Photo by: Duane Daws
The Vans division of Mercedes-Benz will launch a midsize pickup before the end of the decade, the German manufacturer announced on Friday.
“The Mercedes-Benz pickup will contribute nicely to our global growth targets,” says Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairperson of the Daimler management board, and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
“We will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains and value.”
“As part of our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ strategy, the pickup is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model,” adds Mercedes-Benz Vans head Volker Mornhinweg.
The new Mercedes-Benz pickup will initially be targeted at the South African, Latin American, Australian and European markets, all of which are posting sustained growth in this segment.
“This is a really exciting time for Vans,” notes Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa VP Nicolette Lambrechts.
“This will give Mercedes-Benz Vans the opportunity to reach a whole new customer in an entirely new segment. For Mercedes-Benz South Africa this gives us the ability to offer the customer the entire spectrum of products to suit not only their business needs but also cater for their lifestyle requirements – from a car, van, truck, bus and now the pickup.”
“We can perfectly serve customers looking for a vehicle that offers a high level of utility and, at the same time, has the comfort, safety and design of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car,” explains Mornhinweg.
“We will design our brand’s first pickup according to this recipe for success.”