Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

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Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class
Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 BlueEFFICIENCY (R 172) - Frontansicht, 3. Juli 2011, Essen.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer
Production1996–2020
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Compact grand tourer
Body style 2-door roadster
Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive

The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is a compact executive roadster, produced by Mercedes-Benz. It was released in 1996 and was manufactured at the Mercedes plant in Bremen, Germany, until 2020.

Contents

The former name "SLK" was derived from sportlich (sporty), leicht (lightweight), and kurz (short). [1] With the release of the facelift R172 in 2016, the SLK-Class was renamed to SLC-Class in accordance with the revised nomenclature adopted by Mercedes. Under this scheme, roadsters use the base name "SL", followed by the model's placement in Mercedes-Benz hierarchy, the letter "C", being the roadster equivalent to the C-Class. [2] [3]

First generation (R170; 1995–2004)

R170 SLK-Class 2001 Mercedes Benz SLK 320 (22093222921) (cropped).jpg
R170 SLK-Class

The R170 Mercedes SLK was the first generation compact roadster manufactured and marketed by Mercedes, from 1995 to 2004. [4] [5] It was designed from late 1991 under Bruno Sacco, with a final design being completed in early 1993 and approved by the board, with a German design patent filed on September 30, 1993. [6] The production SLK-Class was introduced at the Turin Motor Show on 22 April 1996, appearing as a modern incarnation of the 1950s Mercedes-Benz 190SL, by returning to four cylinders and with an identical 94-inch (2,400 mm) wheelbase. [7] A facelift was introduced to all models in 2000, featuring an updated design and updated engines. [8]

Second generation (R171; 2004–2010)

R171 SLK-Class Mercedes SLK 200 Kompressor (R171) front 20100402.jpg
R171 SLK-Class

The R171 SLK was unveiled at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. It features increased use of high-strength steel, [9] and improvements to the car's torsional strength and aerodynamic efficiency. [9] Models feature a more compact, revised roof mechanism that is operated in 22 seconds (previously 25 seconds), resulting in an increase in boot capacity by 63 liters (2.2 cu ft). [9] The R171 also introduced the Airscarf system that integrates neck-level heating system into the headrests of the car. [9] The front-end design of the car was inspired by the noses found in Formula One cars. [9] It was facelifted in 2008 and featured new engines and minor exterior design changes. [10]

Third generation (R172; 2011–2020)

R172 SLK-Class 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLK250 AMG Sport CDi BlueTec 2.1 Front.jpg
R172 SLK-Class
Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Front (left) Mercedes-benz SLC-Class Front (left).jpg
Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Front (left)

The R172 SLK was released in 2011. [11] It was available with a range of inline-four, V6, and V8, diesel and petrol engines, and introduced an electronically operated window tint shade for the sunroof, called Magic Sky Control. A facelift was released for vehicles produced from March 2016, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the SLK-Class. [12] The model range was also renamed to SLC-Class to conform to the new Mercedes nomenclature, and introduced new engines and a revised design. In 2020, Mercedes-Benz released a Final Edition to commemorate the end of the car's production run. [13]

Sales figures

The following are the sales figures for the SLK-Class since 2001: [14]

YearEU salesUS sales
200127,73411,268 [15]
200219,0397,784
200314,6296,023 [16]
200438,4177,360
200536,82311,278 [17]
200627,12810,410
200720,8347,270 [18]
200818,5294,941
200910,8052,566 [19]
20108,7791,980
201117,7293,220 [20]
201217,7314,595 [20]
201312,5944,757 [21]
201411,1144,737 [21]
201510,3694,182
20168,9093,397
20178,4212,860
20181,993
20191,840

References

Notes

  1. ↑ McWhirter, William A. (2 December 1996). "The roadsters are back". Time . Archived from the original on 2008-03-04.
  2. ↑ Ewing, Steven (11 November 2014). "Mercedes renames utility vehicles, repositions Maybach as sub-brand". Autoblog.com . Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz expands brand world and introduces new nomenclature: Mercedes-Maybach for the ultimate in exclusivity and individuality". Daimler AG. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-11-12. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "SLK 200 / R 170 E 20, 1996 - 2000". mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster Review (1996 - 2004) | Parkers". www.parkers.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  6. ↑ "Auto & Design – 98 – Reinterpretation of the roadster". Autodesignmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  7. ↑ Long, Brian (2014-11-28). Mercedes-Benz SLK: – R170 series 1996-2004. Veloce Publishing Ltd. ISBN   9781845846510.
  8. ↑ "SLK R170 Face-Lift for Year 2000". oocities. 1999-11-20. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "The new Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class". Mercedes Benz. 15 March 2004. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  10. ↑ New Cars on Sale. "The Telegraph 4 April 2008". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  11. ↑ "Geneva motor show: Mercedes SLK". AOL. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "Salon Detroit 2016 : Mercedes SLC". turbo.fr.
  13. ↑ "The Mercedes-Benz SLC Roadster is Officially Done". Motor Trend . 20 February 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  14. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz SLK monthly and annual sales in Europe". Left-Lane.com. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  15. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz USA Records Highest Sales in Its History. – Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. 2003-01-03. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  16. ↑ "2004 Highest Year on Record for Mercedes-Benz USA". Theautochannel.com. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
  17. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz Rings in the New Year with Record 2006 Sales". Theautochannel.com. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
  18. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz USA's Sales Drop 32.1 Percent In December 2008 | eMercedesBenz – The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog". eMercedesBenz. 2009-01-05. Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
  19. ↑ "Highest Sales Month for the Year at 21,469 Brings Mercedes-Benz to an... – MONTVALE, N.J., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/". New Jersey: Prnewswire.com. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  20. 1 2 "Mercedes-Benz USA Hits Its Highest-Ever U.S. Volume With Sales Of 305,072". PR Newswire. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  21. 1 2 "Mercedes-Benz Delivers Record-Breaking 2014 Sales Volume Of 330,391, Up 5.7%". PR Newswire. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.

Bibliography

  • Alfieri, Bruno (1997). Mercedes-Benz SLK. New Great Car Series (in English, German, and Italian). Milan: Automobilia. ISBN   8879600559.
  • Allner, Michael (2021). Mercedes-Benz SLK & SLC: alle Generationen, alle Baujahre[Mercedes-Benz SLK & SLC: All Generations, All Model Years] (in German). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN   9783613043671.
  • Bass, Chris (2015). Mercedes-Benz SLK: R170 series 1996-2004. The Essential Buyer's Guide series. Dorchester, Dorset, UK: Veloce Publishing. ISBN   9781845848088.
  • Bols, Udo (2007). Mercedes-Benz Personenwagen: Eine Chronik[Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars: A Chronicle] (in German). Brilon, Germany: Podszun Verlag. ISBN   9783861334125.
  • Clarke, R.M., ed. (2001). Mercedes CLK & SLK. 'Road Test' Limited Edition series. Cobham, Surrey, UK: Brooklands Books. ISBN   1855205564.
  • Engelen, Günter (2006). Faszination SLK: R 170 (in German and English). Königswinter, Germany: Heel Verlag. ISBN   9783898806848.
  • Koehling, Bernd S. (2021). Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the SLK R170 - From the SLK 200 to the SLK 32 AMG and Tuners. Independently published. ISBN   979-8736788729.
  • ———————— (2021). Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the SLK R171 - From the SLK 200 K to the SLK 55 AMG and Tuners. Independently published. ISBN   9798736812097.
  • ———————— (2021). Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the SLK R172 - From the SLK200 to the SLK 55AMG and Tuners. Independently published. ISBN   9798736830558.
  • Long, Brian (2014). Mercedes-Benz SLK: R170 Series, 1996-2004. Dorcester, Dorset, UK: Veloce Publishing. ISBN   9781845846510.
  • ————— (2015). Mercedes-Benz SLK: R171 Series, 2004-2011. Dorcester, Dorset, UK: Veloce Publishing. ISBN   9781845846534.
  • Vieweg, Christof (1996). Alles über den Mercedes-Benz SLK[Everything about the Mercedes-Benz SLK]. Technik transparent series (in German). Stuttgart: Mercedes-Benz AG. ISBN   3980445712.
  • ——————— (2004). Die neue SLK-Klasse: Menschen, Modelle, Motoren: alles über den Mercedes-Sportwagen[The new SLK-Class: Men, Models, Motors: everything about the Mercedes sports car] (in German). Stuttgart: Hampp Verlag. ISBN   3930723093.
  • Zoporowski, Tobias (2018). Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170): Alle Modelle von 1996–2004[Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170): All Models from 1996–2004]. Praxisratgeber Klassikerkauf series (in German). Königswinter, Germany: Heel Verlag. ISBN   9783958436961.
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