Mercedes has begun selling its revise R-Class crossover in Europe, with the first U.S deliveries schedule to begin in July. The new model goes into regular production this week in Alabama.
Revealed earlier this year at the 2010 New York motorshow, the updated R-Class gets a reworked fascia that heavily borrows from the company's recent sedans. For the U.S market, the 2011 model will offer a choice of two previous engine choices: a 268bhp 3.5 litre V6 and a 210bhp 3.0 litre V6 turbo-diesel engine.
In Europe, Mercedes will promote the R350 CDI 4Matic, powered by a more powerful version of the 3.0 litre V6 turbo-diesel, producing 262bhp and a muscular 620Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-60mph takes less than 7.6 seconds, and tops out at 146mph.
The seating arrangements in the R-Class consist of; 2+2+0, 2+3+0, 2+2+2 & 2+3+2. In SWB form, the R-Class crossover has a cargo capacity of 1,950 litres, while the LWB can hold upto 2,385 litres of luggage. All R-Class models get the 7G-Tronic 7 speed automatic transmission.
Surprisingly, upto 50% of all R-Classes goto China, making it the largest market for the crossover.