Raising a glass to lifeboat crews
Raising a glass to lifeboat crews
Raising a glass to lifeboat crews
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MOTORING<br />
Mercedes-Benz<br />
a real multi-tasker<br />
Called a Sports Tourer, this six-person crossover is designed for utility—<br />
without sacrificing luxury, comfort or driving enjoyment.<br />
So what is it? The R-Class is a vehicle that can comfortably carry six<br />
adults (or four adults with ample legroom and plenty of luggage<br />
space), but still drives like a high-performance luxury car.<br />
The exterior design of the R-Class cleverly disguises the vehicle's size,<br />
particularly from the rear view. The R-Class offers a fun-<strong>to</strong>-drive<br />
element that is hard <strong>to</strong> find in a traditional SUV or minivan. The sixpassenger<br />
R-Class offers individual seats in each seating position.<br />
Second- and third-row seats can be folded separately <strong>to</strong> create<br />
additional cargo room. The rear seats fold <strong>to</strong> create a flat cargo floor,<br />
and the optional second-row centre console can be removed.<br />
The R500 has enough power <strong>to</strong> satisfy all but the most hard-core<br />
enthusiast, yet the R350 still delivers in the performance department<br />
with a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine combined with the sevenspeed<br />
G-Tronic au<strong>to</strong>matic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.<br />
The R350 delivers enough power for confident passing on two-lane<br />
62<br />
highways; even without the optional air suspension the handling is<br />
good. Amazingly enough, for a vehicle with this level of passenger<br />
and cargo volume the fun fac<strong>to</strong>r remains.<br />
The R-Class design is immediately recognizable as a Mercedes-Benz,<br />
with the signature grille that relates it <strong>to</strong> other models in the lineup.<br />
The R-Class has a large volume of interior space for passengers or<br />
cargo, but it really shines in the driving department. The R-Class is a<br />
people mover that enthusiasts can love.<br />
For the Affluent Late-Forming Family or the Socialite Empty-Nesters<br />
that Mercedes-Benz has identified, or anyone who enjoys driving<br />
sports cars but needs the capacity for passengers or cargo, the R-<br />
Class might fit the bill—just don't call it a minivan.<br />
Prices will range from £42,000 <strong>to</strong> £55,000 when this stylish Merc<br />
goes on sale spring 2006. The R-Class will be offered in both long<br />
and short wheelbase versions, but the extra £1500 asked for the long<br />
wheelbase version is more than worth it, if for nothing else than how<br />
good the car looks with a few more inches on the wheelbase. Both<br />
petrol and diesel versions will be available.<br />
For information contact:<br />
Esplanade Ltd<br />
Medina Avenue<br />
Newport<br />
Isle of Wight<br />
01983 52 32 32<br />
www.esplanade.co.uk