![]() ![]() The quality of the six-speed gearchange is adequately easy to use, if not especially quick. That supercharged four is as strong as ever, with beefy low-range torque (its maximum is produced from right down at 2,500rpm all the way to 5,000rpm), even if it sounds a little flat with no piping and tuneful exhaust note. What it does to the SLK is give more bite to the performance, the pleasure of slotting the right gear for the right occasion and making full use of the engine. Changing your own gears in any Mercedes is a rarity (other than the front-drive A Class hatch and base version of the C180 sedan), such is the brands preference for automatics in its top-end cars. Truth be told, it is also a much nicer thing to drive than before. Compare those figures with the SLK 320s 160kW, 310Nm and 6.9 seconds for the same acceleration run and its obvious the cheaper car goes a long way towards holding its own. The supercharged four-cylinder SLK has 145kW of power and 280Nm of torque on tap, and Mercedes claims it will hit 100km/h from standstill in 7.2 seconds. It is also a whopping $20,000-odd less than the V6-powered SLK, and on paper, at least, doesnt lack much in the way of power and performance. Go the manual option and, at $93,600, your SLK 230 costs a good $3,100 less than the automatic version. What it has come up with is a stronger and more varied range of flavours.Īs well as general cosmetic and equipment upgrades, the 2.0-litre SLK 200 now gets a supercharger for improved performance, and a 3.2-litre V6 has even been shoe-horned into the little sports car to create the SLK 320.īut the original 2.3-litre model hasnt been forgotten either.Ĭhief among the changes is the availability of a six-speed manual gearbox taken from the new C Class sedan that will find its way to Australia very soon. Perhaps a souffle never rises twice, but Mercedes has stuck the SLK back in the oven for another go. Plus there was the handling and steering, which werent up to the pin-sharp reflexes of a Mazda MX-5 costing half as much.Īs a compact cruiser the SLK walked the walk, but talk of sports-car fun was lost in translation to the road. The main culprit was an automatic transmission that sapped both power and excitement. The problem was, those who drove the SLK had trouble reconciling its short, sharp body and powerful four-cylinder engine, powering through the rear wheels, with how a real sports car should perform. When the SLK 230 popped on to the Australian market more than three years ago it was hailed as almost a new beginning for Mercedes-Benz.įor so long we were used to technically excellent but ultra-conservative luxury sedans and coupes now there was an exciting looking two-seater convertible costing less than $100,000, which, for Mercedes, is getting into bargain basement territory. For: Improved sport performance from manual gearbox, fabulous looks, clever retracting roof.Īgainst: Long travel clutch, problems engaging reverse, big steering wheel. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |