Mercedes Possibly Will Offer Pickup Truck In The United States

Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3245 (Credit: Mercedes)

Most Americans probably aren’t aware that Mercedes is working on a new pickup truck. Inside the U.S. the truck market is pretty brutal, with GM, Ford, Chrysler and Toyota pretty much locking things up. On top of that, many foreign automakers don’t even bother trying to enter the pickup market here because of the Chicken Tax that is assessed to any imported light trucks (plus brandy, dextrose and potato starch, of all things).

It’s natural to assume that the new Mercedes pickup truck won’t be sold in the United States, but it turns out that the Germans are seriously considering giving it a go in this market. Automotive News interviewed the company’s USA CEO Steve Cannon, who disclosed that he and his team were readying a business case to present to his bosses in Europe.

Mercedes has a reputation in many international markets for making heavy-duty work trucks. The new pickup will fall into that category, but the offering would be a little different in the U.S. Consumers here would be able to purchase a luxury passenger pickup that’s made more for driving to the golf course than the construction site.

There’s been huge market growth in that market segment recently, and Mercedes obviously has taken note of the fat margins that come with it. For example, the 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum has a starting price in excess of $50,000, which is just a few thousand dollars more than the base price of the Mercedes ML350.

Details about the Mercedes pickup truck are enshrouded in secrecy, even more than most models under development. Some think it might be built on a platform that’s shared with Renault-Nissan, possibly the Navara, but for now that’s pure speculation. During the interview, Cannon hinted that the truck would be able to tow a boat, which shouldn’t be difficult considering the abilities of its current crop of SUVs. The model would be offered through every dealership in the United States, with a target annual sales goal of 10,000 units.