Mercedes R-Class Could Return in Some Markets
The Mercedes R-Class might not be entirely dead.
Currently only available in China, the German automaker axed the R-Class in all other major markets in 2013 due to slow sales. First introduced on the market in 2006, the Mercedes R-Class got updated in 2010 with some major styling changes, but that didn’t help the popularity of the luxury minivan-esque model. But the market has changed in the last few years, with more crossovers invading and grabbing a large hold of the automotive market and Mercedes admits it could have pulled the plug on the R-Class too hastily.
At the recent launch of the new Mercedes GLE and GLE Coupe models in Europe, the automaker’s vice-president of product group SUVs and sports cars, Wolf-Dieter Kurz, admits that the R-Class is under consideration for a revival. In speaking about adding more variants and opportunities for the crossover and SUV segments, Kurz said “There was already one that we had in the portfolio – maybe we were too early – which was the R-Class, which we are still selling in China. It’s doing good, with 12,000 to 14,000 units per year.”
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While it’s not directly stating that Mercedes will revive the R-Class, Kurz hints at the idea. If the R-Class does get revived, expect it to depart away from its traditional minivan and station wagon design to more of a crossover, especially since the U.S. market isn’t very receptive to wagons and minivans now.
[Source: CarAdvice]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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