- SLK most popular model the world over in the segment it created
- World’s first sports car with vario-roof and AIRSCARF
- Forty international awards highlights immense popularity
- 459,000 SLK Roadsters produced since 1996
- Engine range from 120 kW to 265 kW
Ten years ago a now-iconic sports car made its international debut in
showrooms: the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class roadster.
The two-seater sports car was one of the highlights of the first
Mercedes-Benz strategic product initiative and still stands as a symbol of the
new, dynamic brand image of the Stuttgart-based car maker. Furthermore, the
SLK-Class established a new market segment in 1996, a segment which has since
enjoyed exceptionally rapid growth. Thanks to its steel vario-roof, which turns
the two-seater into a weatherproof coupé in a matter of seconds, the roadster
was and continues to be the inspiration for many other open-top cars. The
current SLK-Class continues to set trends with innovations such as the AIRSCARF
neck-level heating system.
Worldwide, Mercedes-Benz has produced a total of some 459,000 SLK models
since 1996. With an average market share of 34 per cent in all markets where it
is sold, the current SLK-Class is the world leader in the compact roadster
segment.
“The SLK roadster was always destined to enjoy status as an icon”, said Horst
von Sanden, Managing Director for Mercedes Car Group in Australia.
“The first-generation SLK roadster set the standard for many other sports
cars to follow. Some 4,500 Australian customers later, the new SLK roadster
continues this.”
“It’s the ideal blend of classic sports car design with state-of-the-art
technology. To say the SLK roadster has been a hit since its inception is
something of an understatement.”
“Spirited driving dynamics matched to Mercedes-Benz luxury helped cement the
SLK’s authority as a leader in its sports car segment”, added von Sanden.
“The innovative vario-roof simply made it the sports car you would want to
drive all year long.”
A roadster for all seasons: the vario-roof
The innovative vario-roof is what made the SLK unique among open-top cars. It
offers all the benefits of a fixed hard top but is just as flexible as a soft
top. The fully automatic transformation from roadster to coupé – or vice-versa –
takes only a matter of seconds and the brilliant design of the vario-roof allows
it to be stowed in the boot. It deploys at the touch of a button, sliding
forward and closing above the occupants to protect them from the elements.
Pioneered by Mercedes-Benz, it was this feature that made the 1996 SLK a
trendsetter for a new generation of open-top cars equipped with vario-roof-type
technology which offers distinct benefits with regard to sound insulation and
year-round comfort. Ten years after its world premiere in the SLK, this
innovative roof technology has been adopted by many car makers for their
cabriolets and roadsters.
Mercedes-Benz also opened a new chapter in the field of cabriolet safety with
the SLK-Class. The two-seater's airbags, sidebags, belt tensioners, belt force
limiters, automatic child-seat recognition function and effective roll-over
protection (featuring tubular reinforcements in the A-pillars and high-strength
steel roll-over bars) also put it well ahead of other open-top cars.
Innovation: the world's only car with a warm-air blower integrated in the
seats
The new SLK-Class, which has been on Australian roads since August 2004,
expresses its sporty character even more emphatically and sets new trends with
its trailblazing technology.
In addition to an enhanced vario-roof, which opens even more quickly and
occupies less boot space thanks to its pivoting rear window, the Mercedes sports
car is unique in offering the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system. Integrated in
the seat backrests, the patented AIRSCARF system blows warm air from openings in
the head restraints and thus functions as an invisible scarf which keeps each
occupant's head, throat and neck warm. This means that the SLK-Class makes it
possible to enjoy open-top driving pleasure even during the colder months. In
other words, AIRSCARF allows SLK owners to drive with the top down for longer
and more frequently.
A number of features – including adaptive, two-stage airbags and newly
developed head/thorax sidebags – also set the Mercedes two-seater apart from
other sports cars in this segment.
A sensational success: demand for the SLK exceeded all expectations
In addition to trendsetting technology, high design values are another
hallmark of the SLK-Class. When the roadster appeared ten years ago, its stylish
lines were an instant hit and were one of the decisive factors in the
sensational success of the model series. Enthusiasm for the two-seater was so
great that the SLK sold out shortly after the market launch and production
capacity had to be increased significantly.
More than 311,000 units of the first-generation SLK-Class were produced
between autumn 1996 and March 2004, while more than 40 international prizes and
awards underline the immense popularity of this compact roadster.
The new SLK-Class has been continuing this successful trend since March 2004.
Customers have a choice of four engine variants, including the six-cylinder SLK
280 and SLK 350 as well as the SLK 55 AMG which has an eight-cylinder power
plant. The power output of the SLK models ranges from 120 kW to 265 kW.
To date, Mercedes-Benz has produced some 148,000 units of the current
SLK-Class and leads the world market in this segment with an average market
share of 34 per cent. In Germany and other West European countries, almost one
out of two new registrations in this sports-car segment is an SLK model.
“It’s clearly a prized model in the sports roadster segment that epitomises
athleticism and comfort under the one roof”, concluded von Sanden.
The Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster is priced from $88,400.
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