Mercedes to build world's first premium pick-up

The German luxury brand says that it plans to enter the market by 2017 and that its first pick-up will take styling cues from its SUV range and comfort cues from its existing executive sedans.

Mercedes says that the decision to move into the mid-size pick-up market, currently dominated by US brands, is because of a huge shift in recent years -- from commercial to personal use and from wanting something that is utilitarian to wanting a vehicle that's as comfortable and refined as it is practical.

And although the US is the world's biggest pick-up market -- one in 10 vehicles sold in the country over the last 12 months was a pick-up -- Mercedes plans to initially target its luxury model at the Latin American, European and Australian markets.

'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,' said Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. 'We will design our brand's first pickup according to this recipe for success.'

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