Speaking with Drive at the launch Australian of the
V6-powered pickup, X-Class chief engineer Frank Schumacher said it an
eight-cylinder model could be in the cards… if only customers would ask for it.
The X-Class is based on underpinnings
borrowed from the Nissan NP300/Navara and Renault Alaskan. To date, in their
current iterations, all three have only offered four- and six-cylinder engines.
So Benz would likely have some work on its hands to fit a V8 in there. But
apparently it’s not out of the question.
Even in the US, where the V8 arguably
still reigns as king, the big engines are typically reserved for full-size
trucks – think Silverado, in Chevy terms, not Colorado. But even that’s
beginning to change as hot-selling models like the Ford F-150 place an
increased emphasis on turbocharged V6s.
