Engineering:Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
| Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class | |
|---|---|
_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht,_3._Juli_2011,_Essen.jpg) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Production | 1996–2020 |
| 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.
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)
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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)
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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)
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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]
| Year | EU sales | US sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 27,734 | 11,268[15] |
| 2002 | 19,039 | 7,784 |
| 2003 | 14,629 | 6,023[16] |
| 2004 | 38,417 | 7,360 |
| 2005 | 36,823 | 11,278[17] |
| 2006 | 27,128 | 10,410 |
| 2007 | 20,834 | 7,270[18] |
| 2008 | 18,529 | 4,941 |
| 2009 | 10,805 | 2,566[19] |
| 2010 | 8,779 | 1,980 |
| 2011 | 17,729 | 3,220[20] |
| 2012 | 17,731 | 4,595[20] |
| 2013 | 12,594 | 4,757[21] |
| 2014 | 11,114 | 4,737[21] |
| 2015 | 10,369 | 4,182 |
| 2016 | 8,909 | 3,397 |
| 2017 | 8,421 | 2,860 |
| 2018 | 1,993 | |
| 2019 | 1,840 |
References
Notes
- ↑ McWhirter, William A. (2 December 1996). "The roadsters are back". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985621-1,00.html.
- ↑ Ewing, Steven (11 November 2014). "Mercedes renames utility vehicles, repositions Maybach as sub-brand". Autoblog.com. http://www.autoblog.com/2014/11/11/mercedes-name-changes-gl-maybach/.
- ↑ "Mercedes-Benz expands brand world and introduces new nomenclature: Mercedes-Maybach for the ultimate in exclusivity and individuality". Daimler AG. 11 November 2014. http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-1760651-1-1760337-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html?TS=1415752768119.
- ↑ "SLK 200 / R 170 E 20, 1996 - 2000". https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/SLK-200--R-170-E-20-1996---2000.xhtml?oid=5014.
- ↑ "Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster Review (1996 - 2004) | Parkers" (in en). https://www.parkers.co.uk/mercedes-benz/slk/roadster-1996/review/.
- ↑ "Auto & Design – 98 – Reinterpretation of the roadster". Autodesignmagazine.com. http://www.autodesignmagazine.com/articoli/es/098/a2.htm.
- ↑ Long, Brian (2014-11-28) (in en). Mercedes-Benz SLK: – R170 series 1996-2004. Veloce Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9781845846510. https://books.google.com/books?id=OYZKBQAAQBAJ&q=wheelbase+length+of+2400mm+%2894.5in%29%2C+the+same+as+that+of+the+old+300SL+and+190SL+models+from+almost+four+decades+before.
- ↑ "SLK R170 Face-Lift for Year 2000". 1999-11-20. http://www.oocities.org/motorcity/downs/9323/r170fl.htm.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "The new Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class". Mercedes Benz. 15 March 2004. http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-1690014-1-807330-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-1549054-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html?TS=1436806615524.
- ↑ New Cars on Sale. "The Telegraph 4 April 2008". Telegraph.co.uk. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/new-cars-on-sale/2751810/In-the-showrooms-Mercedes-SLK-Roadster.html.
- ↑ "Geneva motor show: Mercedes SLK". AOL. 1 March 2011. http://cars.aol.co.uk/2011/03/01/geneva-motor-show-mercedes-slk/.
- ↑ "Salon Detroit 2016 : Mercedes SLC". turbo.fr. http://www.turbo.fr/actualite-automobile/789640-salon-detroit-2016-mercedes-slc/.
- ↑ "The Mercedes-Benz SLC Roadster is Officially Done". Motor Trend. 20 February 2020. https://www.motortrend.com/news/mercedes-benz-officially-kills-off-slc-class-roadster/. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ↑ "Mercedes-Benz SLK monthly and annual sales in Europe". Left-Lane.com. http://left-lane.com/european-car-sales-data/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-slk/.
- ↑ "Mercedes-Benz USA Records Highest Sales in Its History. – Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. 2003-01-03. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mercedes-Benz+USA+Records+Highest+Sales+in+Its+History.-a096075297.
- ↑ "2004 Highest Year on Record for Mercedes-Benz USA". Theautochannel.com. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/01/04/313903.html.
- ↑ "Mercedes-Benz Rings in the New Year with Record 2006 Sales". Theautochannel.com. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/01/03/032870.html.
- ↑ "Mercedes-Benz USA's Sales Drop 32.1 Percent In December 2008 | eMercedesBenz – The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog". eMercedesBenz. 2009-01-05. http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Jan09/05_001548_Mercedes_Benz_USA_Sales_Drop_32_Percent_In_December_2008.html.
- ↑ "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. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/highest-sales-month-for-the-year-at-21469-brings-mercedes-benz-to-an-18-percent-increase-for-2010-112881769.html.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Mercedes-Benz USA Hits Its Highest-Ever U.S. Volume With Sales Of 305,072". PR Newswire. 3 January 2013. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mercedes-benz-usa-hits-its-highest-ever-us-volume-with-sales-of-305072-185567602.html.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Mercedes-Benz Delivers Record-Breaking 2014 Sales Volume Of 330,391, Up 5.7%". PR Newswire. 5 January 2015. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mercedes-benz-delivers-record-breaking-2014-sales-volume-of-330391-up-57-300015788.html.
Bibliography
- Alfieri, Bruno (1997) (in en,de,it). Mercedes-Benz SLK. New Great Car Series. Milan: Automobilia. ISBN 8879600559.
- Allner, Michael (2021) (in de). Mercedes-Benz SLK & SLC: alle Generationen, alle Baujahre. 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.
- Template:Bols-MBP
- Mercedes CLK & SLK. 'Road Test' Limited Edition series. Cobham, Surrey, UK: Brooklands Books. 2001. ISBN 1855205564.
- Engelen, Günter (2006) (in de,en). Faszination SLK: R 170. 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.
- Long, Brian (2014). Mercedes-Benz SLK: R170 Series, 1996-2004. Dorcester, Dorset, UK: Veloce Publishing. ISBN 9781845846510.
- Vieweg, Christof (1996) (in de). Alles über den Mercedes-Benz SLK. Technik transparent series. Stuttgart: Mercedes-Benz AG. ISBN 3980445712.
- Zoporowski, Tobias (2018) (in de). Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170): Alle Modelle von 1996–2004. Praxisratgeber Klassikerkauf series. Königswinter, Germany: Heel Verlag. ISBN 9783958436961.
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