Mercedes-Benz: Pickup won’t be ‘fat cowboy truck’ for North America

Mercedes-Benz has doused cold water on hopes that its upcoming pickup, rumored to be called the GLT, will be available with longhorn-cattle embroidery, saddle leather or integrated boot brushes.
“We are not going to develop a fat cowboy truck for North America,” Mercedes-Benz Vans head Volker Mornhinweg said in a blunt interview with Car.

The executive points out that Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler together own 90 percent of the pickup market, representing more than two million units annually. Mercedes-Benz will consequently avoid the “uphill battle” of competing against the big three in the world’s largest pickup market.

“That’s why our focus is on a smaller and lighter pick-up truck which is already perceived as premium product in South America, Africa and the Middle East,” he added.

The German automaker has teamed with the Renault-Nissan alliance to co-develop the four-door double-cab pickup, targeted against the midsize Toyota Hilux (Tacoma) rather than full-size American models.

It is unclear if the comments represent an outright rejection of a US launch, or merely a promise that Mercedes-Benz does not intend to disrupt the full-size pickup market. Rumors suggest a US launch is under consideration, and the pickup could attempt to gain a niche foothold in the midsize segment.

Unofficial speculation points to a price tag around $30,000 in some markets, marking a significant premium over the Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier.