Dealer LoginFresh from its world launch in Geneva, the first two models of the trendy SLR McLaren-inspired Mercedes-Benz SLK have arrived in South Africa. It looks more hardcore than its petit predecessor… but it has an Airscarf to keep sensitive necks warm.
Fresh from its world launch in Geneva, the first two models of the trendy SLR McLaren-inspired Mercedes-Benz SLK have arrived in South Africa. It looks more hardcore than its petit predecessor… but it has an Airscarf to keep sensitive necks warm.
The SLK will initially be available in three derivatives in South Africa, powered by either a supercharged two-litre (one of the Twinpulse generation of Mercedes four-cylinder powerplants) or a 3,5-litre V6 engine. The car’s wheelbase is 30 mm longer and the body 72 mm longer and 65 mm wider than that of its predecessor to provide passengers with more space and greater comfort.
The sportiness of the new SLK is underlined by its arrow-shaped nose, wing profiles in the radiator grille, twin tailpipes, long bonnet, raked windscreen, wide doors and short front and rear ends, which contribute to the car’s wedge-shape silhouette.
Mercedes claims to have improved the SLK’s handling characteristics by virtue of a newly-developed three-link front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and uprated braking system. The manufacturer further carried out modifications to the multi-link independent rear suspension and adapted it to a larger track width.
The SLK200 Kompressor is fitted with a six-speed manual transmission (five-speed automatic transmission is available as an option). The SLK350 has the 7G-tronic seven-speed automatic transmission fitted as standard, but customers can order their cars fitted with the 6-speed manual transmission.
The SLK200K’s engine is similar to that fitted to the recently-launched E200K and produces maximum power of 120 kW and peak torque of 240 N.m. The Twinpulse technology is claimed to have improved the new SLK200K’s fuel consumption by eight per cent over the outgoing engine with the same output (8,7 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, Mercedes says).
For the SLK350, Mercedes-Benz has developed a new four-valve per cylinder 3,5-litre six-cylinder engine that produces maximum power of 200 kW and 350 N.m of torque between 2 400 and 5 000 r/min. The Stuttgart-based manufacturer claims the SLK350 automatic will accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 5,5 seconds and from 60 to 120 km/h in 5,1 seconds.
Original article from Car MOST VIEWED
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