Nowadays more and more families, at least the ones rolling in wealth, are looking for the perfect family car ? big enough and beautiful to boot. Nothing fits the bill better than the Mercedes R-Class, a model targeted at the larger family. It can seat up to six passengers in true Mercedes luxury and comfort.

How does it measure up? The R-Class is 5,157mm from nose to tail, which places it in the luxury saloon bracket in terms of size. And such is the design that 64 per cent of its overall body length is available as space for occupants. That means that though it is sized like a saloon, it has people-carrier dimensions within. The seat spacing amounts to 920mm, while the second and third rows of seats can be separated by up to 840mm. The second-row seats can be adjusted individually fore and aft, increasing the seat spacing to as much as 990mm. The maximum distance between the second and third rows of seats (depending on seat position) is 920mm.

If there?s plenty of legroom, there?s ample headspace as well. The headroom, 1,027mm at the rear and shoulder room, which varies between 1,530mm at front and 1,514mm at the rear, are again aimed at providing the occupants with a very high level of comfort. The second row has armrests while optional extras include a centre console between the seats in the rear with extra stowage compartments as well as cup holders. Passengers have control over their own entertainment thanks to the separate DVD/CD player (also an option) as colour screens and earphone connections are integrated into the back of the head restraints in front.

The R-Class also means driving in cool comfort. The air-conditioning system is the THERMATIC dual-zone climate control featuring a separate control panel for the passengers in the rear. There is a newly-developed multi-zone THER-MOTRONIC system also available. Equipped with sensors and an auxiliary booster blower, the system is able to maintain the temperatures set by the driver, the front passenger and the occupants in the rear. Climate control in the new R-Class is rounded off by a separate rear air-conditioning unit that can be ordered as an option for the third row.

The R-Class is meant for families. Families travel with luggage and luggage space is important. The R-Class offers a maximum of 2,057 litres of luggage space, achieved by folding the four rear seats flat, effectively making the vehicle a two-seater.

One would imagine that with so much emphasis on the interiors, the motive power would be an also-ran type of unit. But this is Mercedes, where engineering is always at a premium. The R-Class uses not four-cylinder units but V6s and V8s. Power ranges from 224bhp to 306bhp and there is a common rail diesel too. Which means the R-Class is available as R500, R350 and R320CDI. The V8 in the R 500 takes it from standstill to 100 km/hr in just 6.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 240 km/hr. An MPV doing 240kph! The others are no slouches either ? the 272-hp V6 R 350 accelerates from 0-100 km/hr in just 8.3 seconds and goes on to reach a top speed of 230 km/hr while the diesel develops 510 Newton metres of torque at just 1,600rpm. Enough to pull a fully loaded R-Class around the countryside and yet have enough poke to see off the boy racers. All models are partnered with the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, which also comes with DIRECT SELECT, an electronic transmission control system that replaces the conventional automatic selector lever in the centre console 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. Yet this is an MPV!

R-Class owners also have the option of AIRMATIC all-round air suspension. This interlinked with the ADS Adaptive Damping System, allows the body to be raised by up to 50mm when driving along rough roads. While at speeds above 120 km/hr, the body is lowered by 20 mm to reduce wind resistance.

If the car can reach a max speed of 240 km/hr and go from 0 to 100 km/hr in just 6.9 seconds, safety needs to be top priority. Well, a Merc isn?t a Merc if its not safe. The R-Class has an anticipatory protection system option, which detects critical handling situations and prepares occupants and vehicle for an imminent collision. The driver?s and front passenger?s seat belts are pulled taut while the front passenger seat is adjusted to the optimum position. Adaptive front airbags and front side airbags as well as window airbags are all standard in the R-Class.

Will the R-Class work in India? We are, after all, a land of large families ? though not wealthy ones. Also, Mercs have always been projected as luxury and exclusive vehicles in India. While these are family-oriented vehicles, India is a place where Mercedes saloons and sportsters are more attractive as they come with the tag of exclusivity attached. It all depends on the pricing and image Mercedes wants to project in India.

My first car

Alokananda Roy,
danseuse

The first car that I ever owned was an Italian Fiat. My late husband used to be very fond of vintage cars and it was he who gifted it to me.

I must confess that though I loved it a lot, my car gave a great deal of trouble. It was really difficult to find any spare parts for it, and we often had to push it to give it a start.

But that said, I had a lot of fun times in it. I remember a time when I was all dressed up, and in high heels, when the car brakes failed. My husband was driving it, and I had to drop off something, so he advised me to jump off. That I did, and while he took a couple of rounds, I actually had to calculate my moves till I was able to jump in again! What an effort it took that day to stop the car!

My Fiat stayed with me till the late ‘90s, when I sold it. Maybe I would have been sorry to see it go, had I still been using it, but unfortunately, it had long been lying idle by then