While Mercedes-Benz refuses to do an AMG-variant of the X-Class pickup, legendary German tuner Brabus has picked up the baton, and has decided to create their interpretation of a sportier X-Class.
The result is a more in-your-face X-Class with bigger wheels, more grunt, and more leather. What began as a regular X250d, has been transformed with their ‘D4 PowerXtra performance upgrade’. Immediately noticeable are the 20-inch Monoblock X Brabus wheels, LED strips, quad pipes out the back, and meatier front bumper. The interior gets subtle Brabus touches like custom pedals and door strips, as well as customized leather in place of Artico.
The motor is still the Nissan-sourced 2.3-litre bi-turbo diesel, but Brabus managed to liberate some extra horses through an ECU retune, which sees power increase from 140kw to 155kw. The real torque-ing point is not so much the increase in torque from 450nm to 510nm, but more so the wider torque band that is now available. 0-100kph has been improved by 0.3 seconds to 11.5 seconds – however, this is a 2.2 ton pickup, so expect to see the difference in performance in tractability rather than straight line acceleration.
Brabus is currently working on a performance upgrade kit for the Mercedes-Benz-powered 190kw X350d V6 – and those results should be very impressive.
Even though the X-Class has just been launched locally, there are rumours of the Brabus X-Class becoming available in South Africa, but stay tuned for more information.
Also worth a look: the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Celebrates 140 Years with an Epic Glob and the Mercedes-Benz Gla.
FAQ
Q: What does the Brabus X-Class cost in South Africa?
Brabus hasn't confirmed official South African pricing yet, but expect the conversion to add around R200,000 to R250,000 on top of the base X250d's price of approximately R750,000, putting the total somewhere near R950,000 to R1,000,000.
Q: How much power does the Brabus X-Class produce?
The Brabus X-Class pumps out 155kW and 510Nm of torque, which is a healthy increase from the standard X250d's 140kW and 450Nm thanks to their ECU retune and wider torque band.
Q: Is the Brabus X-Class better than a standard Mercedes X-Class?
The Brabus version definitely looks more aggressive with its 20-inch wheels, quad exhausts and beefier bumpers, plus you get better performance and premium leather interior, but you'll pay a serious premium for those bragging rights.
Q: What's the 0-100kph time for the Brabus X-Class?
The Brabus X-Class hits 0-100kph in 11.5 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds quicker than the standard model, though at 2.2 tons you'll notice the improvement more in everyday driving than drag racing.
Should You Buy It?
The Brabus X-Class is a tough sell at an estimated R950,000 to R1,000,000 when you consider that a Ford Ranger Raptor offers similar performance bragging rights for around R800,000. Sure, you get the Mercedes badge and Brabus exclusivity, but that's a lot of cash for what's essentially a tarted-up Nissan Navara underneath. Wait for the V6 X350d Brabus version instead, or better yet, save your money and go for a standard X250d and spend the difference on a proper sports car for weekend fun.
