Currently reading: European luxo-pickup headed for Geneva
German engineers Edag to show giant luxury pickup truck at Geneva

German vehicle engineering specialist Edag will reveal a new pick-up truck at the Geneva motor show in early March, but it'll be unlike any flatbed you've ever seen before. Dubbed LUV – Luxurious Utility Vehicle - the 5700mm long and 2000mm wide concept car is based on the Mercedes-Benz GL and has been conceived to showcase the company’s ability to develop niche models through to production.

Sporting a large chromed grille up front and an expansive tray table at the rear, the big four-wheel drive has clearly been designed to appeal to American car buyers; its oversized dimensions surely ruling out any possibility of it gaining wide spread acceptance in Europe.

While we’ll have to wait another month or so before Edag lifts the covers on its new concept, these sketches (see gallery) reveal that it shares key design cues and a number of original body panels with the Mercedes-Benz GL. Using a double cab layout, the LUV provides seating for up to five adults in two rows.

Edag’s decision to use the Mercedes-Benz GL as the basis for its latest concept is no coincidence. For some time now rumours have circulated that Mercedes-Benz was considering building a pick-up version of its big off-roader as a rival to the Cadillac Escalade EXT. The German car-maker even went as far as to preview such a vehicle as part of a computer generated video presentation at a closed door event for the media at its Sindelfingen design centre on the outskirts of Stuttgart back in 2005.

The LUV could be Edag's unofficial pitch to make Mercedes' GL pick-up under contract for Mercedes therefore. It'll be interesting to find out how well it goes down at the smallest motor show on the calendar, and what Mercedes' reaction to it will be.

Greg Kable

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