Standard equipment of the B-Class includes air conditioning (with dust
filter), power windows and door locks, active front seat head restraints, side curtain and head/thorax side airbags, Acceleration Skid Control (ASR), anti-lock brakes with brake assist for better emergency stops, an armrest and a storage compartment between the front seats, chrome and brushed aluminum trim, fold-down rear seats, a height-adjustable floor in the cargo area, a telescoping steering wheel, heated washer nozzles, a rear washer/wiper window, and a five-speed manual transmission.
A selection from the range of options would include 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels, an anti-theft system, a six-CD changer, an automatic transmission, power seats, leather upholstery, an upscale sound system, and a sunroof.
To help consumers express their individuality, Mercedes-Benz will be glad to sell them some pre-packaged sets of features. That would include the exterior chrome package on the B200 model only, an exterior lighting and visibility package, and an interior lighting package.
Going way upscale to the R-Class wagon/minivan/whatever, which should speak more clearly to the brand's traditional buyers, Breitschwerdt
describes it as a vehicle that "combines the distinct advantages of several disparate vehicles -- the sure-footedness of a four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle, the performance and comfort of a fine sports sedan, and the versatility of a luxury wagon."
Breitschwerdt maintains that the six-seat R-Class's "innovative design and useful technology now make possible an automotive decathlete -- a vehicle that can excel at an unprecedented range of owner needs."
There'll be two versions of this vonder-car -- the R350 with a 3.5-litre, 268-hp V-6, and the R500 with the 5.0-litre, 302-hp V-8, both of which get a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Among the R-Class's many options, says Breitschwerdt, is a "panoramic sunroof with nearly 1.5 m of glass that provides an even larger sense of space."
R-Class is indeed a very long vehicle, with room (of varying quality and quantity) for six people. "The new R-Class is about 12 cm longer than a Cadillac Escalade and 25 cm longer than a Cadillac SRX," Breitschwerdt says, "giving it the commanding size that many customers want."
For the most part, Mercedes owners will find the R-Class a familiar experience, until they start to look for the gearshift. "Unlike most
vehicles," says Breitschwerdt, "there's no shift lever dominating the centre console of the new R-Class. Thanks to the latest electronic control technology, a small stalk on the right side of the steering column now serves the purpose."
He says that shifting the seven-speed automatic will be "simpler than ever," with drivers just having to lift the stalk up for reverse, push down for drive, and push a button on the end for park."
Once the R-Class is underway, he adds, "pushing one of the shift buttons on either side of the steering wheel provides Touch Shift manual gear changes."
photo:Mercedes-Benz Canada
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| 2006 Mercedes-Benz B-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada) |
A selection from the range of options would include 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels, an anti-theft system, a six-CD changer, an automatic transmission, power seats, leather upholstery, an upscale sound system, and a sunroof.
To help consumers express their individuality, Mercedes-Benz will be glad to sell them some pre-packaged sets of features. That would include the exterior chrome package on the B200 model only, an exterior lighting and visibility package, and an interior lighting package.
Going way upscale to the R-Class wagon/minivan/whatever, which should speak more clearly to the brand's traditional buyers, Breitschwerdt
 |
| 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada) |
Breitschwerdt maintains that the six-seat R-Class's "innovative design and useful technology now make possible an automotive decathlete -- a vehicle that can excel at an unprecedented range of owner needs."
There'll be two versions of this vonder-car -- the R350 with a 3.5-litre, 268-hp V-6, and the R500 with the 5.0-litre, 302-hp V-8, both of which get a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Among the R-Class's many options, says Breitschwerdt, is a "panoramic sunroof with nearly 1.5 m of glass that provides an even larger sense of space."
R-Class is indeed a very long vehicle, with room (of varying quality and quantity) for six people. "The new R-Class is about 12 cm longer than a Cadillac Escalade and 25 cm longer than a Cadillac SRX," Breitschwerdt says, "giving it the commanding size that many customers want."
For the most part, Mercedes owners will find the R-Class a familiar experience, until they start to look for the gearshift. "Unlike most
 |
| 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada) |
He says that shifting the seven-speed automatic will be "simpler than ever," with drivers just having to lift the stalk up for reverse, push down for drive, and push a button on the end for park."
Once the R-Class is underway, he adds, "pushing one of the shift buttons on either side of the steering wheel provides Touch Shift manual gear changes."
photo:Mercedes-Benz Canada
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