Fridae

Picture Family Guy's Stewie Griffin to be all grown up and known to his nephews and nieces as the unmarried uncle. As a family-orientated bachelor, Stewie drives his nuclear sized family during outings with a Mercedes Benz R280L, a car of no generic coding but with all the luxury expected from the premium carmaker.

The Mercedes R-Class was launched in 2006 using the ML's mechanics. Its unique blend of 4WD and three-rows of two captain chairs made the R-Class a SUV but without the apparent offroading butch looks.

What's a R-Class? A Mercedes estate? A Mercedes SUV? No, not really, the folks at Stuggart are calling the R-Class a Grand Sports Tourer, while many are still undecided on how to categorise the R-Class; Stewie, the bold fashionista rushed to get his new space odyssey, a Mercedes Benz R280L. The R-Class is indeed a fusion of B-Class in the front and the CLS towards the rear with sporty overtones emphasised by its sloping roofline. What's more, the television appearances the R-Class has made is alongside gay couple Bob and Lee in 'Desperate Housewives and is also as the official transporter for the models in Make me a supermodel.

The newly launched R280L introduces some changes like being rear wheel drive only, seven-seats (one-up on the previous model) and a smaller 3.0 liter engine. The R280L looks exactly like every other R-Class except for the badges at the rear, which is a good thing. Exercising the badge delete option would be a wise move. Despite sharing the underpinnings with its 4WD brothers (the ML and the GL); the R-Class looks much sleeker with its lowered height.

The rest of the range continues with 4WD while the new base model R280L comes with RWD only. The omission of the 4WD saves 30 kg. On local road conditions, you will need to be pressing really hard to feel the difference as the grip has never been found to be lacking. In addition, the relatively low ground clearance on the R-Class means it's never made for the dirrty life in the fields.

At 5.157m long, the R280L is a mammoth compared to any Japanese econ-box. It dwarfs everything else on the roads except for buses and 20-wheel machines. Stewie would feel like the king of the roads without labouring panics as the R280L cruises along the gridlock traffic as other smaller traffic devices try to disturb the superbly insulated cabin.

The air suspension at the rear has its charms and frustrations in equal measures. Let me explain the charms; it helps the car to ride very smoothly, giving all on board a serene journey on all surfaces. However the downside is an ever so slight delay for transferring road progress to the driver.

The speed sensitive steering is effortless and direct enough for you to play Lewis Hamilton's racing ethics. For a moment, I did feel like I am in a B-Class while trying to zip my way through traffic jams. The 3.0 litre V6 engine mated with the tofu smooth shifting 7G-TRONIC transmission puts up a good fight to move the 2125 kg R-Class. 0 km/h to 100 km/h takes a leisurely 9.7 secs with a top speed of 220 km/h. Not a bruiser on the roads for sure.

As Stewie opens the gigantic door, he sees a logically laid-out cabin with the typical German solidness expected from Mercedes. What he does not expect would be the rather poorly made glove box. Disappointingly, the glove box would not look out of place in a Mattel mini oven that Stewie had as a child. Other places in the massive cabin are thankfully made with quality materials and typical Mercedes precision.

The gearbox lever mounted on the steering column frees up space on the centre console and further instills an impression that you are indeed in a special vehicle. The thick doors and pillars do create a sensation of security. A useful reverse camera is located next to the rear view mirror. You would need it as you tread the R-Class in shopping centers car parks with caution. Stewie's dad, Peter, would love the abundance of over-sized cup holders for his super big gulp and donuts. The last row of seats are capable of accommodating full-size adults in comfort without sacrificing boot space when in use. And very importantly, when they are not needed, stowing away the rear seats is fast and painless.

There are no obvious rivals for the R-Class. This is not a S-Class on steroids (An equivalent S-Class costs $50K more). Possible contenders are the MPVs from the mainstream car manufacturers; Renault Grand Espace, Chrysler Grand Voyager, Nissan Elegrand and the Toyota Alphard. None are as sophisticated or sporty as the R280L. With the newly launched Mercedes Benz R280L, there are no excuses for Asian mega stars to be caught by the paparazzi in any other car.

	Mercedes Benz R280L
Engine	2996cc 6 cylinder 24V, DOHC
Transmission	7-Speed Automatic
Max. Power	231 HP @ 6000rpm
Max. Torque	300 NM @ 2500rpm to 5000 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km/h	9.7 secs
Top speed	220 km/h
Fuel consumption (combined)	7.9 L/100km
CO2 emissions	274 g/km
Fuel Consumption	14.9 litres/100 km (City) 8.6 litres/100 km (Highway)
Dimensions (L x W x H) /Weight	5173x1992x1663 / 2125 kg
Price with COE*	$239,888

*Prices quoted are indicative of prices in Singapore. Please contact your local distributor for prices in your country.

Note: Stewie Griffin is an one-year-old in American hit animated comedy sitcom, Family Guy, who speaks with an upper class English accent and the vocabulary of an adult; and has an ambiguous sexual orientation.