Mercedes X-Class

Mercedes X-Class: which version to buy

The Mercedes X-Class existed as 1 generation only, from 2017-07-01 to 2020-06-30, in one body: Pickup double-cab. There is no later generation to wait for and no restyling to treat as a separate model.

The Mercedes X-Class existed as 1 generation only, from 2017-07-01 to 2020-06-30, in one body: Pickup double-cab. There is no later generation to wait for and no restyling to treat as a separate model. The buying choice is entirely among 7 diesel versions of that one generation: three 2.3 MT calibrations (163 hp RWD, 163 hp AWD, 190 hp RWD, 190 hp AWD — four distinct 2.3 MT rows if you count both powers and both drives), two 2.3 AT rows (190 hp RWD and 190 hp AWD), and one 3.0 AT. Every version uses Diesel, Turbo, a Front, longitudinal engine, Euro 6, a 73 l tank, 202 mm ground clearance, independent spring front / dependent spring rear, and ventilated discs at both ends. What changes is power, cylinders, gearbox, drive, weight, and the 0–100 / consumption / CO2 figures that follow from those.

Specs that actually separate the versions

Power is quoted at 3750 rpm on every 2.3 and at 3400 rpm on the 3.0 AT. Torque bands: 1500–2500 rpm on the 2.3s, 1400–3200 rpm on the 3.0 AT. Compression is 15.4 on the 2.3 and 15.5 on the 3.0. Bore × stroke: 85 × 101.3 vs 83 × 92. Fuel system is not measured on every version.

Specific output from those displacements: 163 / 2.298 ≈ 71 hp/l on the 163 hp 2.3 MT pair; 190 / 2.298 ≈ 83 hp/l on every 190 hp 2.3; 258 / 2.987 ≈ 86 hp/l on the 3.0 AT. The V6 is not a large jump in specific output; it is a jump in cylinder count, torque (+100 Nm vs 450) and how that torque is spread.

Performance, mpg and what the extra power buys

163 hp vs 190 hp on the same 2.3 MT / RWD: +27 hp and +47 Nm cut 0–100 from 12.5 to 10.9 s (−1.6 s) and raise top speed from 172 to 184 km/h (+12). Mixed consumption falls from 7.6 to 7.4 l/100 km; CO2 from 199 to 196. The stronger 2.3 MT RWD is the rare case where more power is also the more economical mixed figure in this catalogue.

163 hp vs 190 hp on 2.3 MT / AWD: 0–100 12.9 vs 11.1 s (−1.8 s); top 170 vs 180 km/h. Mixed is identical at 7.7. City is actually lower on the 190 AWD 2.3 MT (8.3 vs 8.6); highway is worse (8.0 vs 7.3). If most of the kilometres are motorway, the 163 AWD 2.3 MT uses less on the highway column; if they are mixed, the two 2.3 manuals with AWD do not separate on mixed mpg.

Manual vs Automatic at 190 hp RWD: 2.3 MT 190 RWD does 0–100 in 10.9 s and 184 km/h; 2.3 AT 190 RWD is 11.4 s and 179 km/h. The Automatic 7 costs 0.5 s and 5 km/h versus the Manual 6. Mixed: 7.4 (MT) vs 7.7 (AT). City jumps from 8.6 to 9.6 on the automatic; highway is almost a wash (6.8 vs 6.7). The automatic is the city penalty, not the highway penalty.

Manual vs Automatic at 190 hp AWD: 2.3 MT 190 AWD 11.1 s / 180 km/h vs 2.3 AT 190 AWD 11.8 s / 175 km/h (−0.7 s and +5 km/h for the manual). Mixed 7.7 vs 7.9. City again 8.3 vs 9.6. Same pattern: the Automatic 7 is slower and thirstier in town than the matching Manual 6.

RWD vs AWD at equal 163 hp 2.3 MT: AWD adds 80 kg kerb (2238 vs 2158), 0.4 s to 0–100 (12.9 vs 12.5), 2 km/h off the top (170 vs 172), and 0.1 l/100 km mixed (7.7 vs 7.6). Gross weight rises from 3200 to 3250. AWD here is a mass and payload-structure choice, not a large economy hit.

RWD vs AWD at 190 hp 2.3 MT: AWD adds 90 kg (2251 vs 2161), 0.2 s (11.1 vs 10.9), 4 km/h off the top (180 vs 184), mixed 7.7 vs 7.4. Highway on the AWD 2.3 MT 190 is 8.0 against 6.8 on RWD — that is the column where AWD costs fuel.

RWD vs AWD at 190 hp 2.3 AT: AWD adds 90 kg (2259 vs 2169), 0.4 s (11.8 vs 11.4), 4 km/h (175 vs 179), mixed 7.9 vs 7.7. City is 9.6 on both automatics.

3.0 AT versus the strongest 2.3 AWD automatic: 3.0 AT is 258 hp / 550 Nm vs 190 / 450 on 2.3 AT AWD: +68 hp, +100 Nm. 0–100 7.9 vs 11.8 s (−3.9 s). Top 205 vs 175 (+30 km/h). Mixed 9.0 vs 7.9 (+1.1). CO2 236 vs 207 (+29). Kerb is almost the same: 2249 vs 2259 (−10 kg on the V6). You are not paying the V6 in kerb weight; you are paying it in fuel, CO2, and a 6 V-shaped engine versus 4 Inline.

Weight per horsepower (kerb ÷ hp): 2.3 MT 163 RWD 13.2 kg/hp; 2.3 MT 163 AWD 13.7; 2.3 MT 190 RWD 11.4; 2.3 AT 190 RWD 11.4; 2.3 MT 190 AWD 11.8; 2.3 AT 190 AWD 11.9; 3.0 AT 8.7. The V6 is the only version that drops below 9 kg/hp.

Dimensions, weight, payload and wheels

Ground clearance is 202 mm on all seven. Tank is 73 l on all seven. Front suspension Independent, spring; rear Dependent, spring. Front brakes Ventilated disc; rear Disc ventilated as labelled.

RWD versions share 3200 kg gross; AWD and the 3.0 AT share 3250. The lightest kerb is 2.3 MT 163 RWD at 2158 kg, which also has the highest arithmetic payload: 1042 kg. The heaviest kerb is 2.3 AT 190 AWD at 2259 kg, payload 991 kg — 51 kg less payload than the lightest 2.3 MT. AWD’s extra 50 kg of gross does not fully offset the extra kerb: payload on AWD sits around 991–1012 kg versus 1031–1042 kg on RWD.

The two 163 hp 2.3 MT versions (RWD and AWD) are the only ones without 255/55 R19 in the catalogue list; they stop at R17/R18. Every 190 hp 2.3 and the 3.0 AT add R19.

Which version to choose

There is only 1 generation (2017-07-01–2020-06-30), so “which generation” is not a choice. The comparison is drive, gearbox, 163 vs 190 vs 258 hp.

If the job is payload and mixed fuel, not traction: 2.3 MT 163 hp RWD — lightest (2158 kg), highest payload (1042 kg), mixed 7.6, CO2 199. It is also the slowest RWD (12.5 s, 172 km/h). The 190 hp 2.3 MT RWD is the better all-round RWD: 10.9 s, 184 km/h, mixed 7.4, CO2 196, payload still 1039 kg, kerb only 3 kg more. Arithmetic says the 190 RWD manual is strictly stronger and at least as economical on mixed and CO2 as the 163 RWD manual.

If you want an automatic but not AWD: 2.3 AT 190 hp RWD — 11.4 s, 179 km/h, mixed 7.7, payload 1031 kg. Versus the 190 2.3 MT RWD you give up 0.5 s, 5 km/h and 0.3 l/100 km mixed for the Automatic 7.

If you need AWD and a manual: prefer 2.3 MT 190 hp AWD over 2.3 MT 163 hp AWD. Same mixed 7.7, 1.8 s faster, 10 km/h more top speed, payload 999 vs 1012 kg (−13 kg). The 163 AWD 2.3 MT only wins highway l/100 km (7.3 vs 8.0) and a slightly higher payload.

If you need AWD and an automatic without the V6: 2.3 AT 190 hp AWD — 11.8 s, 175 km/h, mixed 7.9, CO2 207, heaviest kerb (2259 kg), lowest payload in the table (991 kg). It is the slowest automatic and the heaviest truck here.

If the numbers that matter are 0–100 and top speed: 3.0 AT is the only version under 8 s (7.9) and over 200 km/h (205). It matches AWD 3250 kg gross, payload 1001 kg, mixed 9.0, CO2 236. Versus 2.3 AT AWD you buy 3.9 s and 30 km/h and pay 1.1 l/100 km mixed and 29 g/km CO2, at 10 kg less kerb.

Reliability / problems: not measured in this dataset. Do not infer them from power or gearbox.

Short map: work RWD and lowest fuel → 2.3 MT 190 hp RWD (or 163 hp RWD if 10.9 s is not required). Auto without AWD → 2.3 AT 190 hp RWD. AWD work → 2.3 MT 190 hp AWD. AWD auto without V6 fuel → 2.3 AT 190 hp AWD. Fastest Pickup double-cab in this list → 3.0 AT.