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Pickup trucks have gained popularity in recent
months as gasoline prices eased, with sales of such models
accounting for 90 percent of global pretax margins at General
Motors and Ford, according to analysts.
Mercedes, owned by Daimler, said on Friday it would launch a
mid-sized pickup truck in the next five years, adding customers
were increasingly demanding trucks that have features
traditionally found in passenger cars.
"A similar example was the successful introduction of the
M-Class around 20 years ago. As the first sport utility vehicle
(SUV) from a premium manufacturer, the M-Class completely
redefined the segment," Mercedes said in a statement.
The Mercedes pickup will initially target customers in Latin
America, South Africa, Australia and Europe, and no decision has
been made about whether to launch the vehicle in the United
States, a spokeswoman for Daimler said.
Last year, three of the four top-selling cars in the United
States were full-sized pickup trucks, the Ford F-150, the
Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500. The segment has been moving
upmarket with Ford's F-150 model fetching prices of up to
$50,000.
Daimler said the new pickup truck would be built by its Vans
division. Earlier this month, Mercedes said it would invest $500
million to build a new assembly plant in South Carolina to build
large commercial vans.
Germany's top car companies have been vying for the global title
of best-selling premium automaker, expanding into new vehicle
categories as a way to expand sales.
Deliveries of BMW's core brand reached a record 1.81 million
last year. By comparison, Audi sold 1.74 million cars and
Mercedes-Benz sold 1.65 million of its own-branded passenger
cars.
(Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Potter)
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