New Mercedes-Benz R300 – Family MPV With Air Suspension
The R Class is Mercedes-Benz’s answer to the Mercedes owner who wants to have a vehicle for weekend golf outings or to take the family out for dinner. It is a huge 7-seater MPV based on the M-Class Platform, but with slightly lower specifications in terms of trim and refinements, although by lower, it does not necessarily mean that it is sub-standard – it is just as luxurious, and feels as good. Generally the drive train is shared, and some of the interior trim is different, but only slightly lower in quality.
The Mercedes-Benz R300 is the latest updated version of the R Class on offer by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia. Visual updates are mostly found on the front end, which has a re-designed front mask, with design cues taken from the sedan and SUV models in the Mercedes-Benz product range. The R300 is just about the most luxurious MPV you can get here, and you are riding on a cushion of air, as air suspension is a standard feature.
The front has been completely redesigned, with a wider grille to give it a wider and lower front demeanour. A new chrome under-guard accords some protection, besides enhancing its looks. Also new is a chrome insert with integrated LED daytime running lights, bi-xenon headlamps for better visibility at night. Overall it is a huge MPV that seats seven people easily, great for going out for family usage.
Inside, the interior is offered with black trim and black leather seats. The front two are electrically operated, with seat memory functions. The centre row seat is in three sections, all of which can be individually folded over for countless permutations in space optimization. The third row folds flat onto the floor to provide a flat stowage surface. A sunroof, always a hit with kids, is standard, as are two 8-inch LED screens mounted on the rear of the front seats. Air-conditioning is first class climatic control, with blowers for the second and third rows.
The tail gate mechanism is electrically operated, and can be opened using a switch or the remote. Other than the standard safety features such as ESP, ABS and the related features, the R300 also features the unique anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®, eight airbags, and crash-active NECK-PRO head restraints. A tyre pressure loss warning system is included.
Blind Spot Assist makes a major contribution to accident prevention in the new- R-Class. First introduced in the S-Class in 2007, this system warns the driver once it recognizes that a lane-change is too dangerous. The system consists of short-range radars housed on both sides of the rear bumpers to monitor the areas directly alongside and behind the car. If there is another vehicle in the next lane – the system informs the driver by illuminating a red warning symbol in the lens of the exterior mirror. If the driver fails to see this warning and indicates to change lanes, a warning signal sounds as well.
Powering the R300 is a 3.0 litre V6 with the familiar 7-speed, 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission. In addition, there are a set of paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel in the normal + plus and (-) minus configuration for some sporty driving if you so desire, although, in my opinion, keeping it on D is more than enough with this vehicle.
Delivering 231 horsepower and 300Nm of torque, the power plant is good enough for a zero to 100 km/h dash in 9.7 seconds, and a top speed of 222 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 11.1 – 11.3 litres per 100 kilometres in mixed driving – however in our test session, which was mainly city driving with some limited highway driving, we achieved an overall consumption of 14.1 litres per 100 kilometres, which is actually quite respectable.
On the road, the R300 behaves well, and is easy to drive – its sheer size and length makes it a little clumsy to manoeuvre in tight places such as parking in shopping complexes, but on the open road, it is great.
The ride is superb, thanks to the air suspension – it does have some roll, but you can easily resolve this by switching to SPORT mode from COMFORT mode. In SPORT setting, the handling improves tremendously, but ride quality suffers slightly.
In the final analysis, if you want a luxurious MPV, and can afford the RM470, 888 (or another RM8k for the upgraded version), and then the R300 is a great MPV to have. You will also note that the price is considerably lower than that of the S Class, although the offering is close to that of the sedan – draw your own conclusions as to whether it is a good alternative to the S.
