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2006 Mercedes R-Class First Drive
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TO THE POINT
What’s New? By blending a sport-utility with a station wagon and a minivan, Mercedes-Benz is among the first to sell what it calls a ‘sport-tourer’ in the 2006 R-Class. Based on the M-Class platform and powered by the same V6 and V8 engines, the R-Class offers familiar Mercedes design, technology, and driving character is a fresh new package.
Selling Points: Lots of luxury, slick safety technology, first-class accommodations for six, excellent drivetrains
Deal Breakers: Price tag, funky design, some chintzy bits in the cabins
Our Advice: Hankering for a do-it-all Benz but don’t want the off-roading capability of the M-Class SUV and the E-Class wagon reminds you too much of the car your parents drove? Check out the new R-Class sport-tourer, crossover, minivan-SUV-wagon.
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Exterior Design
An arching roofline that strives for coupe-like contours, similar to that on the sleek CLS four-door “coupe,” is the most noticeable styling feature of the new 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class.
An arching roofline that strives for coupe-like contours, similar to that on the sleek CLS four-door “coupe,” is the most noticeable styling feature of the new 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class. The visual trick in this case is the thickened D-pillar, which allows for smoothly tapered windows under a substantial-looking curved roof that indicates both the R’s six-passenger capacity and the potential for enthusiastic driving. The resulting wedge-shaped profile gives the R an impressive 0.31 coefficient of drag. Another pronounced exterior cue is the strong vertical line that starts in the lower air intake, splits the front bumper, and continues into the hood. Mercedes describes it as “arrow shaping.”
Other design elements exhibit evolutionary styling that also shows up in Mercedes-Benz sedans and coupes. Vertically situated headlights stretch rearward in the mildly flared front fenders. The orientation from front to rear mimics the “arrow shaping” in the hood and the intended progression of the roofline. Complex horizontal character lines that create concave and convex surfaces highlight both the sides of the vehicle and the merging points of the hood and front fenders. The driving design philosophy is motion, but it does not seem overplayed to combat the potential for wagon-inspired dullness.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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