Mercedes has unveiled the third-generation SLK. The compact roadster, which first debuted in 1996, made the folding hardtop popular among sportscars, and now almost every carmaker has a folding roof option for its convertibles. The new SLK ups the ante by making the roof electrochromic–it can lighten or darken electrically.
The new car’s looks are no surprise, coming after the SLS gullwing and CLS four-door. The design theme is patterned after Mercedes’ classic 1950s SL roadsters, from the wide, upright grille to the vents mounted on the front fenders. The SLK’s headlamps, too, are strongly reminiscent of the original SL’s. Inside each lamp is thoroughly modern tech: the units are all-LED. The SLK retains the long hood / short tail proportions of its predecessors.
The interior features aluminum and leather trim. There’s a large LCD display and, in contrast, an analog clock. Mercedes’ Airscarf, which vents out warm air from the seats at neck level, is included as well.
The showstopper is the so-called Magic Sky Control roof. Available as an alternative to the standard steel or dark-tinted glass roof, the Magic Sky Control allows the glass to lighten or darken with the push of a button. It allows you to have a nice view of the sky while keeping cold weather or, more aptly in these parts, pollution sealed out.
Direct-injection gasoline engines will power the SLK. The SLK 200 has 184 bhp, and the SLK 250 has 204 bhp, from a 1.8-liter engine. Even the 200 can zip to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds, with a top speed of 240 km/h. The SLK 350 will have a 3.5-liter V6 with 306 bhp, good for a 5.6-second run to 100 km/h. An engine auto start/stop feature is standard on all engines.
Standard suspension is via steel springs, with a sports package (harder springs and dampers) and a “Dynamic Handling” package, which uses electronically-variable damping to combine a comfortable ride and tight handling.
The European launch of the SLK is first half of 2011; we expect CATS Motors to have it in their showrooms not long after.
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