The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is a compact executive roadster made from 1996 to 2020 at Bremen. Its name comes from sportlich, leicht and kurz, sporty, light and short.
Mercedes-Benz SLK at a glance
| First model | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Production | 1996–2020, Bremen |
| Name | sportlich, leicht, kurz |
| First generation | R170, 1995–2004 |
| Second generation | R171, 2004 |
| Third generation | R172, 2011 |
| Roof | folding hardtop, 25 seconds on the R170 and 22 on the R171 |
| Designer of the R170 | Bruno Sacco, from late 1991 |
| First show | Turin Motor Show, 22 April 1996 |
| Wheelbase of the R170 | 2,400 mm, like the 190 SL |
| Renamed | SLC-Class in 2016 |
| Last model | Final Edition of 2020 |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class.
History of the Mercedes-Benz SLK
The first SLK, the R170, was designed from late 1991 under Bruno Sacco, with the final design completed in early 1993 and approved by the board, and a German design patent filed on 30 September 1993. The production car was introduced at the Turin Motor Show on 22 April 1996 as a modern version of the 1950s 190 SL, returning to four cylinders and the same 2,400 mm wheelbase. A facelift followed in 2000 with an updated design and revised engines.
The second generation, R171, was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2004. It used more high-strength steel and was more torsionally rigid and aerodynamically efficient. Its revised folding roof opened in 22 seconds instead of 25 and gave 63 litres more boot space, and the car introduced Airscarf, a neck-level heating system built into the headrests. Its front-end design was inspired by Formula One noses. It was facelifted in 2008 with new engines and small exterior changes.
The third generation, R172, arrived in 2011 with four-, six- and eight-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and introduced Magic Sky Control, an electronically operated tint for the sunroof glass. A facelift from March 2016 coincided with the twentieth anniversary of the class, and the range was renamed SLC-Class under the new naming scheme, where roadsters use the base name SL and a letter for their place in the range, the C standing for the C-Class equivalent. New engines and a revised design came with it, and in 2020 Mercedes-Benz released a Final Edition to mark the end of production.
Design and features
- Folding hardtop: a metal roof that opens in 22 to 25 seconds.
- Compact size: short wheelbase and four-cylinder engines at first.
- Airscarf: neck-level heating introduced with the R171.
- Magic Sky Control: variable tint glass on the R172.
Mercedes-Benz SLK versions
- R170 (1996–2004): the first SLK.
- R171 (2004): second generation with Airscarf.
- R172 (2011): third generation with Magic Sky Control.
- SLC (2016): renamed and facelifted version.
- Final Edition (2020): the last cars.
The SLK was the smaller relative of the SL and looked back to the 190 SL. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 test
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class, English Wikipedia: generations, roof, design, renaming
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