Sales
Sales have not met with manufacturer's expectations, having fallen well short of a planned 50,000 a year, with half of units destined for the United States. In 2007 only 13,031 vehicles were sold in the US. Poor sales of the model have been attributed to a crowded marketplace, poor marketing positioning, and fuel efficiency concerns among consumers at the time the vehicle was launched.
The lukewarm reception to the R-Class in Canada and the United States was similar to the poor sales of the Chrysler Pacifica, a large crossover produced from 2003 to 2007 by Mercedes-Benz's parent DaimlerChrysler, under the Chrysler division. Like the Pacifica, the R-Class is supposed to share the attributes of the minivan, SUV, and a wagon. Similar to Chrysler's marketing of the Pacifica which was unsuccessful, Mercedes was unable to convince the public that the R-Class was a pioneer of new category of vehicle, as consumers preferred more traditional SUV-style crossovers. Despite the R-Class being more upscale and sophisticated (compared to the Pacifica's minivan platform) with a better executed launch (while the Pacifica was plagued with production and marketing flaws), it has sold poorly compared to the GLK and M-Classes.
| Calendar year | US sales |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 4,959 |
| 2006 | 18,168 |
| 2007 | 13,031 |
| 2008 | 7,733 |
| 2009 | 2,825 |
| 2010 | 2,937 |
Read more about this topic: Mercedes-Benz R-Class
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