2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK: SLS Junior
Stuttgart, Allemagne,
125 years to the day after Carl Benz obtained a patent for his three-wheel motor vehicle, considered by many as the birth of the automobile; Mercedes-Benz unveiled the third generation of its SLK roadster. The event took place at the German brand’s design centre and guests included Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, as well as David Coulthard, who drives for Mercedes-Benz in DTM.
The most recent SLK is developed on a brand new platform and features a completely redesigned body. But it keeps the same retractable hardtop that launched a new wave in the automobile world in 1996 when the first generation of this car was born. However, the new SLK adds an interesting new feature, an optional glass roof, known as the Magic Sky Roof, which go from transparent to tinted at the touch of a button. In transparent mode, it’s almost see-through so you can enjoy the view of the sky, even when it’s cold out. In dark mode, this roof provides a shady refuge preventing the passenger compartment from heating up too much when the sun is shining.
Style wise, the new SLK has the same proportions as a classic roadster, with its long hood and short tail end, but the most striking visual feature is its nearly vertical front grille that’s reminiscent of the SLS AMG supercar and helps reduce this new sports car’s drag coefficient. Air vents in the front fenders with chrome air outlets are also reminiscent of the SLS, but they’re also a nod to the famous 190 SL from the 1950s, which is considered by many to be the original SLK. Our first impression of this third generation Mercedes-Benz’s roadster? A car that has more presence and is certainly more masculine than its predecessor.
AIRSCARF and AIRGUIDE to the rescue
In many ways, the style of the passenger compartment is copied from the recent C-Class and thus shares the same design language adopted for the brand’s compact sedan. But the SLK also gets four large circular air vents like the SLS AMG. Brushed aluminum dominates, but you’ll also be able to order the wood accents from the list of options should you wish to warm up the atmosphere on board. The circular indicator dials are a nice size, there’s an analog clock proudly occupying the middle of the dashboard and there’s a multifunction steering wheel with a horizontal bottom, as is the recent trend with almost all high-end sports cars. The AIRSCARF device, which blows warm air on the passengers’ necks, will be included in the SLK’s standard equipment. For this car, the brand’s aerodynamic designers also developed a new deflector known as AIRGUIDE. It is made up of two clear plastic surfaces that pivot toward the centre of the passenger compartment from their attachment point at the base of the roll bars in order to reduce turbulence in the passenger compartment.
For the Canadian market, the new SLK will be available with two V6 engines. The SLK 300’s engine will be borrowed from the current model, while the SLK 350 will have a brand new 3.5-litre V6 with direct injection and 302 horsepower. The engineers at Mercedes-Benz are talking about a 25% reduction in fuel consumption thanks to this new engine’s more advanced design. Electric power steering will be in place and the engineers have developed a dynamic handling package, offering features like a drive train system with continuously adjustable damping. The drive train system comes equipped with a completely automatic electronically adjustable damping system. The dynamic handling package also includes speed-sensitive steering and the Torque Vectoring Brake system developed by Mercedes-Benz. Unlike standard steering, speed-sensitive steering increases handling and agility and makes parking easier. In critical situations, the Torque Vectoring Brake system intervenes in the rear inside wheel during turns to stop in a fraction of a second, causing the vehicle to rotate on its vertical axis.
Unknown pricing but...
The 2012 SLK will become available in summer 2011, and a third variation currently in development at AMG will be added to the product line at a later date. No information regarding pricing for these new models was available at the unveiling of this third generation of the Mercedes-Benz roadster, but the word on the street is that there won’t be any increase compared to the current models, which retail for $59,900 (SLK 300), $66,500 (SLK 350), and $84,800 (SLK 55 AMG) respectively.