mercedes 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive with rear-biased 40:60 torque distribution. 

Three drive select AWD modes include 4MAT for best on road vehicle dynamics, 4H for improved off-road traction and low range 4L with the added option of a 100% rear differential locking for extreme four-by-four work.

The combination of a zero to 100% controlled longitudinal differential lock and rear-axle diff lock along with low range makes for optimal performance both on and off-road, while X-Class sports long travel suspension and 222mm ground clearance for best off-road capabilities. This bakkie has the ability to deal with inclines of almost 50 degrees, gradients up to 45 degrees and ford water depths of up to 600mm.

X 350 d also gets five driving modes, but defaults to Comfort on start-up and is selectable to Eco, Sport, Manual and Offroad by a dashboard switch. Eco mode banks on E 350 d’s immense torque to shift gears at lower engine speeds for ultimate fuel economy, while Sport sharpens up throttle response and adapts the autobox for best performance.

Manual mode allows the driver to shift gear via steering wheel gearshift paddles in significantly quicker shift times, while Offroad prepares X 350 d for driving on challenging terrain with more precise accelerator control. ECO stop/start function remains active in all modes except Offroad.

Said to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds and on to a 204km/h maximum speed, the 2987cc turbocharged diesel V6 makes its 190kW at 3400rpm and churns that 550Nm out all the way between 1400 and 3200rpm. Mercedes claims a combined 9 litres per 100km fuel consumption and 237 g/km CO2 emissions.