The Mercedes-Benz luxury minivan introduced in 2005 was the R-Class.
The R-Class was a mid-size luxury MPV, or people carrier, introduced at the 2005 New York International Auto Show for the 2006 model year. Mercedes-Benz also marketed it with crossover and touring-car language, reflecting its unusual blend of minivan practicality, estate-car styling and SUV-related hardware.
Its development can be traced to the Vision GST concept shown at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show and the Vision R concept presented in 2004. The production model shared its platform with the M-Class and was available with standard- and long-wheelbase versions, rear-wheel drive or 4MATIC all-wheel drive, and several V6 and V8 engines.
The R-Class is easy to confuse with the B-Class or V-Class. The B-Class was a smaller compact MPV, while the V-Class was a commercial-van-based people carrier. The R-Class occupied a more luxurious and car-like position in Mercedes-Benz’s lineup.