Test drive Mercedes Benz R-class since 2010 Minivan

R-evolution

In the winter of 2002, in Detroit, Mercedes-Benz presented the prototype of the Grand Sports Tourer crossover. Three and a half years later, we were fortunate enough to visit the test drive of the serial version of the Turer Mercedes-Benz R-Class.

Before you give out the keys to the cars, we were warned: the first Riyni R-Class for Europe will appear only in November, and now we are offered modifications for the North American market, which are characterized by an enlarged wheelbase and softer suspension settings.

Here are those on! Why did the Mercedes people need to run ahead of the steam locomotive and arrange a pan-European test drive of a car that will not be sold in the Old World? Obviously, what about the Tazh around the R-Evolutionary model was so great that in Stuttgart they decided not to languish the public, allowing it to quench information hunger a few months earlier than the appearance of Euro version.

The car is really revolutionary, and not only for Mercedes-Benz. In fact, R-Class is the founder of the new auto market segment, a cocktail in which the comfort of the business class sedan, the spaciousness of the mini-wen and the capabilities of the Sport Utility Vehicle car are mixed. Su child yourself: in terms of comfort, the novelty is not inferior to the Eshka Mercedes-Benz, but it has an impressive salon with six individual seats and a constant all-wheel drive.

The design of the R-Class began simultaneously with the start of the creation of a new generation of Mercedes-Benz ML. And this was not about shame with a coincidence. To reduce development and production costs, two models divided the common platform, receiving not only the same suspensions, engines and transmission, but also interior details. M-Class ears climb into R-Class from everywhere: the same steering wheel, the same instrument panel, climate control block, seats buttons, automatic transmission lever 7G-Tronic on the steering wheel. And this is far from a complete list of common details. Moreover, two cars are assembled at the same factory in Alabama.

It is no coincidence that the assembly site was chosen: according to calculations, about half of all produced R-Class will be sold in the USA. Yes, and what to hide, a car was developed for the New World, where the demand for roomy family cars of the premium class is very high.

To understand that you are an American, you can at least for huge cup holders in the central console. The usual aluminum can 0.33 with soda looks in them with a miserable underordinary, but a glass with a large portion of Cola, like those that are given in McDonald's, will stand like a native.

But, despite the pro-American moods of the model, R-Class in German is made qualitatively and thoroughly. The verified ergonomics, rich decoration materials and the exact fitting of all interior details for a second do not allow to doubt the breed of the car. You will experience approximately the same feelings in the new Mercedes-Benz ML, but only if you sit in front: according to the level of comfort of the rear passengers of the R-Class, a cut above the nozzle.

Being in the middle row of Erka is not just convenient, but very convenient. With completely moved back, you can sit on your leg and at the same time do not touch the backs of the front seats! It also does not press in the shoulders: the distance between the chairs here is almost as large as in front, boxing with a wide armrest rises calmly into it. In the presence of a multisone climate control of Thermotronic, sitting in the middle row can set an air temperature in their part of the cabin, different from that of the neighbor. If in the list of options there are a DVD system with monitors in the headrests of the front seats, then passengers of the middle row can pass the time on the road to watch films. So that the movie does not interfere with anyone, under the monitors there are headphone connectors.

Of course, on the 3rd row it is no longer as free as on the 1st and 2nd, but even here you do not feel like a herring in a barrel. If the sitting in front will not push their seats to the stop back, passengers tall above the average may well accommodate here.

Three rows of seats should seem to exhaust the reserves of the free space of the cabin, but no: behind the backs of places for kisses there was a reserve for the luggage compartment of decent sizes. Ra grinds if the seats are folded (they are folded on a thunder), then the luggage size can be significantly increased. In a 6-seater version, the trunk accommodates 314 liters, and in 2-seater everything is 2385!

Two modifications were offered to the test: R 350 and R 500. The first is equipped with a 272-horsepower V6, and the second V8 with a capacity of 306 hp. Both motors, aggregated by a 7-speed automatic transmission, will be discredited on the highway of any miracles, quite energetically accelerating the heavy car. The EU is the same, the V8 does it a little faster than the V6, but it also requires oats more.

The presence of a constant all -wheel drive, distributing the torque evenly between the front and the rear axles, was not reflected in the behavior of the car. So it should be when under the wheels of dry asphalt. In winter, all-wheel drive will allow the owner of the R-Class to feel much more confident in the owners of monoproding machines: the system controlled by electronics will not allow the wheels to slip and provide the best control over the machine on the slippery track.

If you go to the R-Class on the highway, then on mountain serpentines, the car felt at ease. In steep turns, the soft suspension R 350 provoked an unpleasant roll, and all -season tires, protesting against violence, shook plaintively. In R 500, due to the presence of optional pneumatic suspension of all Airmatic wheels (in the R-Class database there is pneumatics only on the rear axle) and adaptive shock absorbers were solved by transferring the Sport mode to the chassis construction. Under the weight became tougher, and the steering wheel is sharper. In this mode, storming mountain passes is much more convenient.

Apart from the Americanized suspension settings that the Euro version should get rid of, the car made a very pleasant impression. According to the combination of qualities such as comfort, capacity, functionality and dynamics, it has no equal, and there will be no long time (such a model is being prepared in BMW, but it will not appear soon). Considering that they promise to sell R-Class for about the same money as the all-wheel drive E-Class universal in a similar equipment (i.e., from about 75 you are $ 75), this model is unlikely to be deprived of the attention of Russians. True, those who sunk on the new product will have to wait: for official Russian dealers Mercedes-Benz, she will appear closer to summer. If there is no strength to wait, there is only one way out: buy a car in the USA, where R-Class will appear at the end of this year.

+ Spacious interior, high level of comfort, all -wheel drive.
Soft suspension, high fuel consumption.

Technical characteristics MB R-Class R 350 (R 500)

Equipped mass, kg 2205 (2240)*
Full mass, kg 2860 (2895)
Dimensions, mm:
- length 5157
- Width 1922
- Height 1656
Base, mm 3215 (3142385)
Maximum speed, km/h 230 (245)
Acceleration time to 100 km/h, from 8.4 (7.0)
Fuel control consumption (mixed cycle), l/100 km 11.5 (13.3)
Fuel tank volume, l 93
Engine:
- type of gasoline, V6 (V8)
- working volume, cm3 3498 (4966)
- Power, L.S. Under MIN-1 272/6000 (306/5600)
- Torque, NM at MIN-1 350/24005000 (460/27004750)
Automatic transmission, 7-speed
Tire size 235/65R17 (255/55R18)
Wheel suspension:
- Front two -leaf, Mcpherson
- The rear four -leaf, pneumatic
Brakes (front and rear) disk, ventilated/disk
Steering with adaptive amplifier
* In brackets are given data for modification R 500

R-Class and iPod

The list of additional R-Class equipment includes such a useful accessory as the iPod Interface Kit adapter through which the Apple MP3-player can be connected to the standard audio system. The Interface KIT device allows you to control the iPod in the same way as an airborne audio complex: using buttons on the steering wheel. The Apple music box, equipped with a hard drive, can remember up to 875 hours of music! Thus, there is no need to constant update the contents of the CD changer. Moreover, you can generally forget about CDs, as the music in the iPod is downloaded directly from the Internet. Mercedes-Benz even has a special site where you can download free tracks, though the choice of music there is small.

Text: Maxim Fedorov
 

A source: Magazine 5 wheel [10/2005]