In order to pull off the Grand Sport Tourer" idea, every one of the six bucket seats in the R-Class has its own cupholder, seat adjuster, armrest, ventilation, lighting. The first two rows can provide an independent choice of listening and viewing entertainment. The sound system is capable of playing tracks from any MP3 player, using the player to select, and there is a $299 option that will let you put your Apple iPod in the glovebox and play it through the sound system using steering wheel controls to select track and volume, with track and playlist data displayed on the COMAND screen.
The floor layout allows 16 cubic feet of cargo behind the third seat, 34 cubic feet of cargo with the third-row seats down, and 85 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row of bucket seats folded. Mercedes says cargo lengths approaching nine feet can be accommodated inside. Each of the second-row bucket seats can be moved through four inches of longitudinal adjustment, and each has a reclining seatback for long-distance touring comfort. The seat slider/folder mechanism is brilliant in its simplicity and ease of use. Adjusting the steering column is done manually on the R350; the R500 gets power tilt and telescope that micro-adjusts to any driver's favorite setup.
The new dashboard and instrument panel is easy to use and looks great. It's more chronometer-like in its layout and design, with more chrome ring decoration than any other Mercedes model. This new sport tourer has huge amounts of glass front, side and rear, and that makes for a very open and airy environment inside, whether you get the tan, grey, black, or black and Alcantara interior scheme."
