Be spontaneous, free and independent. Pack your bags at short notice, set out for the countryside with friends or acquaintances and together enjoy even the ride itself - you can with a new vehicle design from Mercedes-Benz: the R Class, the Grand Sports Tourer.

With its versatility, the series represents the attitude toward life that the young and those still young at heart want to express with their car. The R Class combines the dynamics of a sporty saloon with the comfortable roominess of a van, the versatility of an estate car and the performance of an off-road vehicle.

Following the widely noted world premiere of the Grand Sports Tourer in the spring of 2005 in New York, Mercedes-Benz will present a special version of the new R Class designed for Europe at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main. Its essential difference: a body that is 235 millimetres shorter.

It measures 4,922 millimetres in length and thus has the size of an upper-range saloon. In the interior, however, the proportions of the new Mercedes model are significantly more generous. They are essentially based on the modern vehicle design and a scheme of measurements thought out down to the last detail. In the R Class, for example, there is room for up to six passengers in three rows of seats. Once you have made yourself comfortable in one of the single seats, you will soon be impressed once more - by the luxurious roominess of the R Class.

This new ride quality is based in part on the “XXL” dimensions of the interior. Yet the R Class offers still more: This pleasing atmosphere is shaped by a harmonious composition of various factors. The smooth-running V6 or V8 engine, the perfect air conditioning, the pleasant acoustics, the air suspension, the beautiful colours, the high-quality materials - these and other features act in concert and make the trip an unforgettable experience, and make the R Class a place of adventure. Some of the measurements from the passenger compartment speak for themselves: The seat clearance, an important indicator for freedom of movement and spatial comfort, measures 860 millimetres between the first and second rows of seats in the standard position and thus attains the standard of luxury saloons. The knee room measures 119 millimetres. Between the second and third rows, there is again a maximum seat clearance of 860 millimetres available.

When it comes to headroom as well, the European version of the Grand Sports Tourer towers above the crowd. There is 1,014 millimetres of headroom in the second row of seats and 935 millimetres in the third row. Similarly, the R Class again breaks new ground in comfort and roominess as regards the breadth dimensions available in the interior. They surpass the figures of other upper-range cars, by as much as 100 millimetres in the case of elbow room (front: 1,550 millimetres, rear: 1,557 millimetres).

Up to 1,950 litres of cargo capacity

Not only that, but this adventurous interior can be rearranged at will in accordance with the space or transportation needs of the moment. The four seats in the rear can be folded down one at a time, resulting in a flat cargo area of up to 1,982 millimetres in length. The maximum capacity of the rear section is 1,950 litres (VDA measuring method) when laden to the roof. When only the third row of seats is folded down, the maximum cargo volume available is 888 litres. The large EASY PACK tailgate, which can also be opened and closed by remote control if desired, makes loading and unloading the R Class easy.

And the high-performance air conditioning system also makes even long journeys in the new R Class pass even more comfortably. In addition to the standard-fit THERMATIC dual-zone climate control with a separate control panel for the passengers in the rear, Mercedes-Benz is also offering a newly developed multi-zone THERMOTRONIC climate control system as an option. In this case, more than a dozen sensors and an extra booster fan faithfully maintain the temperatures set by the driver, front passenger and rear occupants. As an option, the new R Class can also be equipped with a separate rear climate control system for the third row of seats.

Thanks to a separate CD/DVD player (optional equipment), the passengers in the rear can also select their own programme of entertainment. The colour monitors and headphone connections are integrated into the backs of the front headrests.

For fresh air and a nice view of the sky, the R Class comes with a newly developed panoramic sunroof whose large glass panes extend over almost the entire roof area. This extra therefore provides an unmatched opportunity to enjoy the open air.

Mercedes-Benz is also offering valuable extras in the various equipment packages available for the R Class. Customers can thus equip and upgrade their Grand Sports Tourer according to their individual tastes. In addition to the AIRMATIC package, there is a styling package for the exterior and a sports styling package featuring a specially styled instrument cluster, sports pedals, 19-inch wheels and power-adjustable sports seats upholstered in Alcantara/ARTICO leather.

Six- and eight-cylinder engines with 7G-TRONIC and DIRECT SELECT

The engines available for the R Class range in output from 165 kW/224 hp to 225 kW/306 hp. They include two smooth-running petrol engines with six and eight-cylinders and the new V6 diesel engine from Mercedes-Benz - a strong trio that offers the best conditions for dynamic driving enjoyment and high comfort on long trips.

The powerful V8 engine accelerates the R 500 from zero to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and allows a maximum speed of 245 km/h. The newly developed six-cylinder diesel engine with third-generation common rail direct injection provides a maximum torque of 510 Nm at 1,600 rpm, the peak rating for this displacement class. The R 320 CDI has a combined fuel consumption rating of 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

Meanwhile, the new V6 petrol engine (200 kW/272 hp) can propel the R 350 from zero to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds and attain a top speed of 230 km/h.

All the engines are partnered with the seven-speed automatic transmission 7G-TRONIC as standard equipment, and the latter now provides an additional new feature: DIRECT SELECT. This electronic transmission control system allows the Mercedes engineers to dispense with the conventional automatic selector lever in the centre console and to replace it instead with a lever on the steering column. Additional gearshift buttons on the steering wheel make it possible to manually select any of the seven gears. The driver can this way make the best possible use of the capacity of the six- or eight-cylinder engine in every driving situation.

Thanks to the new DIRECT SELECT gearshift lever on the steering column, which eliminates the need for a conventional automatic selection lever, there is room in the tunnel moulding of the R Class for a spacious stowage compartment and a cupholder. Both have lids that slowly swing up when tapped on lightly. Underneath the upholstered armrest between the front seats is another large storage space with an upper section in which a mobile phone can be installed. The rear portion of the tunnel moulding is made up of two separately adjustable air vents for the rear.

Permanent four-wheel drive with electronic traction control

The transfer case of the permanently engaged four-wheel drive that comes as standard is flanged directly to the 7G-TRONIC transmission. Traction control is taken care of by the proven electronic traction system 4ETS, which now provides additional functions that make it even more capable than before. 4ETS controls the distribution of the drive torque by applying brief braking forces. To do so, 4ETS uses the wheel sensors of the ABS anti-lock braking system: Should these sensors, which detect the rotational speed of the wheels, report that one or more wheels have lost direct ground contact, they are automatically braked. At the same moment, the distribution of power changes: The drive torque at the wheels with good traction increases to the same degree that the spinning wheels are braked, so that the vehicle can continue to move on loose or slippery road surfaces.

AIRMATIC with adaptive damping system

The four-link rear suspension is fitted as standard with air springs, separate single-tube shock absorbers and a torsion bar stabilizer. The all-round air suspension AIRMATIC, developed by Mercedes’ own engineers, is available as an option. It not only provides a significant gain in ride comfort but also improves the aerodynamics and therefore the fuel consumption in fast driving. The system reacts to the speed of the vehicle and automatically lowers the body by 20 millimetres at speeds above 120 km/h. By pushing a button, the driver can also raise the vehicle by a maximum of 50 millimetres to gain greater ground clearance during slow driving - such as on rough roads. Another feature of the air suspension system is the automatic all-round level control.

AIRMATIC comes with the ADS adaptive damping system as a standard fitting. ADS continuously controls the damper forces as needed in accordance with the road surface, the driving style and the amount of cargo on board. Adjustable solenoid valves in the dampers make it possible to adjust the bump and rebound as appropriate to the situation, which significantly reduces the movements of the body.

Adaptive front airbags, side airbags and windowbags as standard

With its two-stage front airbags and seat belt force limiters (front), belt and buckle retractors, side airbags and windowbags, the R Class lives up to the high Mercedes standard in regard to the occupant protection systems, too.

The sensor array of the restraint system includes two “up-front” sensors on the front module which, by virtue of their exposed mounting position in the forestructure, detect the severity of an impact even earlier and more precisely than the central crash sensor on the centre tunnel. This makes it possible to shorten even further the period of time between the impact and the triggering of the seat-belt tensioners and the airbag generator. In addition, the extensive sensor system provides the opportunity to adaptively control the pyrotechnic belt force limiters at the front seats and deploy the airbags in two stages in accordance with the accident situation. The belt force limiters for the driver and front passenger likewise operate adaptively, in accordance with the accident situation.

The newly developed NECK PRO headrests (optional equipment) optimize the protection of the driver and front passenger in a rear-end collision. They, too, are connected to the electronic control system: Once the sensors have determined that such a collision has occurred and that the impact has exceeded a defined level, the prestressed springs in the headrest are released. As a result, the headrest is shifted some 44 millimetres forward and 30 millimetres upward within a split-second. Support is thus provided right away for the heads of the front passengers, reducing the risk of whiplash injuries. After the NECK PRO system has been triggered, the headrests can be unlocked using the tool provided and pushed back into their original positions by hand.

With driver and front-passenger sidebags and windowbags as standard equipment, the restraint system of the new R Class offers two more highly effective systems that complement one another in their protective benefits. Whereas the sidebags primarily reduce the severity of impacts in the chest area, the windowbags act as large-area head protection for front and rear passengers. In the event of a side impact, the windowbag spreads out like a large curtain from the front to rear roof pillar. It also provides protection against objects that can penetrate into the interior of the car.

Mercedes-Benz achieves another substantial advance in the field of safety with the preventive occupant safety system PRE SAFE® (optional equipment), which goes into action in the seconds before an impending accident to prepare passengers and car for the possible collision.

When necessary, the electrically adjustable front passenger seat with memory feature (optional equipment) is put into a better longitudinal position, and the reclining angle of the head cushion and backrest are adjusted as well.

When a rollover is possible, the sunroof is automatically closed.

Thanks to the precautionary protective measures of PRE-SAFE®, the occupants of the car are seated in a better position before an accident, so that the seat belts and airbags can operate more effectively. If the accident is avoided, the belt straps are loosened again and the passengers can put the seats and sunroof back in their original positions.