Latest Mercedes SLK –a summer breeze

The third edition since the launch in 1996 of the fabulous two-seat sports Drop Head Coupe called the SLK, recently premiered at the Malta Yacht Club to a truly admiring crowd.

A few days later we were invited to take the car, test it, enjoy it and scribble a few lines to summarise the excitement of driving such a magnificent example of the engineering skills found within the Mercedes works.

The first edition of this model came as something of a surprise as the metal roof folded down to allow a surprisingly large amount of crafted luggage to be taken on long-distance holidays.

Nothing has changed on that count; the SLK is a remarkable two-seat sports coupe that can accommodate two people and their luggage on a long motoring holiday.

The roof has been modified and now the owner has a choice of three ‘tin’ tops. The less exciting is a roof painted in the vehicle colour; then comes the option of a panoramic vario-roof with tinted glass, followed by a world first, the panoramic vario-roof with Magic Sky Control.

This roof switches from light to dark at the press of a button. When the glass is clear it is absolutely transparent, ideal for cold winter motoring, and in the heat of summer the roof can be darkened to give an impression of cool and shade.

The roof can also be folded into the boot; sun hats can be put on, the windows wound up and the cooling system put on.

If the roof is down and the wind is gusting through the car, Mercedes engineers have come up with optional pivoting anti-wind shields. Normally the Plexiglass sits behind the roll-over bars. These can be hinged forward in seconds to form a wind barrier behind the occupant’s heads.

Three new engines were available at launch: the four-cylinder cars displace 1,796 cc and produceeither 184 bhp or 204 bhp. The SLK 200 BlueEfficiency has the lowest CO2 emissions in segment and with the optional seven-speed automatic transmission it consumes just 6.1 litres of fuel for every 100 km enjoyed.

The car is a nippy little wench and in fact blasts up to 100km/h in just seven seconds. This compares with 6.6 seconds for the SLK 250 Blue Efficiency, which came with the seven-speed automatic as standard, but a six-speed manual box will soon be available.

Top of the range is the dynamic true sports drop head coupe – the SLK 350 Blue Efficiency, which storms up to the magic tonne in only 5.6 seconds, true sports car performance with a combined fuel consumption of only 7.1 litres per 100 km. This is really a great V6 engine.

Obviously we drove with the top up and found the car has all the appeal of a really great fixed-head coupe. Of course with the metal-work neatly stowed below the hatch, the SLK takes on an entirely new dimension and because the wind in the hair has been a long-time source of great motoring pleasure, this current third edition, really gets the adrenalin flowing with the roof either up or down.

This great car actively enjoys being thrown around a bit, hunkers down in true sports car fashion as it blasts through corners. With low-profile tyres, there are few country roads that can be used with élan, but a few days in rural Sicily once in a while will provide all the dynamic excitement the SLK promises

There are a great many options available to help the driver recover from almost any unplanned deviation from the normal route, but, it was a great pleasure to see that the ultra packages are meant to help the less enthusiastic motorists enjoy the maximum potential to be extracted from the drive.

The car has all the necessary bits and pieces like power steering, the Adaptive Brake System working with the ABS and Electronic Stability programme which helps drivers master critical braking manoeuvres and stops the car rolling backwards when starting on an incline. Attention Assist helps keep the driver awake on really exacting journeys. Airbags are standard along with Neck-pro head restraints and the Active Bonnet which lifts the bonnet 8.5 cm helps reduce the impact of pedestrians or cyclists at speeds of up to 55 km/h.

The car in a simple phrase? Fantastic, everything for everyone.

Verdict

Comfort
Faultless, no matter what the road surface is like.

Performance
Simply because we drove the entry-level car.

Cool
This car has everything to turn the eyes of even non-believers.

Quality
Absolutely faultless

At a glance

Top speed
(SLK200) 237/240 km/h.

0-100km
(SLK 200) seven seconds

Economy
(Combined) 6.1 litres/100 km.

C02
142g/km.

Engine
Four cylinders Blue Efficiency. 1796cc

Power
(SLK 200) 184 bhp