A Volkswagen executive in Australia has taken a swipe at the recently revealed Mercedes-Benz Concept X-Class bakkie, branding it an "over-hyped concept".

Earlier this week, Mercedes pulled the covers off two versions of its new Concept X-Class, which serve to preview the production, Nissan Navara-based bakkie due to launch late in 2017. The automaker bills the upcoming bakkie as the world's first "true" premium pickup.

But Carlos Santos, Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles director, says the soon-to-launch, facelifted Amarok V6 will beat the X-Class to the premium pickup punch.

"The Amarok V6 is not an over-hyped concept or a badge engineering exercise," Santos said, according to motoring.au.com.

"It's real, it's almost here and it brings the world's best V6 turbo-diesel, the same unit used by Porsche and Audi in luxury SUVs," he added.

This is not the first time a VW executive from Down Under has spoken out about the Mercedes bakkie, with Volkswagen Australia managing director Michael Bartsch earlier this year suggesting that the Stuttgart-based automaker's upcoming pickup would be little more than "a very expensive Nissan".

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Original article from Car