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Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

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

Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class
Overview
Manufacturer
Production1996–2020
Body and chassis
ClassSports car (S)
Compact grand tourer
Body style2-door roadster
LayoutFront-engine, rear-wheel-drive

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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Main article: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R170)
 
R170 SLK-Class

The R170 Mercedes SLK was the first generation compact roadster produced by Mercedes-Benz, 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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Main article: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)
 
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)

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Main article: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R172)
 
R172 SLK-Class
 
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

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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

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Notes

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  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. ^ a b c d e "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "Mercedes-Benz Delivers Record-Breaking 2014 Sales Volume Of 330,391, Up 5.7%". PR Newswire. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.

Bibliography

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  • 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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