Last month, we reported that Mercedes-Benz had no plans to build an AMG version of the upcoming X-Class bakkie. And now the reason for Affalterbach's apparent reluctance has been revealed.

According to motoring.com.au, the Stuttgart automaker's tuning division has no interest in creating a performance version of the upcoming X-Class since the double-cab borrows its underpinnings from the Nissan Navara, and will be produced in Renault-Nissan factories.

While the German brand has long insisted that the X-Class will have all the attributes of a "true Mercedes-Benz", the chances of the AMG division working on a vehicle based on another automaker's platform seem slim at best.

The official word from Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers, though, is that the market for a tar-rippling, AMG-fettled bakkie isn't quite large enough to warrant its development.

"No, there will be no AMG pickup," Moers told the Australian publication at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

"Maybe there's a market for such a vehicle in Australia, but not in the overall plan," he added.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Daimler chairman and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, commented last month that "there is no plan" for an AMG-badged X-Class, before adding: "But you never know. We'll see how the market goes, and how this product will be received in the marketplace".

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Original article from Car