Ever since the announcement that Mercedes-Benz is developing a pickup truck hit the press a couple of weeks ago, rumors have been abounding regarding this unlikely product, due to hit the market in 2018 or 2019. But now, chief of Daimler's commercial vehicle division, Volker Mornhinweg, has finally decided to speak our regarding the upcoming model, starting off by naming it the GLT and promising that that this midsize pickup will not be going after any of our local American favorites.

"We are not going to develop a fat cowboy truck for North America", Mornhinweg told Car Magazine. "After all, the big three - Ford, GM/GMC and Ram - already own about 90% of that market which typically absorbs in excess of two million units per year. In this cut-throat environment, newcomers like us would invariably fight an arduous uphill battle. That's why our focus is on a smaller and lighter pick-up truck which is already perceived as premium product in South America, Africa and the Middle East." Instead, Mercedes will be cooperating with Nissan and developing a global mid-sized truck based on the newly-introduced Nevara.

According to Mornhinweg, the GLT will be offered with a wide choice of drivetrains and equipment levels, "provisionally labelled workhorse, dual use and leisure and family." The truck will be offered with four and six-cylinder engines in both diesel and gasoline-sipping versions and will be equipped with six-speed manuals or seven-speed automatic transmissions, with prices starting at $30,000 in the lowest-priced markets. At this point, it remains unclear if this truck will reach our market, known for its fat cowboys and the trucks they love so much.