Clear sky thinking (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Clear sky thinking

4:47pm Monday 14th February 2011 in Motoring By Steve Teale

It’s 15 years since the SLK first came on the scene. Mercedes-Benz caused a stir with the first generation model which promised to be sporty, light and compact.

It was a ‘wow’ car. And like most successful ‘wow’ cars, Mercedes have kept improvements, enhancements, revisions or whatever to a minimum.

In fact, this year we can look forward to only the third generation SLK. If this was a run-of-the-mill family car we’d be on the fifth or sixth version by now.

We have to wait until June for full details on price and specification. Safe to say, I don’t think it will be radically different from the current model which spans £30,000 to £53,000.

But it does promise one or two interesting features. It comes with Magic Sky Control.

Essentially, this is a ‘surprise and delight’ feature in which the panoramic glass roof can be switched to light or dark at the press of a button. If that doesn’t impress geeks or girlfriends, nothing will!

It is more than just a car with gimmicks, though. You can rest assured that Mercedes-Benz engineers have invested time and effort in making sure this car is at the top of its game.

The SLK has always been popular but it has had critics who have had a pop at a couple of aspects.

The ride and the cabin, for example. It has better rivals, some say, when it comes to ride. And the Mercedes-Benz cabin, so often praised for its classic simplicity, could be better.

The SLK features new four and six-cylinder engines featuring as standard the ECO start/stop function. The engine cuts out when it’s not needed, for example while waiting at traffic lights. This idea is becoming commonplace on city cars, so why not on a performance model, too?

This helps the new SLK to be up to 25 per cent more economical than the predecessors. That’s some achievement.

Innovations are part of the successful history of the Mercedes-Benz SLK. In 1996 the first generation caused a furore with the vario-roof, which transformed the wide-open roadster into a coupe with a fixed roof at the touch of a button in just a few seconds. The second generation placed the warm ‘Airscarf’ around the neck and shoulders of the occupants as needed, ensuring pleasurable open-top motoring even in cooler temperatures.

Mercedes-Benz claims the new model offers excellent performance and environmental improvements. Even sports cars need to be green these days.

It is one of the most economical and environmentally friendly in its class and sets new safety standards. All-weather driving enjoyment – with the roof open and closed, in leisure-time and everyday use – is firmly anchored in the SLK’s genes.

The designers have tailor-made a body for the new SLK which emphasises its classic roadster proportions. Behind the long bonnet is a compact passenger compartment positioned far back, and a short tail end.

The clearly defined headlamps complete the look for the new SLK’s face, which resembles that of the legendary 190 SL from the 1950s, which is regarded by many as being the original “SLK”.

The cabin features lashings of polished aluminium and high-gloss wood. Four round, galvanised air outlets integrated in the dashboard emphasise that this model well and truly belongs to the Mercedes-Benz sports car family, their shape being a nod to those in the SLS.

Other high-quality items of equipment include a multifunction sports steering wheel with a flattened bottom section and a thick leather crown, plus sun-reflecting leather which noticeably reduces the degree to which the surfaces it covers heat up, impressive ambient lighting and the innovative neck-level heating system Airscarf, familiar from the predecessor.

There will initially be three models at launch, all of them powered by new engines with direct injection.

There are two versions of 1.8 litre engine, one generating 184bhp and the other 204bhp, plus a more exciting 3.5 litre V6 capable of 50mph in 5.6 seconds.

The new SLK will launch in the UK in June.

Pricing and full specifications are still to be confirmed.