Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes SLK 200

Latest generation of Mercedes' original folding hard-top promises much, but does it deliver?

With a name derived from the initials of the German words for Sporty, Light and Short, the original SLK had an obvious brief. Predictably, the automated hard-top was what separated Mercedes’ baby sports car from its rivals – although this did affect the styling of the 1996 original, giving it a boxy look.
 
Subsequent generations have refined the design, and the all-new SLK is less compromised by its clever roof arrangement than ever before. The tidy rear and SLS-inspired face give the latest car a more upmarket and aggressive appearance.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Mercedes SLK

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_narrow","fid":"68677","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image"}}]]

Opt for Sport trim, and you also get an AMG bodykit, 18-inch wheels and lowered suspension. It’s still taller and wider than the low-slung BMW, though, so it looks more substantial.

The improvements continue inside, as the interior has been completely reworked. It offers decent space and a wide range of wheel and seat adjustment. The driving position is good, then, while anyone upgrading from the current SLK will immediately notice the cabin’s more modern design and superior quality.

Deep-set dials complement the smart yet simple dashboard, while the turbine-style air vents and aluminium switches on the centre console are lifted straight from the SLS. These give the cockpit a high-class feel.
 
On top of that, the £4,000 premium that the Sport model commands over the standard car buys contrasting red stitching on the upholstery. It also brings racy touches like matching seatbelts and perforated grips on the tactile, flat-bottomed, multifunction steering wheel. Build quality can’t be faulted inside, either.

Buyers can access a host of technology and trim options, but be warned: they don’t come cheap. Even a traditional analogue clock is a £195 extra. More appealing is the clear polycarbonate Panoramic vario-roof (£410), which allows light into the cabin even when the top is closed.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

C-Class Estate

2018 Mercedes

C-Class Estate

49,382 milesAutomaticDiesel2.1L

Cash £18,260
View C-Class Estate
EQC

2023 Mercedes

EQC

35,697 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £26,200
View EQC
New Model Y

2023 Tesla

New Model Y

44,336 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £23,920
View New Model Y
X4

2021 BMW

X4

35,517 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £26,920
View X4

Go for the all-singing, all-dancing Magic Sky Control version, and you can even swap the top from transparent to tinted at the flick of a switch – although this luxury costs a hefty £1,995.

The roof is fully automated – it folds in around 20 seconds – and refinement is excellent with it in place. However, enjoying wind-in-the-air motoring means sacrificing boot space; drop the roof, and luggage capacity falls from 335 litres to 225 litres. Still, the load area is bigger than the Z4’s in either configuration.

That’s good news, but buying a roadster is often a decision made by the heart, not the head. If the SLK is going to beat its rivals here, the driving experience needs to leave a big impression.

On paper, it gets off to a shaky start, as the relatively small engine and four-cylinder layout won’t excite sports car fans. Still, the 1.8 litre’s 181bhp output isn’t far behind its rivals, and standard stop-start helps to make it the cleanest and most efficient choice.

You have to really drive these cars to get under their skin, and it’s then that the Mercedes’ early promise begins to fade. Docile throttle responses mean it lacks the sporty reactions you’d expect from a roadster, and the engine is strained at high revs.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

This is a problem, as you have to work it hard to extract its performance. At the track, the SLK did 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds – that’s eight-tenths down on the Z4 and a huge 1.9 seconds behind the TT.

It’s not completely outclassed, however, as the turbo produces peak torque at only 1,800rpm – and that helped the Mercedes beat the Z4 in each of our in-gear tests. It’s worth noting here that our car was equipped with the 7G-Tronic auto box (£1,520), with an extra ratio over the six-speed manual BMW.

Standard SLKs are likely to be closely matched to the Z4. The automatic transmission does have other benefits. Steering-mounted paddles provide manual control, and you get a distinctive warble when you change up at the red line.

But the shifts aren’t as fast as those delivered by Audi’s double-clutch transmission, and the box is often busy hunting for the correct ratio in automatic mode.

The biggest disappointment for keen drivers will be the engine’s lack of character, yet the SLK’s chassis doesn’t engage much, either. Even though our car had sports suspension and Direct Steering (£215), it doesn’t have the Z4’s sporty reactions or the surefooted appeal of the Audi.

Worse still, the Sport model delivers a brittle ride, thanks to its 10mm lower suspension and large wheels, while the rear axle thumps over bumps. We suspect that lesser models would strike a better compromise, but for all its improvements, the SLK has its work cut out here.

Details

Chart position: 3
WHY: Third-generation SLK comes with bold new look. SLK 200 gets manual box as standard, but ours has the optional 7G-Tronic auto.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,831 off RRP*Used from £16,629
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,310 off RRP*Used from £12,420
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,915Avg. savings £2,116 off RRP*Used from £19,490
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £1,848 off RRP*Used from £7,649
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025
Ford Fiesta to return? Icon could be reborn as re-nosed Volkswagen ID.2
Ford Fiesta facelift - front cornering

Ford Fiesta to return? Icon could be reborn as re-nosed Volkswagen ID.2

VW’s sales and marketing boss considers Ford tech share “very successful” – and won’t rule out future projects
News
30 Apr 2025