Geneva Motor Show 2011: Mercedes-Benz SLK

The Mercedes SLK roadster goes on show in the metal for the first time at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, in its longer and wider, third incarnation since launch.

Exterior-wise, there’s not a huge amount to write home about, aside from what you’d expect in terms of keeping the new SLK inline with the rest of the current range of Benz cars. 

A squarer snout with the extra-large brand badge and the angled, modernised headlights most obviously denote a rather ‘quiet’, new SLK. 

Mercedes perhaps deciding to keep the new SLK a little more lower key due to buyer demographic details restricting wilder styling, but there are some nice techno-touches and high-performing yet frugal engines to keep buyers interested.

Drivers can still enjoy some - or indeed less - sunlight with the convertible roof up thanks to the ‘Magic Sky Control’ that can, at the click of a switch, dial in or out the ambient light coming through the glass roof panel. It basically increases the level of ‘tint’ to suit the driver; from daylight to darker. A nice little touch.

Engine-wise and there’s a decent (petrol) choice from the off, all featuring stop/start and accurate direct injection.

Top of the power-pile, until an AMG snorter hits the dealers, is the latest generation of Mercedes V6s. The 302bhp, 3.5-litre motor certainly shifts the mid-weight two-seater with ease, hitting 62mph in 5.6secs and topping-out at a limited 155mph. The SLK 350 still returns a decent 39.7mpg.

Mid-range we’ve got the SLK 250, pulled by a 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder engine producing 201bhp and sprinting to 62mph in 6.6secs, onto a top speed of 150mph. Economy creeps up to 45.5mpg.

And on the lowest SLK-rung is the SLK 200 which gets the same 1800cc motor but with 181bhp, 7secs to 62mph timing and a top whack at 147mph. Drivers will see a combined mpg of 46.3 behind this wheel. 

So, hats off to Mercedes for increasing the performance fun at the same time as looking after the trees, and avoiding the petrol pumps a little more regularly. 

Keeping hats on however is the new ‘Airguide’ system, featuring pivoting Perspex ‘draft excluders’ that manoeuvre from behind the roll-bar to help cut down excessive buffeting at higher speeds - sunshine and road conditions permitting, new SLK drivers can now get well into the triple speed figures with the roof well and truly stowed. 

We’ll see the new SLK in the UK in June. Will it bring the sun with it? Even Mercedes-Benz can't engineer that! 




By Daniel Anslow

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