have one (or two), it's at least got one that's on the way. Though predictions for the various crossover markets are bullish, one car maker that hasn't been having the best of luck shifting all of its new creations out of its dealer showrooms is Mercedes-Benz. The brand launched the long-awaited R-Class touring vehicle in North America for model year 2006, but it never really caught on. In fact, comparing the sales progress of this year to last year, the R-Class is 38.4-percent or 2,591 units off the pace in the U.S.

Along the way, Mercedes-Benz tried to spice things up for potential buyers by adding two unique versions to the R family. First up, the R320 CDI sports a new entry level powertrain. Its clean diesel technology provides plenty of torque and fairly reasonable fuel consumption, so it only makes sense that it would be a hit, right? After all, it's the only vehicle of its type to be offered with a diesel engine in North America. The other R iteration is the borderline insane R63 AMG, which features Mercedes' high-revving 6.3-litre V8 boasting 503 manic horsepower, a sure fire way to make every family outing exciting. Via a mild facelift and an extension of the global powertrain range, Mercedes-Benz hopes to lure more than a few new faces into its R-Class.

Source: [url=http://www.carpages.ca/go/autonews/05142007,minor_updates_for_mercedes_rclass_people_ mover.aspx]Carpages.ca[/url]