Go V6 Or Go Home

Slovenia not only gave the world Melania Trump, it also boasts beautiful, almost deserted tar and gravel roads, snaking along the foothills of the Alps. It was in this idyllic setting, with great driving roads, that Mercedes-Benz revealed its new 190kW X350d 4Matic bakkie. It proved to be a match made in motoring heaven.

- Danie Botha

Dale Carnegie, author of the influential How to Win Friends and Influence People, insists that one should start with a small idea, and then grow it into a big one.Clearly someone at Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles read his book: the company decided to initially launch its X-class bakkie with the smaller 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, instead of the full fat, 190kW V6 turbodiesel mill.

Driving the X350d 4Matic AT on a beautiful gravel road in a forest near the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, on the foothills of the Alps, the smooth V6 engine is eager to rev, laying down the 550Nm of torque with continuous shoves as the seven-speed 7G-Tronic gearbox works its magic.

With Sport mode selected and traction control disabled, we used the paddle shifters behind the steering  wheel to chase the three-litre engine all the way to 3 400r/min, gearing down for the tight corners. These smooth gravel roads would not be out of place on Rally Finland. It’s fast, flowing, beautiful.

In these conditions, the 350d 4Matic is sublime. With the five-link rear suspension and independent front set-up providing an exceedingly sporty, confidence-inspiring ride, this bakkie feels more like a high-performance SUV than... a bakkie. A bakkie that can also carry almost a ton on its ‘bak’.

You can chuck it into a corner like a sporty SUV (and not like a bakkie), and it will slide progressively and predictably. A dab of counter-steer, some right foot and the traction provided by the 4Matic system ensures the Benz blasts out of corners with much zest.

Sporting huge grins, driving these roads, we couldn’t help but think maybe Mercedes should have introduced the mighty V6 first. It would perhaps have been to a smaller audience but more ‘wow’, and more in line with Mercedes-Benz’s high-end image.