Mercedes SLK

Expert Review by Maxabout

Main

Colors

Interior

Exterior

Overview

The Mercedes SLK-Class will indeed flabbergast you with its breath-taking design and supremacy. The design depicts sportiness and a sense of elegance with high class of performance on the road. The Panoramic vario-roof with Magic Sky Control is the major highlight of its exterior. With a touch of a button this transparent roof will either stop the glare of the sun or let the sunlight fill your cabin. The extended arched front section is adorned with exquisite LED lights, powerful radiator grille and a muscular looking front bumper. The extended coupe` like side view depicts elegance and style. The rear is equally powerful and the rear wing adds up to the style and charisma. The interior provides the sporty luxury that you need. Everything is accessible to the driver and the metal surfaces in silver chrome make a very relaxing and stylish ambiance. The central console in brushed aluminium and the fiber-optic lit armrest, map pockets and trims make the lighting modes very soothing and elegant. The ample illumination, air-conditioning, Airguide and the seating comforts make the interior very convenient. The multimedia system consist of a Audio 20 CD with TFT color display, Bluetooth connectivity, USB, 6-disc CD changer and RDS information coder. Adaptive Brakes and the NECK-PRO head restraints provide maximum amount of protection and safety in cases of collisions. The head bag is a very important safety system along with Attention Assist and Active Bonnet.

Engine

Mercedes SLK-Class comes with only one engine option: 3498cc V6 Petrol Engine. It generates maximum power of 306 bhp at 6500 rpm with maximum torque of 370 nm at 3500 rpm. The engine is mated to 7G-tronic automatic transmission. Mercedes SLK-Class features rear-wheel drive with electronic traction system.

Variants

Mercedes SLK-Class is available in only one variant: SLK350

Exterior

The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class introduces a classic sports car outline that is lowered in height and comes with a long hood that compliments its short back deck. It has a well-pronounced grille at the front that bears the car maker’s logo, the famous Mercedes star. The front view is highlighted by bars that resemble airplane wings. During daytime, the daytime running lights are there plus the bright and adaptive bi-xenon headlights that makes it easier to make a signal when making turns. Talking about dimensions, the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is 1.5-inches broader this year and 1.5 inches longer as well.

It has been made a half inch lower which gives it a sportier look. It still comes with front guards sport side grills. The back end features a combined trunk spoiler plus LED tail lights. The general look is manlier, which is just the way Mercedes SLK-Class wants to be. The folding hardtop is quite cool to operate although the down side of it is that it does not work when the car is on the go just like most sun tops offered by some competitors. It goes up and about or down and below in approximately 20 seconds which is quite fast. The car’s top cover comes with a body-colored roof panel which is about 80 percent tinted. Car owners also have the option to have the new Magic Sky Control roof which has a tinted film with specks that can be charged.

With a slight press at the button, it will send signals to charge the tinted film and it will reduce the shade of the tint by 80 percent so passengers can enjoy as much sunlight as they want. When the particles loses their charge, they flatten out and slowly increase the shade of the roof by 95 percent thus which is a brilliant idea to keep the car cool on a very hot sunny summer day. The Magic Sky Control is a great innovation that can be added by car owners to the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class if they wish to.

Interior

As always, Mercedes Benz always shows a symbol of refined class not only in outer design but as well in its interior parts. The Mercedes SLK-Class depicts an athletic spirit, from its instrument controls to the back head-restraints. Its cabin can captivate anyone with its solar red ambient lighting system. This system runs through the vehicle’s door panels down to the center controls and armrests which are illuminated. A classy air-conditioning system lets filtered air flow while maintaining a cozy temperature for both the driver and passengers as they can be adjusted according to the weather.

The self-actuated closing feature for the windows makes it easier for passengers to enjoy the fresh air and go back to air con without having to pull the window know just like the old cars. The Mercedes SLK-Class has been designed to provide a comfortable travelling experience through its padded and warm cushions. The all seats in the SLK-Class model are fitted with sporty leather seats that come with headrests and safety backrests.

Safety Features

Like any other car in this segment, the Mercedes SLK-Class comes with ABS or anti-lock brakes that are made to detect if any of the tires has stopped when extreme pressure has been applied on the brakes. The car will allow the tire to keep turning by modulating the brake pressure. This gives the driver the chance to ability to turn while braking. Aside from the smart brakes, it also comes with a stability control feature that detects when the vehicle’s driving limits have been exceeded. The system will tell the engine to reduce the power and apply certain brakes to avert the driver from losing control of the car. 

To prevent injuries, airbags are installed on almost every side of the seats. Front-impact airbags are installed for the driver and passenger to protect their heads during a frontal smash while side impact airbags have been put in place to protect the chest during a side car smash. The overhead airbags are there to cradle the occupant's heads during a side crash or a rollover and the knee airbags are placed to protect the occupants’ limbs which can be injured or fractured when the car hood bumps with extreme pressure.

Seat-belt pretensioners have been programmed to automatically tighten to keep the passengers intact in their seats in case of a rollover. For added head protection, anti-whiplash head restraints have been added to keep the occupants’ head safer to prevent chance of having a whiplash injury. The security system installed in the Mercedes SLK-Class is similar to its brothers, as it detects unwanted vehicle intrusion. It also comes with an ignition disable device that will stop the car engine from turning on unless the person trying to run the car is using the original and correct manufacturer key.