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Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its SLC roadster – but this is not an all-new model, rather a facelifted and renamed version of the familiar SLK.
According to its creators, dubbing the new car SLC emphasises its close relationship with the C-Class model line, from which the roadster draws much of its components.
The new line-up will arrive in showrooms in April 2016 at prices to be announced in January following the car’s debut at the Detroit Motor Show, and Mercedes-Benz has taken the opportunity to add a new entry-level SLC 180 and a range-topping Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 to the European line-up.
However Mercedes-Benz has confirmed to Motor Trader that currently there are no plans to make the 1.6-litre 156PS SLC 180 available to UK buyers.
The entry-level model will therefore be the SLC 200, which replaces the 1.8-litre 184PS engine of its predecessor with a 2-litre unit that offers the same power but 300NM of torque, up by 30PS.
This engine is uprated to 245PS and 370NM in the SLC 300, which replaces the previous SLK 250, and there is an SLC 250d diesel model, using the same four-cylinder 204PS unit as its SLK 250 CDI predecessor.
The SLC 43 replaces the previous SLK 55 AMG and uses the same 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine as the S400 Coupe model. At 367PS, and 520NM of torque, it is 54 horsepower less powerful than its predecessor, and the torque figure drops by 19NM, though delivered over a wider rev range.
Mercedes quotes a 0-62mph time for the SLC 43 of 4.7 seconds, one tenth of a second slower than its predecessor, but with a 2.5mpg combined cycle fuel economy improvement to 36.2mpg.
The SLC 180 and SLC 200 are fitted as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox while the top three models use the latest 9G-Tronic auto transmission, which improves fuel economy and emissions across the range.
Visually the facelift to the model sees a significantly reworked front section with a steeply-raked radiator grille to emphasise the arrow-shape bonnet and the latest diamond-shape grille – in black on the SLC 180, chrome on other models.
The front bumper has bold air intakes with chrome trim, LED daytime running lights are incorporated into the headlamps while most notable at the rear are narrower, LED tail lamps.
The folding ‘vario-roof’ hard-top has also been improved – it is now simpler to operate and can be activated at speeds of up to 25mph.
Inside Mercedes has sought to improve the quality of the cabin, with light aluminium carbon trim as standard, dark as an option, a redesigned instrument cluster and a multifunction, colour TFT display between the dials with a screen diagonal of 4.5 inches. The centre console display has grown from 5.8 to seven inches.
The new SLC range will go on sale 20 years after the first SLK was unveiled in 1996.
