Big LUV: Edag To Reveal Full-Size Pickup Concept

FULDA, Germany — German vehicle engineering specialist Edag has announced it will reveal a new pickup truck concept at the Geneva Motor Show in early March.

Dubbed LUV for Luxurious Utility Vehicle, the 224.4-inch long, 78.7-inch wide concept car is based on the Mercedes-Benz GL. It is intended as a showcase of the company's ability to develop niche models through to production.

Sporting a large chromed grille in front and an expansive tray table at the rear, the big four-wheel-drive vehicle has clearly been designed to appeal to American car buyers. Among the highlights are a series of teak applications that help to lend a nautical air to the LUV.

It will be another month or so before Edag lifts the covers on its new concept, but in the meantime, sketches reveal it shares key design cues 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 GL as the basis for its latest concept is no coincidence. For some time, rumors have circulated that Mercedes-Benz was considering building a pickup version of its big off-roader as a rival to the Cadillac Escalade EXT. The German carmaker even went as far as to preview such a vehicle as part of a computer-generated video presentation at a closed-door event for media at its Sindelfingen design center on the outskirts of Stuttgart in 2005.

Although the LUV is described as a one-off, Edag officials don't rule out the possibility it will reach production in small numbers.

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