After surprising the automotive world by delivering sub-$30,000 cars and off-road crushers, Mercedes-Benz is preparing a light assault on the pickup truck market.

Mercedes-Benz is building a pickup truck. Mercedes-Benz is building a pickup truck.

Yes, the German luxury brand has firm plans to introduce an open-bed pickup truck, and the target set is 2020. Initially, the unnamed truck will be for sale in Australia, Europe, Latin America and South America—the latter markets being prime territory for midsize, light-duty pickup trucks.

Why a pickup truck? This could be the continuation of a deal with Volkswagen, through which VW licensed the chassis and body of the outgoing Sprinter model, although that seems unlikely. The shape has hints of the current Amarok pickup, but we wouldn't be surprised if it were coincidence.

The timing is rife for a pickup truck, perhaps given the brand's upcoming move to the American South, where pickups are king. We like the idea of a German pickup truck, and we hope there's room in Tuscaloosa, Ala., at the M-class factory for some local production.

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