The R-Class was introduced by Mercedes-Benz in 2005.
By 2010 it already received a mid-life cycle update that improved the vehicle in more areas.

The American market was a big fan of MPVs, and particularly in large size. Mercedes-Benz saw the opportunity and tried to beat the American brands at their own game. To make the car even more American, it built the R-Class in an Alabama factory until 2013 and in Indiana afterward. But it didn’t matter too much anymore since the car was discontinued on the U.S. market since 2012.

With low sales volumes, the R-Class struggled to compete on the American market and a new image was needed to help the sales. A new bumper with integrated LED daytime running lights instead of fog-lights was introduced. The headlights received a new design that was closer to the ML, which was built on the same unibody platform. The headlights were visually extended on the sides by arches sculptured into the side panels and doors up to the rear end, where they were ended onto the taillights.

Inside, the standard R-Class featured the same interior with 6-seats fitted as standard, on three rows. There were mild changes on the dashboard and the instrument cluster. The COMMAND center, which was the infotainment unit for the Mercedes-Benz, featured a 6.5” color display and could have been accessed via a rotary knob between the front seats.

The all-wheel-drive R-Class was offered with a standard 7-speed automatic transmission, 7G-Tronic with a dual-clutch system. The engine range offered a diesel and two gasoline units.