Could this be the next (surprising?) entry into the motorhome market?

Of course, Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to producing classy camper vans.

Indeed, last summer we hit the road in the latest Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo (look out for our full review very soon!).

But these are something altogether different.

Concept camper vans

Late last year, Mercedes-Benz launched its first pick-up, the X-Class, which our colleagues on Autocar said, “lifts the bar on commercial vehicle comfort while retaining tough qualities”. So far, so good.

Now, at the Caravan, Motor, Touristik (CMT) show – which runs from this Saturday, 13 January, until 21 January 2018 in Stuttgart, Germany – head to the Mercedes-Benz Vans stand to see camper van concepts based on the X-Class.

Billed as ’vans to take you and your new year adventures further afield than ever, two models will make their debut.

And we’d love to hear what you think of them!

Tischer’s demountable dream

One is a demountable camper – and we know how fans of these adore their versatility.

Built by Tischer, this concept gives you an overcab bedroom that’s 150cm wide with almost 2m of headroom.

In the kitchen is a three-burner hob and three seats – and the latter can be converted into a second bed.

There’s even a washroom! It features a fold-away washbasin, a swivelling toilet and a shower.

Another way

The other concept on the Mercedes-Benz Vans stand will be a different approach, developed by VanEssa Mobilcamping.

This has a heavy-duty pull-out module weighing around 250kg, which contains a fully equipped kitchen.

Here you get a coolbox, facilities for washing-up and cooking, and space for crockery and supplies, plus a second pull-out section with additional space.

In VanEssa’s unit, the load bay of the X-Class has a water-resistant cover that can be raised to a 45-degree angle on pneumatic struts – for longer trips, the firm says you could fit a roof tent with a rear-facing entrance.

The rise and rise of touring

Although these are only concepts, Mercedes-Benz believes there’s an appetite for such vehicles.

Between January and October 2017 almost 38,000 new vehicles were registered across all classes of camper vans, according to the German Caravanning Industry Association (Caravaning Industrie Verband), an increase of more than 5000 year-on-year.

And the rise in the number of people embarking on more far-flung, off-the-beaten-track tours is why these X-Class pick-up projects have been completed.

Being a luxury model with true off-road credentials, pick-ups like these are ideal bases for extreme touring vehicles that also offer a degree of comfort.

For example, rear-wheel drive is standard, but you can select four-wheel drive for go-anywhere ability, and ground clearance is as much as 222mm with the optional suspension – plus it has a towing capacity of up to 3500kg.

What do you think of them?

And there’s more…

Also at the CMT 2018, Mercedes-Benz will be showing its full Marco Polo line-up, each an ‘Edition’ model with a host of extras as standard.

In addition, check out the new kit coming to the Marco Polo camper van range from April 2018, including a nine-speaker sound system with a subwoofer, Bluetooth connectivity, a five-channel DSP amplifier and two modes.

Want to see more? Go to hall 7 (booth 7C11) at the CMT 2018, as the show celebrates its 50th anniversary.