Posh carrier presses right buttons

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 didn’t much care for the ride quality or the handling that is inherent in any vehicle with genuine off-road ability. 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? That was the original reasoning behind the R-Class and little has changed with today’s facelifted version, save for the useful tweaks that have been made across the board.

The obscenely powerful petrol engines that are commonplace at the top of Mercedes’ more luxurious product lines didn’t quite sit with the R-Class and the UK model range is now an all diesel affair. There’s still plenty of clout though. The R300 CDI generates 190bhp and 440Nm or torque from 1,400rpm while the R350 CDI trumps that with 265bhp and 620Nm at 1,600rpm. Both are 3.0-litre V6 common-rail diesels mated to the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission but the R300 CDI is front-wheel-drive while the R350 CDI employs the 4Matic permanent all-wheel-drive system.

Refinement is excellent in the R-Class and, contrary to what its size might lead to you expect, it handles quite nimbly on the open road. Around town, the R feels more of a handful but the engines are well up to the job of getting swiftly away from the lights. If you persevere with the throttle, the R300 CDI can record a 9.5s 0-60mph time while the R350 CDI does the sprint in a surprisingly lively 7.6s.

Mercedes engineers dispensed with the conventional automatic selector lever on the R-Class centre console and replaced it with the Drive Select lever on the steering column. Additional gearshift buttons on the steering wheel enable drivers to flick through the forward gears manually, just like in a Formula One racing car.

The seven-seat capacity of the R-Class instantly precludes a lithe, coupe-style silhouette but the Mercedes designers did manage to make it easier on the eye than the majority of cars with this kind of capacity. The latest models take this further with a redesigned front end emphasising the width and promoting a more dynamic persona for the car. The bi-xenon headlamps now have LED running lights and the tail lights are also restyled.

The rearmost rows of seats also fold flat into the floor allowing the load capacity to expand to a massive 1,950 litres in the short-wheelbase model and 2,385 litres in the long one. Try finding an estate car that can match that. The optional Easy-Pack tailgate can be opened remotely via the key fob when you’re approaching with an armful of shopping and the loading lip is set low on all versions for hoisting weightier items inside. The R will handle those weightier loads too, thanks to its air-suspension with a self-levelling function at the rear.

The basic car comes with most of the equipment you’ll need but it’s hard to avoid casting an eye towards what is an Aladdin’s Cave of an options list. The basic car gets features like two-zone climate control, full-length window airbags, remote central locking, the Comand control system and electric heated front seats. Given the size of the R-Class, it’s easy to imagine owners wanting the Parktronic parking assist system and Blind Spot Assist to make changing lanes easier. There’s also Distronic proximity control that will apply the brakes if it detects a potential impact and Airmatic adaptive air-suspension for a smoother ride. There’s a lot of consider and Mercedes also offers a series of options packs to enhance the looks of the R-Class both inside and out.

The majority of all R-Class sales 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 thanks to high end SUV sports utility vehicles but the R-Class teases that development in a new direction. Wealthy private customers with growing families have found their needs unmet by saloon cars or rather frumpy MPVs. The social stigma that increasingly surrounds big 4x4 vehicles has opened the way for a vehicle like the R-Class, at least that’s the view at Mercedes-Benz.

You’ll turn your grey matter to instant whip trying to work out whether the Mercedes-Benz R-Class is an MPV, a 4x4 or an oversized estate. Don’t worry about it. Take the R-Class at face value and you’ll find a luxurious seven-seat utility vehicle. There’s nothing else quite like it and the latest revisions bring improved looks as well as a model range better suited to the UK market.

It’s big and that presents problems in tight situations but generally, the R-Class handles extremely well for something its size with superb levels of comfort. The diesel engines also offer outstanding economy when you consider how much car they’re being asked to shift. Those rearmost seats in the seven-berth cabin can fit adults reasonably well and when they’re folded down, the boot is stupendous in size. This is a car that does what it does very effectively but the pricing and unorthodox position in the market will keep its appeal suitably niche.