Mighty Mercedes-Benz X-Class takes centre stage for Co-op at UK festivals
Boot-sucking mud and torrential rain are all part of the fun for Britain’s hard-core army of festivalgoers – fortunately for them, the challenging conditions at some of this summer’s biggest outdoor events weren’t about to stop a Mercedes X-Class in its tracks either!
Co-op supermarket chiefs drafted in the V6-engined pickup to support the building, operation and dismantling of their temporary stores at festivals nationwide. Up to 7,500 sq ft in size, and fitted out with shelving, fridges, freezers, checkouts and even warehousing, these activations kept revellers well stocked with everything they could possibly need, including food and water, beer, wine, toiletries and medicines. Co-op even established fully-functioning ‘villages’ for up to 90 of its staff to live in while operating its supermarkets 24 hours a day.
Supplied by north-west Dealer Ciceley Commercials, the range-topping X 350 d 4MATIC demonstrator was at the biggest gathering of them all, June’s Glastonbury Festival, where it turned in a three-pointed star performance to rival those of the headline acts.
The mighty Mercedes-Benz was also in the thick of the action at Castle Donington for Download 2019, Latitude in Southwold, Suffolk, and the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival near Inverness, then flitted between Creamfields in Liverpool, and festivals at Leeds and Reading, which all took place over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
Alasdair Fowle“It’s a definite head-turner but our team were every bit as impressed with its capabilities as they were with its appearance."
Co-op Head of Partnerships & Events Alasdair Fowle explained: “The X-Class was allocated to our activation team, whose role entails building the store and village, facilitating trade for the festival community throughout the event, and then derigging everything once it’s drawn to a close.
“As you can imagine, this entails a lot of administration, and movement of staff and equipment. We needed a vehicle that not only offered a high payload capacity, but, of course, could also be used off-road in extreme conditions.
“Creamfields was very wet this year and at Download a month’s-worth rain fell in a single day. This meant the entire site became very difficult to drive through, yet Ciceley’s vehicle took the worst of the ground in its stride and didn’t get stuck once.”
The first premium brand pickup, the imposingly styled four-door, five-seat X-Class combines the traditional pickup attributes of robustness, functionality, strength and off-road performance, with the classical design, comfort, driving dynamics and safety characteristics of a true Mercedes-Benz.
“The X 350 d attracted a lot of interest among festivalgoers at every event we attended,” recalled Mr Fowle. “It’s a definite head-turner but our team were every bit as impressed with its capabilities as they were with its appearance.
“The 1.0-tonne payload capacity is great, and we managed to fit in the X-Class all of the equipment we needed to support our activations. The cab, meanwhile, is roomy enough to accommodate five adults with ease, and the seats are comfortable and supportive, with the added bonus of being heated.
“All this, plus cruise control, meant that on the long journeys between festival sites the vehicle offered a smooth, relaxing and enjoyable environment, while the engine delivered plenty of ‘grunt’ when needed on hilly country roads.
“The KEYLESS GO entry and engine start system was also a ‘plus’, as it relieved the driver of the inconvenience of having to keep digging out the key from a pocket.”
The X 350 d’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel delivers muscular 258 hp power, and 555 Nm of torque over a wide engine speed range of 1,400-3,200 rpm. Its 7G-TRONIC PLUS 7-speed automatic transmission features steering wheel-mounted shift paddles and an ECO start/stop function.
Unlike its four-cylinder stablemates, for which all-wheel drive is engageable, the six-cylinder variant employs a permanent system with low-range and drive selection mode. Wide track, spring and damping system tuned for comfort, and internally vented disc brakes front and rear, combine to deliver supreme handling, both on and off road.
Mr Fowle added: “The X-Class proved to be an essential tool for the activation support team over the course of our busiest summer yet. It’s a supremely practical vehicle, but at the same time a real pleasure to drive.”
Want to discover more about the X-Class? We’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us today.
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⚽ Ciceley Takes on the Vantasy Football League! ⚽
Today, our Ciceley football team proudly represented us at the Mercedes-Benz Vantasy Football League at none other than St George’s Park – the home of England football!
Competing alongside eight teams made up of van drivers and Mercedes-Benz Van dealers from across the country, our squad battled hard and made it all the way to the semi-finals, finishing an impressive 3rd place overall! 🥉💪
The Vantasy Football initiative is about more than just football – it’s a fantastic campaign supporting mental health awareness for van drivers, many of whom work in isolating roles. We`re proud to support this important cause. 💙
A huge shout out to our amazing team:
Rob Claringbold, Gary Bridge, Jack Burgess, Matthew Coombe, Alex Lewis, Lee Holden, and Damian Holroyd – a brilliant mix from across our Sales, Service, IT, Accounts and Management teams.
Well played, team! 👏⚽
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🌍 Tomorrow we’ll be at GreenFleet LIVE! 2025 in Rochdale!
Come and see us to explore the latest in electric vans and sustainable fleet solutions — and chat with our team about how we can support your journey to net zero. ⚡🚛
We’re looking forward to meeting fleet, transport and sustainability professionals from across the UK. See you there!
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☀️ Our eActros 400 has been out and about in sunny Scotland yesterday, with driver training sessions led by Jordan Lowe and Richard.
Great to see more drivers getting behind the wheel and experiencing the future of fully electric transport first-hand! ⚡🚛
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💬 More great feedback for our Carlisle team!
This is what we`re all about — great service and working to keep you moving.
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⭐ Excellent feedback for our Carlisle team! ⭐
We’re proud to support businesses in Carlisle and beyond, keeping vehicles on the road and running smoothly.
Get in touch with the team to book your vehicle in today.
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We were proud to play our part in powering Sam Fender’s People Watching Tour – the first live music tour in the UK & Ireland to run entirely on electric trucks ⚡🎶
When called upon to urgently mobilise an additional Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, our teams in Bolton Service, Sales Support, Accounts, and Digital Services Consultant worked flat out to register, prep and deliver the vehicle within hours – ensuring the tour stayed on schedule and made it across to Northern Ireland.
This was a landmark moment for sustainable entertainment logistics, and we’re delighted we could play a part in making it happen.
The Advantage event is here!
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📸 Proud moment!
We’ve supplied CoolVan with their first Mercedes-Benz van — the beginning of something special.
CoolVan are experts in fridge & freezer conversions & like us, they believe in doing things properly. Together, we’ll be delivering outstanding refrigerated vehicles for customers who demand quality & sustainability.
Huge shout-out to everyone involved. More vans on the way!
Last week we were delighted to join Bardsleys Garage & Recovery in celebrating their incredible 60th anniversary 🎉.
Built on strong family values and decades of dedicated service to the Atherton community, this milestone is truly something to be proud of.
The day was filled with community spirit, from the charity raffle (where we were pleased to donate a branded jacket) to the exciting handover of two brand-new Mercedes-Benz Citan vans to support their growing operations.
A huge congratulations to the Bardsleys family on this remarkable journey—here’s to the next chapter of success and many more years at the heart of Atherton! 🚐✨
🚐✨ The Mercedes-Benz Vans Advantage Event is here! ✨🚐
From 15th – 20th September, we’re offering exclusive savings on a wide range of Mercedes-Benz vans at our Darwen dealership.
✅ Test drive the latest models
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Don’t miss out on big savings, book your appointment today.
📅 Save the date: 15–20 September 2025
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Competitive prices, five-star service, and a new Sprinter that’s a dream to drive. 🚐✨
We love helping customers find the perfect vehicle — from first enquiry to the moment they’re on the road. 💪
🏁 We made it! The eActros 600 has completed the @ev_rally, finishing at beautiful Tatton Park, Cheshire 🌳⚡
A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this journey possible 🙌
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