Daimler Stalls on Pickup Truck for U.S.

Daimler AG doesn't expect to decide until at least the middle of next year whether to offer a U.S. version of the midsize pickup truck it is developing for other markets.

Steve Cannon, CEO of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz USA unit, notes that such a truck would be marketed in America as a lifestyle vehicle rather than a work truck because the Mercedes image is too fancy for a conventional pickup. Mercedes is co-developing the vehicle with Nissan Motor Co.

Cannon indicated in April a decision about bringing the truck to the U.S. might be made by the end of 2015. Now he considers the decision "very fluid" and emphasizes that Mercedes won't offer the vehicle in the U.S. at all unless it can find a market need for the truck.