With Mercedes-Benz entering the pickup market with its new X-Class, BMW has admitted it may be time to did the same. To be clear, it wasn’t the home office that made this assertion. It was head of BMW Australia Marc Werner.
Aussies love their pickups or, more appropriately, its smaller, low-riding counterpart, affectionately called a “ute.” If you’re unfamiliar with the vehicle category, you probably don’t spend a lot of time in Australia or New Zealand. Bastardized from the term “coupé utility,” the ute moniker used to be reserved for models like the Ford Ranchero or Chevrolet El Camino. The term has since expanded to mean any non-gargantuan pickup truck and has roots going back to the 1930s.
At any rate, Werner says BMW needs to build one and the executive is pushing Germany to get the show on the road. Unfortunately for Warner, Bavaria’s receptiveness toward the segment has been mixed, to say the least. BMW senior vice president Hendrik von Kuenheim called Mercedes’ upcoming X-Class “appalling.” However, he appeared to be speaking more to the perceived subpar quality of the Nissan Navara-based pickup and not the concept itself.
BMW has even built a couple of pickups based on the M3. The first vehicle ended up being a factory parts hauler from 1986 to 1998 and the second turned out to be an elaborate April Fools’ prank from 2011. That’s unfortunate, as BMW’s comedy routine was capable of a claimed 186 mph and ended up being 150 pounds lighter than car it was based on.
Werner doesn’t see it as a joke, however. He believes it’s a segment BMW should be exploring, lest it be left in a cloud of some other automaker’s dust. “We have been very pushy regarding utes or pick-ups, and we believe that this is something the company should be looking into,” he told CarAdvice at the launch of the X2. “We have raised that with headquarters and certainly investigations are happening as we speak, but it’s too early to speak about the results of that analysis, but if there was a ute we would certainly take it.”
“We cannot close our eyes and neglect it, we cannot neglect market trends,” Werner explained. “If you look at the market, more than 150,000 Utes [were sold last year], out of 1.1 m cars overall and I think that that segment grew last year by 17 percent.”
Unfortunately, von Kuenheim previously stated that a pickup is not a priority while BMW furthers its hybrid technology and sets itself up for more electric cars. As he sees it, pickup profitability wouldn’t match electrification for a high-end brand. But Werner believes otherwise, stating that people said the same thing about SUVs and noting X-badged vehicles now account for the majority of the brand’s global sales.
Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz clearly saw an opportunity for itself with the X-Class. Truck sales are strong right now and appear to be on the rise around the globe, something that clearly helped encourage Ford’s relaunch of the Ranger in North America. While Mercedes didn’t see the X-Class as a good fit for Yankees (especially if they aren’t building in-country) or Canucks, that doesn’t mean it won’t eventually immigrate.
Assuming BMW did decide to build a truck, it could even follow its German rival’s lead and adopt something from another automaker while addressing von Kuenheim’s concerns that it would have to feel and “drive like a typical BMW.” The brand’s joint development with Toyota of the Supra/Z4 is apparently doing just that. In fact, Toyota Hilux seems like the ideal ute candidate and the Germans could theoretically tweak it to adhere to von Kuenheim’s specifications with modest effort. Because, let’s face it, it’s not 1996 anymore and the “typical BMW” is an SUV.
[Images: BMW]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The final nail in the coffin for BMW’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine” tagline.
I had thought that it was changed to “The Ultimate Leased Machine” a while ago…
In any event, if it keeps them profitable, why not?
“The Ultimate Haulin’ Machine”.
I like it….you’re hired!
PAGING BAFO
Munching popcorn and waiting for a diatribe about how the author misused the term “UTE”, the Chicken Tax, aluminium tariffs, and the overall ignorance and obesity of Americans. Another day at the office for BAFO.
Actually elscotto I’ve been having a couple of weeks off after getting my last IOL (intra-ocular implant).
It seems you have me wrong, I’m not a ute fan, never was, always owned a pickup, even a F 100.
I do hope your surgery went well and I (and probably many on here) wish you a speedy recovery.
I am happy to comment on the misuse of the term “Ute” even ignoring the cultural differences that make an Aussie ute different. The most ridiculous use of the word “Utility” is in the abbreviation SUV as applied to the BMW X4 and X6 and the Mercedes GLC and GLE.
I fully expect a puerile remark on my screen name if he replies. Again, another day at the office for BAFO.
Westoverandover,
I haven’t seen your name ever grace TTAC before. Welcome.
So you read TTAC lots and formed an opinion of me?
Been reading the site since 2006 and love it. I comment infrequently.
They’ll just rebadge something from Toyota or Mitsubishi or whatever. Might as well, the rest of the car world is doing the same sorts of things. Brand roots simply do not matter any more, for any volume manufacturer.
BMW could bling up and leather up a Tacoma and stick roundels on it as needed. Toyota might be tempted to drop a few curved “L’s” on this blinged out, leahtered up Taco. The question is; would bling and leather get enough buyers in a lather?
I think it would work for BMW.
Afterall, they did it before with the Freeclimber. And that was just a tiny Suzuki SUV.
A Tacoma?
A Hilux would be more logical as I would suspect the US market would make it unviable to manufacture in sufficient quantities because the chicken tax stops imports.
This would be for the global market, not US.
BMW dealers would rise up with their pitch forks and be fighting mad if the factory rebadged a Toyota. Way too reliable of a rig in both the short and long term to have a BMW rounder on it.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY MONEY ON SERVICE!
FWIW I’m sure that a Tacoma with BMW badges would somehow be the only Tacoma with pi$$-poor resale value.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Ford came out with Lariat and King Ranch trim-level Rangers, would a Lexus Tacoma (GX50?) be much of a stretch? Or would it be the ultimate in badge-engineering cynicism?
The Ranger Lariat has already been announced.
It’s like a Chevy Luv for rich people.
I would daily that E30 trucklet. But otherwise this is stupid
Google the phrase below. For sale in Philly.
2010 Volkswagen Jetta UTE TRUCK custom built truck conversion
I saw a Jetta Ute at the McD in St-Jérôme Québec last week. Drove around just to go see it, it was pretty cool!
I’m pretty sure that BMW can ignore the “Ute” market literally forever, honestly.
(I mean, they could also take an X3 or X5 and rebody it, but … it can’t possibly be worth it.)
Camino is path, so El Camino is Spanish for “the path”.
Which means BMW needs to build Der Weg.
Wow…
I actually photographed one of these in 2012 at the Baltimore ALMS event. It was orange and pretty cool!
Please can they make the E30 again? I had two, a 1986 316 (1.8l carburetor, slow as molasses but fun to drive) and a 1987 320i two door, fantastic little car.
Both were bank vault solid, no frills, high quality, I miss them.
No BMW!
The ute is dead! The world has changed.
A BOF midsizer is needed if you want success nowadays. Something that is easy to modify to suit the individual.
No BMW!
The ute is dead! The world has changed.
A BOF midsizer is needed if you want success nowadays. Something that is easy to modify to suit the individual.
The Chicken tax is easy enough to skirt, Mercedes does it every day (Sprinter). The Mitsubishi Mighty Max (Dodge D50) was never made in the US.
Except the US market would be a bad fit for a BMW pickup or Mercedes pickup, they know it and US isn’t on their pickup truck radar. US consumers would start to reject these two as “luxury car” brands, although that’s already happening.
BMW/Merc as well as Audi and other Euro luxo brands, just don’t have the brand cache, or impact at the country club they used to. That cash cow has slipping for a while, and better left alone.
A BMW pickup would do the automaker no favors in perception of the “brand” in the US, especially when used by 2nd or 3rd owner landscapers, junk/cardboard recyclers, and whatnot.
Ford also pays the tariff on the Transit Connect. If they can afford to do it on a small cargo van, there’s no way in hell you’ll convince me that Mercedes and BMW couldn’t do it for a high-margin luxury truck. The “they can’t because Chicken Tax!!!” argument holds about as much water as a colander.
Note that the X3, X5, etc. are Made In America.
To avoid the Chicken Tax, no?
Plainly BMW thinks it’s far better off not having to jack up prices to cover a 25% tariff.
I actually think that a modestly sporty, RWD or proper AWD, car-based or even X-based ute would fit the BMW brand better than do the FWD 1-series compact cars and 2-series compact whatever-it-is.
The 2-Series coupe and cabriolet are RWD, and very much the successor to classic Bimmers. The 2-Series Active Tourer (not sold here), and X1 are the FWD MINI-based ones.
Yeah, I meant that Active Tourer whatchamacallit, thanks. There’s also a FWD 1-series hatchback I believe; maybe not for the US either.
Nein, nein, nein, nein…oh, for the love of all that is holy. Please, no. Heck, even today’s BMW doesn’t “drive like a typical” BMW anymore. That boat sailed long ago. I hardly recognize BMW today. While I once bled blau mit weiss, those days are fading fast.
I can picture it now. Chip and Misty tossing post-hole diggers, shovels, wood, and fencing into the bed of the BMW and heading out to the back forty to secure a breach on their alpaca ranch.
Cool! I said the exact same thing when I saw the Mercedes X-class. Oh well, at this point does it honestly really matter? Any purist pretensions BMW had vanished some years back.
I’d prefer it if they didn’t make an M version however, because pick up drivers tend to drive like jags anyway. That would just make it worse.
Sad. BMW becomes The Ultimate Cupholder Machine.
I got rid of my two worthless BMW’s (325i and z4).
So, this pickup idea looks interesting.
It wouldn’t be that hard to do: Take an X-5; extend the chassis a bit; get rid of the SAV backend; and put on a pickup bed. Done.
Then you’d get AWD, decent handling, good economy, and utility — all in one, and all set to go.
What are they waiting for?
Where do I sign up?
==========================
This. I say do one based on the X5 and the upcoming X7. The X7-based truck would probably do better in our market.
The REAL reason Mercedes-Benz doesn’t offer the X-Class here is because the minute a Sierra Denali or F-150 Platinum pulls up next to it, it’ll look like the cheap knock-off with a luxury badge that it is. The American truck owner would laugh his @$$ off, and rightfully so.
If BMW made one based on their current utilities, it would present itself as a genuine, pure effort. Rebadging an existing truck is ridiculous, and (only) offering a mid-size luxury truck in North America is as well.
SS(r)?
I get that the truck market is hot, but what about the Euro-branded luxury truck market? Not so much. Stick to what you’re good at, BMW.