Mercedes R-Class Range
Innovation can be a double edged sword. For every Audi Quattro, Toyota Prius or Renault Scenic there are the Jensen FFs, Honda Insights and Nissan Prairies cars that were first to market but never quite captured the publics imagination in the same fashion. Latterly it has been French manufacturers who have seemed most willing to embrace new market niches, but Mercedes-Benz, traditionally one of the more conservative companies, have something to make all of us sit up and take notice in the R-Class Grand Sports Tourer.
The top brass at Mercedes noted that while many of their customers liked the space and utility of cars like the M-Class 4x4, they didnt much care for the ride quality or the handling that is inherent in any dual-purpose vehicle. What if the stance and road manners of a luxury saloon could be combined with the versatility of a 4x4 or an MPV-style vehicle? Thats the reasoning behind the R-Class, but it has some significant hurdles to overcome. Its estimated that at least 60 per cent of all R-Class sales will come from the US, a motoring culture that has traditionally seen anything without a boot as being only good for shopping, picking up kids or rock hopping. This culture is slowly changing with the advent of high end SUV sports utility vehicles but the R-Class boldly teases this development in a new direction.
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"The R-Class is a seriously imposing slice of Stuttgart real estate"
Take seat spacing as a for instance. This is the sort of vehicle designed for customers who arent accustomed to flying economy. The acid test for a vehicle with three rows of seats is the space from the second to third which in this case is up to 920mm. Moreover, the seats in the middle row can slide individually fore and aft, thereby increasing the seat spacing to as much as 990mm.
No longer are the rear seats only suitable for the kids. Despite the swooping roofline, up to 1,027mm of rear headroom is available. The rearmost rows of seats also fold flat into the floor allowing the load capacity to expand to a massive 2,057 litres. Try finding an estate car that can match that.
Short wheelbase derivatives are also offered where theres a choice of five or seven seats. The five seat versions ditch the rear row in favour of a larger boot but sacrificing two berths really diminishes the vehicles practicality. A number of enticing options are offered, such as the remote control open and close function for the tailgate, the Luxury Climate Control with over a dozen sensors and a separate air-conditioning unit for the third row of seats. A separate DVD/CD player for the rear and a panoramic sunroof will also make you very popular with the offspring.
The R-Class isnt all about the expensive options, however, and all models feature a very extensive standard equipment list. Engine outputs range from 190bhp up to 388bhp, the V8 powerplant under the bonnet of the R500 propels it from standstill to 60 mph in just 6.3 seconds and on to an artificially limited top speed of 155mph. Also to be found in the engine line-up are two six-cylinder diesel power units with advanced common-rail, direct-injection technology, whose credentials include improved fuel consumption, even lower exhaust emissions and an audible improvement in refinement.
The larger V6 oil-burning engine places its class-beating peak torque of 510Nm on tap from as low down as 1,600rpm. The average fuel consumption figures returned by the R320 CDI are no less astounding: 30.4 mpg. The smaller 2.8-litre CDI diesel forms the entry-point to the range with 440Nm and fractionally better economy of 30.
7mpg. All engine models are partnered as standard by the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, which itself comes with an interesting feature in the form of Direct Select. This electronic transmission control system has allowed Mercedes engineers to dispense with the conventional automatic selector lever in the centre console and to replace it instead with a lever on the steering column. Additional gearshift buttons on the steering wheel enable drivers to manually pre-select the seven forward gears, just like in a Formula One racing car.
This allows the power reserves of the six and eight-cylinder engines to be harnessed to optimum effect in any driving situation. Permanent all-wheel drive, the electronically controlled 4ETS traction system and ESP team up to offer peerless driving safety and keep the new R-Class safely on course, even in very bad road conditions. These systems all make up part of the vehicle's standard specification, as does air suspension at the rear axle. Although there arent too many letters of the alphabet left for Mercedes to exploit, if the R-Class is anything to go by, the brains at Stuttgart will continue to sniff out new market niches worth plundering. The jurys still out on whether this vehicle will be a success or a failure but its a bold move that merits the plaudits.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Mercedes R-class range
PRICES: £36,420-£53,370 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 18-20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 246-324g/km
PERFORMANCE: [R320 CDI] 0-60mph 8.8s / Max Speed 138mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [R320 CDI] [combined] 30.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / ABS / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4922/1922/1656
