TENERIFE, Spain—For a few years now, the Mercedes SLK has been standing in the shadow of the sporty BMW Z4 and gorgeous Audi TT. Virtually unchanged since 2005, it finally got the makeover it deserved.
At first sight, aficionados will notice the changes in the fenders of the SLK. All four have arches and bulges that give the car a look of strength and purpose as well as sleekness. The front fenders also have non functional vents to remind you of the early racing SLs. At the front, the grille is upright and the three-pointed star dominates the grille opening. At the rear, the fenders round off into a tail that is of classic proportions.
Inside, about the only thing that stayed the same is the fact that there are two seats. Nappa leather, redesigned seat frames, full power adjustments and a bit more room in the cockpit make seating for all sizes much more comfortable. It will not matter if the car is used for daily trips or long-distance touring, occupants will remain comfortable.
In part, this comfort comes from innovate items like AIRSCARF which puts the desired amount of warm air around your neck when the top is down on cool mornings. Top-down, wind-blocking technology comes to the fore with the new AIRGUIDE system.
All of the electronic driver assists are either standard, with enhanced versions available as options. In true Mercedes style, these systems work extremely well, but if you desire, can be turned off. After pushing the SLK to its generous limits and encountering minimal electronic interference while driving with enthusiasm, I would wonder why someone would think it necessary to not utilize the safety margins that these systems provide.
One of the SLK’s trademarks is, obviously, the retractable hardtop. Early versions had virtually no luggage space, but with the new SLK, that is in the past. Mercedes has provided a retractable cover in the trunk that operates much like the cargo cover in a CUV. If it fits under the cover, the top will go down.
It appears that Mercedes has given those who want a glass roof the ability to keep light out at times. The MAGIC SKY CONTROL is an electrically activated clear glass panel in the folding hardtop, that when activated occludes up to 90% of the sunlight. When looked at from outside it appears to be a solid panel.
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| The SLK has the performance to do what it does best: look good and be out front! (Photo: Charles Renny/Auto123.com) |
At first sight, aficionados will notice the changes in the fenders of the SLK. All four have arches and bulges that give the car a look of strength and purpose as well as sleekness. The front fenders also have non functional vents to remind you of the early racing SLs. At the front, the grille is upright and the three-pointed star dominates the grille opening. At the rear, the fenders round off into a tail that is of classic proportions.
Inside, about the only thing that stayed the same is the fact that there are two seats. Nappa leather, redesigned seat frames, full power adjustments and a bit more room in the cockpit make seating for all sizes much more comfortable. It will not matter if the car is used for daily trips or long-distance touring, occupants will remain comfortable.
In part, this comfort comes from innovate items like AIRSCARF which puts the desired amount of warm air around your neck when the top is down on cool mornings. Top-down, wind-blocking technology comes to the fore with the new AIRGUIDE system.
All of the electronic driver assists are either standard, with enhanced versions available as options. In true Mercedes style, these systems work extremely well, but if you desire, can be turned off. After pushing the SLK to its generous limits and encountering minimal electronic interference while driving with enthusiasm, I would wonder why someone would think it necessary to not utilize the safety margins that these systems provide.
One of the SLK’s trademarks is, obviously, the retractable hardtop. Early versions had virtually no luggage space, but with the new SLK, that is in the past. Mercedes has provided a retractable cover in the trunk that operates much like the cargo cover in a CUV. If it fits under the cover, the top will go down.
It appears that Mercedes has given those who want a glass roof the ability to keep light out at times. The MAGIC SKY CONTROL is an electrically activated clear glass panel in the folding hardtop, that when activated occludes up to 90% of the sunlight. When looked at from outside it appears to be a solid panel.
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| Early versions had virtually no luggage space, but with the new SLK, that is in the past. (Photo: Charles Renny/Auto123.com) |