The firm and occasionally thumpy AMG suspension combines with the SLK’s relatively short wheelbase and low profile rubber to produce a somewhat unresolved low speed ride. That’s a lot of rubber on the road for a car that’s no more than 50mm bigger than a Mazda MX-5 in any exterior dimension – but about 300kg heavier of course. Tyre sizes differ front to rear with 225//45 ZR17 Michelin SX Pilots leading the car and wider 245//40 ZR17 boots putting the power onto the road. Usually with these sports auto-style transmissions I experiment a few times and then leave the automatic to make its own mind up prompted by throttle pressure.īut with the SLK having the long-travel throttle that’s a Mercedes-Benz hallmark there’s some advantage to be gained from nudging the transmission down one gear at the start of an overtaking move or the moment before momentum starts to falter on a long uphill run.Īlthough in New Zealand you get an automatic unless you specifically order the six-speeder, the local spec for the SLK 320 V6 includes a sports-oriented AMG option package which comprises bodykit, five-spoke 17-inch wheels and sports suspension. There’s no need to move the shifter into a separate gate to shift manually. Whenever the gearshifter is in Drive the transmission can be shifted manually by nudging the lever across the gate. The Benz Touch-shift system is sheer simplicity.
Mercedes benz slk 230 kompressor performance specifications manual#
There’s impressive flexibility all the way from about 1500rpm to achieve effortless performance.Įuropean markets offer the SLK with a six-speed manual transmission but the standard gearbox for New Zealand is a five-speed automatic offering sequential manual shifting for those times you want some extra involvement and direct control of the car. The 3.2-litre unit develops its 160kW peak at 5700rpm and the torque curve flattens at 310Nm between 30rpm. Perhaps the only current model which doesn’t have a 320 variant is the baby A-Class, although no doubt some German Hot-rod haus builds just such a machine. You’ll find it under the bonnet of an alphabet soup of C, CLK, E, S, SL, ML and G-Wagen models. This 3.2-litre alloy V6 engine with three valves and two spark plugs per cylinder has become a staple of the modern Benz line-up. The result is fractionally brisker performance but with a lot less apparent effort. The Kompressor engine has eager throttle response thanks to an impressively flat torque curve but when revved harder it reveals a mechanical coarseness.Īs you might expect the V6 is appreciably more refined and has a muted snarl at higher revs. Over the 0-100km/h sprint the V6 is a shade quicker at 6.9 seconds – compared with the blown four-pot model which clocks 7.2s.īut the style of performance of the two cars is very different. The latest SLK 230 Kompressor model has a slightly uprated output of 145kW. Rather they alter the character of the SLK. The extra two cylinders and 900-odd cubic centimetres don’t provide a significant performance boost.
Priced at $125,000 its positioned above the four cylinder 2.3-litre supercharged SLK 230 Kompressor version which is listed at $102,900.
Slotting the 3199cc 18-valve V6 behind that distinctive honeycomb grille creates the SLK 320 V6 as the flagship of the SLK range. The easiest way to spot a 2000 model SLK is the indicator repeaters in the exterior mirrors – fast becoming a Benz styling signature. However the AMG bodykit that is standard on NZ-spec V6 versions tends to divert the attention from such details. Look closely at the classic roadster long bonnet, short tail and snug two seater cockpit proportions of the 2000 model SLK and you might notice a few differences.Ĭosmetic changes include reshaped front and rear bumpers, new side skills, a painted grille and new tail lamps. Along with some subtle cosmetic exterior and cabin updates the model choice was expanded to include six cylinder power for the first time. In this best-of-both-worlds Benz, switching bodystyles – whenever you desire or the weather demands – is only the touch of button away.įirst seen on New Zealand roads in late 1996, the SLK remains unique – until the cute Peugeot 206 cc arrives next year – in being able to deliver wind-in-the-hair roadster motoring with the day-to-day convenience, refinement and security of a hardtop.įor the 2000 model year the SLK got its mid-life makeover. In 25 seconds of electrohydraulic choreography the Vario folding aluminium hardtop transforms Mercedes-Benz’s SLK from elegant coupe to glamorous roadster, and saves you the mental torture of choosing between a coupe and a convertible.
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