Former Detroit Lions general manager Matt Millen was famous for his ‘stay the course’ mentality, and we all know how that turned out for Millen and the 0-16 Lions. But that kind of stubbornness can also be found in the automotive world as Mercedes-Benz refuses to give up on its faltering R-Class SUV/crossover/minivan.
Mercedes-Benz had high hopes for its R-Class when it first launched back in the fall of 2005, but the automotive oddity hit its peak in early 2006 and has been on the downswing ever since. Mercedes has even referred to the R-Class as a “lesson learned”.
In early 2006, Mercedes dealers were selling the R-Class at a clip of 2,500 units per month. However, that figure has decreased in almost every subsequent month, resulting in just 7,733 R-Class sales in 2008 – a 40.7 percent drop off from 2007. Mercedes-Benz sold about 18,000 R-Class CUVs in 2007, which was a 28 percent decrease from 2006.
At launch, Mercedes-Benz targeted 25,000 R-Class sales per year.
But despite its epic failure, the German automaker refuses to give up on the odd-shaped R-Class. The R-Class has already received two updates, with another one on the way for 2010. However, Mercedes-Benz isn’t too optimistic that things will get better anytime soon, and admits the R-Class tries a bit too hard to be all things to all people. “We have reached the level we can sell it,” Ernst Lieb, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, told Automotive News. “We plan to stay at this volume.”
01/21, 5:47 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
The
R idiculous
Class
01/21, 5:50 PM
posted by:
aesir
LMAO, took the words out of my mouth.
01/21, 6:31 PM
posted by:
anti-believer
LOL haha
01/21, 6:36 PM
posted by:
TomF
The flat-out silliest vehicle in the MB stable.
01/21, 6:43 PM
posted by:
Jon Luc
I agree.
01/21, 6:43 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
Was the R-class supposed to be a CUV (See “Tall wagon”), A RWD Minivan (I miss those), and tall wagon (That is starting to look like a hot future segment), or an upmarket Pacifica (Maybe the first Tall Wagon – could have used some updates)?
I’d like to see the proposal doc for the R-class, if I could read German. It is likely a very defuse reading document denoting no specific mission or goal for the vehicle.
01/21, 9:21 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
This is what happens when you try to answer a question that nobody asked.
01/21, 9:27 PM
posted by:
darx_ider
Very well said Johnny
01/21, 9:50 PM
posted by:
Dangerous1
Why did Mercedes introduce this unnecessary vehicle in the first place? It’s frightfully expensive (about $50,000 to drive one home), ungainly (a monster tall wagon) and thirsty so no winder why it’s not selling well.
IMOHO, M-B has too many models in their USA showrooms. In the past several years every company wanted to be a full line manufacturer, and is this really necessary? Remember 25 years when M-B only had 4 models in the USA and they were admired for their exclusivity and still made buckets of money?
The current line in the USA exists of:
S-Class
E-Class
C-Class
S-Class
SL-Class
SLK-Class
C-Class
CL-Class
CLK-Class
CLS-Class
E-Class
G-Class
GL-Class
GLK-Class
R-Class
ML-Class
Too many models?
01/21, 9:53 PM
posted by:
Dangerous1
Sorry for the mistake in my list of current vehicles. I can’t edit my post and I typed the S, E & C-Class lines twice.
01/21, 9:53 PM
posted by:
Gundy
It’s the most-comfortable, safest, quietest, all-around best people-mover available. But it is a bit odd-lookin’. I’d still have one if I could afford to buy every vehicle that I liked though..
01/21, 10:25 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
Dangerous1,
It’s alright there. MERCEDES-BENZ is getting more than a bit bloated. You also forgot the A-class (which may be US bound and the B-class(still Europe-only). Their line-up reminds me of CHEVROLET’s, having something for almost everything.
Their biggest problem in the R-class is that they have a healthy line-up of SUVs, all they need is a truck, which “might” happen. CHEVY tried repeatedly to float a minivan and couldn’t because of their SUVs. The R-class is victim of this same dynamic but worse becasue “if you can afford a MERCEDES, why on God’s ever-borwning Earth would you buy a minivan”?
Minivans, no matter how good lose out next to SUVs, especially when that minivan does NOT have minivan utility, like being able to walk, even if hunched over, in the cabin fairly easily.
01/21, 11:11 PM
posted by:
golf4me
I always kind of liked this, but I’m a wagon-lover, which is pretty rare anyway. If they were looking to sell 25000 and are selling 18000 in a poor market, I’d say it’s not as bad a flop as say, the Flex. Really, it’s a nice package for a small family, it’s just too expensive and funky for most families.
01/21, 11:32 PM
posted by:
Other Man
I think the main buyers were those who were looking at topline Odysseys, Siennas, etc for about 40K and could afford more, but didn’t know they had the choice, saw this, and bought it.
The diesel would be an interesting van feature, in a good way, but I would prefer sliding doors. So it’s a mixed bag for me.
01/22, 12:41 AM
posted by:
JakeK66
Johnnyc…
The answer to that question is this and the Aztek.
01/22, 6:38 AM
posted by:
howsmydriving
The problem with R is that by virtue of its retardedness, the image of the entire MB brand is tarnished. That’s a big price to pay for a company whose image isn’t what it once was.
01/22, 11:55 AM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
Why? thr R-class is a failure just like Mercedes is a failure. Sh1tcan both of them, America will be better off for it
01/23, 12:30 AM
posted by:
jonmiles
I love that LLN made the Lion’s reference in this post… so true
01/23, 12:31 AM
posted by:
jonmiles
golf- this isn’t a wagon; it’s a re-badged minivan.