|
|
|
|
12/03/2011
By EWAN KENNEDY in Tenerife
|
|
|
Mercedes’ SLK roadster has been one of the biggest hits of the last two decades. Arguably the first sports car of the modern era to use a folding hardtop rather than a soft-top, the 1994 SLK began a whole new era in fun motoring.
Having the convenience of a powered roof allied with the security of a metal top meant the Mercedes-Benz SLK appealed to baby boomers the world over. In Australia, waiting lists became embarrassingly long, over a year in the early stages, yet buyers couldn't find anything else in the same class so were prepared to wait. Fortunately, the factory took pity on Australian buyers, found some extra models and got the initial waiting list down to ‘only’ three months.
That situation changed a few years later as competitors rushed out to design their own folding hardtops and within a few years virtually every marque of note had a similar car. Some were priced in the same league as the Mercedes, others were much cheaper, but didn’t come with the prestige of the three-pointed star from Germany.
Now Mercedes-Benz has designed the third-generation of a car that changed history and we were amongst something like 1500 journalists invited to the world launch in Tenerife on the Canary Islands. Such is the importance of the Australian market to Mercedes that we were on pole position, alongside our friends from the USA and China, the latter a market for prestige cars that is growing at a staggering rate.
The best thing about the all-new Mercedes-Benz SLK is its styling. Delighted with the success of the big semi-retro AMG SLS Gullwing, Mercedes sat down to pen a smaller version in the SLK. OK, there are no vertically opening doors and the bonnet of the SLK, though pretty long, doesn’t stretch to the outrageous length of that on the SLS, but the near vertical grille, the large three-pointed star, side gills and stubby tail leave no doubt as to the heritage of this little sports model.
Inside, the styling is very Mercedes, with large clear dials immediately in front of the driver and sporty ventilation outlets in a circular shape. There’s just a touch of retro in the look and this again ties in with the baby SLS theme.
There’s good space for two in this roadster, certainly more than before and my six-foot (1.82-metre) frame doesn’t require me putting the seat all the way forward, something that’s not often the case in this class.
A fascinating feature of the new Mercedes SLK is a Magic Sky glass roof that changes from opaque to almost transparent on demand. The clear setting makes it great for driving in bad weather because you still get a semi-open feel to the cabin.
A further option is to do your winter driving with the top down and use the Mercedes Airscarf that blows hot air on your neck and shoulders. Allied with the normal car heater it’s surprising how warm you can feel in a roadster like this.
The driving position is good and we found the seats remained comfortable even when the car was pushed hard on the endlessly winding roads around Tenerife. Though the island is tiny by Australian standards its highest peak, a dormant volcano, is taller than Mount Kosciuszko, so driving there is challenging and at times potentially dangerous. A brave spot for Mercedes to launch a vehicle and it has to be complimented for subjecting it to such harsh conditions.
We road tested two four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine variants during our initial review of the Mercedes-Benz SLK, both with a capacity of 1.8 litres. One was tuned to produce 135 kilowatts, the other a sportier 150 kW. Both had minimal turbo lag, were happy to work at almost any revs and provided smooth torque on demand.
Both engines we reviewed were mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission that has manual overrides. This new auto works well, with fast changes and is generally in the right ratio for the driving / road conditions.
Though it’s always tempting to go for the larger engine, the 150 kilowatt 1.8-litre petrol turbo is a willing worker with good torque and a great sound, the latter being partly fed into the cabin by way of a special exhaust system when you drive the car hard. Many buyers who are simply looking for a smart cruising machine rather than a full-on sports model will be more than happy with the four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.
A 3.5-litre 225 kW naturally aspirated V6 engine is also part of the lineup but we haven’t had a chance to drive one yet.
Prices and Australian full Australian specifications won’t be announced until close to the launch of the Mercedes SLK in Australia in July 2011, though there may be a delay in getting stocks of the V6 engine. Talk to your Mercedes-Benz dealer to check on this.
Given the strength of the Australian dollar again the Euro it may even be possible for the new model to come in at a slightly lower price than the existing SLK, which currently begins at about $95,000 plus on-road costs.
That would make it a real bargain because its combination of style, technology and the prestige of owning a Mercedes-Benz would see it within reach of quite a few buyers. |
|
|
|
|
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
