Item: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R172 SLK-Class
Rating: 3.5

Fuel-efficient powertrains
Accomplished dynamics
Supportive front seats
High standard of interior fit and finish
Steering is accurate and well-weighted…

… but lacks feel
For the SLK 250’s 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, turbo lag
Suspension lacks compliance
Tyre noise on coarse surfaces
Sensitive and abrupt ESC intervention

Overview

Released in August 2011, the Mercedes-Benz R172 SLK-Class was a two-seat convertible with a retractable hardtop roof. Manufactured in Bremen, Germany, the rear-wheel drive R172 SLK range initially consisted of the SLK 200 BlueEfficiency and SLK 350 BlueEfficiency.

Please note that the Mercedes R172 SLK 55 AMG has been reviewed separately.

Development

The Mercedes-Benz R172 SLK had a two-piece metal folding ‘Vario Roof’ with the option of ‘Magic Sky Control’, a glass panel in the roof from transparent to opaque. Although reported to share 70 per cent of its parts with its predecessor, the R172 SLK was more fuel-efficient due to the improved 7G-Tronic automatic transmission (decreased torque converter slip and reduced internal friction) and improved aerodynamics which included a variable radiator shutter.

Mercedes-Benz R172 SLK-Class specifications
	Year	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
SLK 200 BE	2011-15	1.8-litre turbo petrol I4 (M271)	6sp man., 7sp auto	135 kW at 5250 rpm	270 Nm at 1800-4600 rpm
SLK 250 BE	2012-15	1.8-litre turbo petrol I4 (M271)	7sp auto	150 kW at 5500 rpm	310 Nm at 2000-4300 rpm
SLK 350 BE	2011-15	3.5-litre petrol V6 (M276)	7sp auto	225 kW at 6500 rpm	370 Nm at 3500-5250 rpm

Dimensions and suspension

Compared to the R171 SLK-Class , the R172 SLK was 52 mm longer (at 4134 mm), 22 mm wider (1810 mm) and 11 mm taller (1301 mm), though wheelbase length was unchanged (2430 mm).

The R172 SLK had three-link front suspension with MacPherson struts and multi-link rear suspension.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Mercedes-Benz R172 SLK-Class included dual front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, front door-mounted window bags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, driver fatigue monitoring (‘Attention Assist’), active front seat head restraints and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

The Mercedes-Benz R172 SLK was fitted with Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Pre-Safe’ system, which anticipated and prepared for collisions by tensioning the seatbelts and adjusting the seat positions for optimal airbag deployment. In the event of a pedestrian collision, the SLK’s bonnet would also rise to cushion the pedestrian’s subsequent impact with the bonnet (‘Active Bonnet’).

Features: Mercedes-Benz SLK 200

Standard features for the Mercedes-Benz R172 SLK 200 BlueEfficiency included 17-inch alloy wheels, an Audio 20 sound system with a six-disc CD changer, MP3/WMA/AAC compatibility, auxiliary (3.5mm/USB/iPod) inputs and Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, a 14.7cm colour TFT display, air conditioning, solar-reflecting full leather upholstery, contoured sports seats, heated front seats, cruise control with variable limiter (‘Speedtronic’), front fog lights, daytime LED running lights, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors with park guidance display (‘Parktronic’), a nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel, a multifunction steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, a height and reach adjustable steering column, height adjustable front seats, a power-operated park brake, 12 volt power outlet, front reading lamps, ambient lighting, tyre pressure monitoring and an immobiliser.

Features: Mercedes-Benz SLK 250

Compared to the SLK 200, the Merecdes-Benz SLK 250 was further equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND (Cockpit Management and Data System) Online Multimedia system with single disc CD/DVD player, SD memory card slot, a 17.8 cm colour TFT display, HDD navigation, 10GB hard drive for music storage, voice recognition (‘Linguatronic’) and internet browser, power adjustable front seats, directional bi-xenon headlights, steering wheel gearshift paddles, a power adjustable steering wheel, power folding door mirrors, electrochromatic door and rear view mirrors and driver memory settings (front seats, steering column and door mirrors).

Features: Mercedes-Benz SLK 350

The range-topping SLK 350 BlueEfficiency was distinguished by its 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with 225/40 tyres, a six-disc CD/DVD changer, dual-zone climate control air conditioning (‘Thermotronic’) and neck-level heating (‘AirScarf’).

2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 and 250 Carbon Editions

Released in 2014, the Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 and SLK 250 Carbon Editions could be identified by their AMG bodystyling, five-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels painted in titanium grey, dark surround headlights and dark-tinted tail-lights. The SLK 200 and SLK 250 Carbon Editions also had 10 mm lower sports suspension and upgraded brakes.

The SLK 200 and SLK 250 Carbon Editions were available in black, polar white, obsidian black, tenorite grey, iridium silver, palladium silver, design cashmere white magna and design diamond white bright paint finishes.

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