2027 Mercedes X-Class Rendering Hides Ram 1500 RHO

Could a Ram-powered Mercedes pickup work?

A fresh CGI rendering imagines a bold — if unlikely — return for the Mercedes X-Class. The video released by Theottle on YouTube grafts Mercedes-Benz styling onto the Ram 1500 RHO platform, producing a pickup that looks part luxury-badged explorer, part full-size performance truck.

Mercedes has been busy introducing new models, from electrified AMG variants to refreshed SUVs, so a pickup revival is not on the brand roadmap. Still, the rendering community keeps revisiting the idea, and this latest interpretation shows what a modern X-Class might look like if Mercedes borrowed more than just a badge.

Design: Mercedes face, Ram bones

The digital X-Class mashes the Ram 1500 RHO's proportions with styling cues pulled from Mercedes' GLB subcompact SUV. The result: familiar GLB headlights, a slim light bar, and a reshaped grille and bumper fitted to a much larger pickup body. Designers also swapped Ram's traditional door handles for the GLB's flush units and gave the concept new wheels and tires to match the premium image.

At the rear, the rendering keeps the Ram 1500 bumper and exhaust layout but replaces the taillights with GLB-like units and adds a Mercedes three-pointed star to the center of the tailgate. The RHO decals are removed, and the imagined X-Class is presented in silver with subtle black accents — a conservative, premium palette.

Under the skin: Ram 1500 RHO hardware

Because the concept is based on the Ram 1500 RHO, it inherits serious mechanicals. The donor truck's headline powertrain is a 3.0-liter straight-six with twin turbochargers:

• Power: 540 hp (403 kW)
• Torque: 521 lb-ft (706 Nm)
• Drivetrain: standard four-wheel drive with an eight-speed automatic
• Performance: 0-60 mph in about 4.6 seconds, top speed ~118 mph (190 kph), quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds at 105 mph exit

Those numbers underline how the RHO positions itself as a Raptor rival: quick, muscular, and road-capable. A Mercedes-badged version would likely keep similar performance figures but reprice the package into a more premium segment.

Market positioning and practicality

The original Mercedes X-Class, built on the Nissan Navara, failed to find a sustainable market niche and was discontinued. That memory makes Mercedes cautious about re-entering the pickup space. A hypothetical new-generation X-Class riding on a Ram platform would face two big questions:

• Could Mercedes justify a significantly higher price while offering genuine Mercedes luxury and dealer support?
• Would buyers accept a rebadged, high-cost pickup when strong, established rivals exist?

From a marketing perspective, a luxury pickup must deliver distinct value beyond badges and cosmetic upgrades. Otherwise, it risks repeating the previous X-Class fate.

"A premium price needs premium substance," says a common industry view — and the RHO-sourced X-Class would need more than a star on the tailgate to convince buyers.

Final thoughts

Renderings like this are useful thought experiments: they show how platform sharing can create compelling combinations, and they let enthusiasts imagine new niches. But Mercedes-Benz seems focused on EVs, AMG performance hybrids, and SUVs for the foreseeable future, so a renewed X-Class remains improbable.

Would you buy a Mercedes X-Class if it wore Ram underpinnings and Mercedes design? The idea is tempting on paper, but for most buyers the price and brand strategy would be decisive.

Highlights:

• Rendering merges Mercedes GLB styling with Ram 1500 RHO chassis
• Expected power: 540 hp and 521 lb-ft from a twin-turbo 3.0L straight-six
• Practical hurdles: pricing, brand positioning, and dealer support

Whether or not Mercedes tries again, the rendering community will keep pushing boundaries — and car fans will keep debating whether a luxury pickup makes sense under the three-pointed star.