The annual return of New Zealand's Fieldays agriculture expo often means a few things. You see more pairs of Red Bands in public, Husqvarna and Stihl chainsaw owners stop talking to each other, and car manufacturers take one of the utes from their inventory into a shed and turn it into something crazy.
That third bit is seemingly becoming more competitive every year. Nowadays Fieldays for a car brand isn't just about turning up with some kind of ripper deal, but it's also about turning up with a gigantic, ostentatious, off-roading behemoth. And, this Mercedes-Benz X-Class — christened as the EXY Extreme Ute — fits that bill quite nicely.
Having been the brainchild of Armstrong Prestige Christchurch, the hulking 'Benz will form part of the four-wheeled Fieldays display. The project was led by Retro Vehicle Enchancement; the same Auckland-based group that built the Holden Colorado ROX concept unveiled last week.
Leading the changes is a silly, stupendous body-kit that lines every angle and every crease of the big X-Class.
What's normally an elegant design (in relation to the rest of the ute market, at least) now looks like something from one of the Terminator films — from the big sports bar down the back to the roof-mounted light bar, to the extreme amounts of black cladding throughout.
Read more: Power play — driving Mercedes-Benz's X-Class V6 ute
The kit itself might ring a bell with some Driven readers. It's a kit sourced from Polish-based tuning company Carlex Design; Mansory's slightly weirder cousin. Their contribution also includes portions of the interior. Namely, the intricate new seats.
Changes to the body are supported by lifted suspension, beefed up all-terrain tyres with matching wheels, and a splash of graphics.
As previously outlined, Armstrong Prestige Christchurch aren't the only ones entering in the 'Fieldays ute Olympics'.
As reported last week, Holden are bringing the aforementioned ROX and Mitsubishi are bringing a replica of a Triton Australian SuperUte circuit racer. There's also Isuzu to consider, who are bringing the new D-Max Shadow.
