A-plus for Mercedes R-Class

One car that seems to have suffered more than most is this, the R-Class.

Seemingly the (very) big bro of the A and B-Classes, it is a curious blend of luxury MPV and SUV with its seven seats and optional all-wheel-drive.

A recent re-style has seen Mercedes ditch the R-Class’s once gawky oval headlights and sharpen it up with a new grille and skirts and sills designed by the manufacturer’s performance arm, AMG.

Two derivatives are now available, both fitted with three-litre diesel engines, albeit in 190bhp and 265bhp states of tune.

The R300 CDI BlueEfficiency and all-wheel-drive R350 CDI long wheelbase are priced at £41,995 and £46,110, respectively.

The R300 tested here will accelerate to 62mph in 9.1 seconds and reach a 134mph top speed while returning 37mpg fuel economy and 204g/km CO2 emissions.

However, it concedes 24cm in length to the more expensive R350, along with 90 litres of boot space, making seven-up weekends away a bit of a struggle due to a shallow stowage area.

Sitting on basically the same chassis as the ML SUV it offers limousine-like leg room for passengers sitting in the second row of seats and Mercedes E-Class-rivalling space in the third row. 

Mercedes’ efforts to improve its fit and finish in recent times are evident in a dashboard that is free of clutter and straightforward to use, if lacking a little design flair.

Climate control, adaptive cruise control, a Bluetooth telephone connection, front and rear parking sensors and electrically-adjustable heated front seats are all among the standard spec.

An American-style gear selector on the steering column also keeps the broad centre console clutter free.

The R-Class’s exceptional ride quality soon emerges as a defining feature.

Sitting on air suspension at the rear it irons out flat potholes and is a natural born motorway cruiser.

At the national speed limit there is barely a murmur of wind noise and a palpable sense of comfort and security.

I also found the R300 CDI well capable of its claimed fuel consumption in these conditions.

Only a slow-witted steering rack betrays the R-Class’s size on smaller roads and makes it feel a little unwieldy.

The R-Class is more about comfort, refinement and acres of interior space than sporty dynamics.

Its bulky looks might divide opinion, but it is a car that has attempted to forge a niche of its own, while slipping under the radar of some of the most clued-up luxury car users.

But despite being one of the lesser known letters in the Mercedes range’s alphabet, R has proved itself to have an impressive raft of abilities in getting people from A to B.