2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 ground clearance

278 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Basic settings
There are two settings from which to
choose:

Raised level, for driving on rough roads

Highway level, for driving on paved
roads in fair or better conditionThe vehicle’s ride height changes by the
approximate values given in table below
according to the set level:
The vehicle lowers to highspeed level
automatically when

the vehicles speed exceeds
70 mph (112 km/h)

the vehicles speed is between
60 mph (96 km/h) and
70 mph (112 km/h) for longer
than 20 seconds
Warning!G
Make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you lower
the vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs
could become wedged into or under the
vehicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door or
the tailgate is opened and will continue after
the door is closed again.
Warning!G
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle after
changing the vehicle level. The ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed. The ESP
® cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle.
!Keep in mind that in rough or uneven roads,
adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may cause
the vehicle underbody to come in contact with
the road and result in damage to the vehicle un-
derbody. Always make sure the vehicle has suffi-
cient ground clearance before adjusting it to a
lower level.
!Before jacking up the vehicle with equip-
ment that lifts one or more of the wheels com-
pletely off the ground, remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
!Please also note the information in the
section on towing (
page 513).
iThe activation threshold is defined by the set
suspension tuning (
page 276).
iThe third available level is the highspeed
level that is set automatically.
LevelRide height
Raised+ 1.97 in (+ 50 mm)
Highway+/- 0
Highspeed- 0.78 in (- 20 mm)
iObey local speed limits. Use prudent driving
speeds appropriate to prevailing conditions.

280 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Highway level
Close all doors and the tailgate.
Start the engine (page 53).
The switch is located on the upper part of
the center console.
1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lampIf indicator lamp2 is on:
Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the highway level.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display while the level is
being set:When the highway level is reached, indica-
tor lamp2 goes out and the following
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play:
!Keep in mind that on rough or uneven roads,
adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may cause
the vehicle underbody to come in contact with
the road and result in damage to the vehicle
underbody. Always make sure the vehicle has
sufficient ground clearance before adjusting it
to a lower level.
iThe messages can be cleared by pressing
buttonæ orç on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel.
iThe vehicle level is set to highway level auto-
matically when the vehicle speed is exceeding
25 mph (40 km/h).

534 Technical data
Main Dimensions
ModelR 320 CDI 4MATIC
R 3501
R 350 4MATIC
1USA only.
R 550 4MATIC2
2Canada only.
Overall vehicle length203.7 in (5 173 mm)203.7 in (5 173 mm)
Overall vehicle width (exterior mirrors folded out)85.4 in (2 168 mm)85.4 in (2 168 mm)
Overall vehicle width (exterior mirrors folded in)75.7 in (1 922 mm)75.7 in (1 922 mm)
Overall vehicle height3
3Data apply to unladen vehicles with standard equipment. Data may vary in vehicles equipped with AIRMATIC* depending on the
selected damping settings (page 276) and the current vehicle level (page 277).
65.5 in (1 663 mm)65.6 in (1 666 mm)
Wheelbase126.6 in (3 215 mm)126.6 in (3 215 mm)
Track, front64.7 in (1 643 mm)64.7 in (1 643 mm)
Track, rear64.4 in (1 636 mm)64.4 in (1 636 mm)
Ground clearance35.8 in (148 mm)5.9 in (150 mm)
Turning circle40.7 ft (12.4 m)40.7 ft (12.4 m)