By: IOL Motoring Staff
The Mercedes-Benz SLC nameplate has been brought back to life, but the new car is not ancestrally related to the version of the '70s and '80s.
Back then that badge signified a coupé version of the Mercedes-Benz SL, but today's SLC is actually a facelifted SLK.
Is Mercedes-Benz trying to confuse us?
Well, not really. It's all part of a new naming strategy in which vehicles that are related to a particular 'class' have a common last letter. For instance: as with the GLC SUV, the SLK is related to the C-Class family, thus its name must change to SLC. The G-Class became the GLE because it's positioned in E-Class territory and so on and so on.
As the SLK was still far from the end of its model cycle, what you see here is a facelift rather than an all-new model.
Most of the visual changes take place at the front end, where the SLC is told apart by a redesigned bumper, headlights and grille - the latter featuring diamond patterning across all models.
NEW ENGINES
However since this upgrade is far more than skin deep, Mercedes has given the compact roadster a technological refresh and some new engines.
There's a more 'sensible' flagship at the top of the range as the previous V8-powered SLK 55 AMG makes way for the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43, featuring a new 3-litre twin-turbo V6. It pushes 270kW and 520Nm, 40kW and 20Nm less than the SLK 55, but at least it should be cheaper and more economical. The new flagship is no slouch either, with Mercedes quoting a 4.7 second 0-100km/h sprint and it should be quite nimble in the corners too, having inherited the 55's sports suspension.
At the other end of the range is a new entry-level SLC 180, powered by Merc's familiar 1.6-litre turbo four, rated at 115kW and 250Nm. Fleshing out the middle zone is a 2-litre turbopetrol, available in SLC 200 (135kW/300Nm) and SLC 300 (180kW/370Nm) versions, and there's a 150kW/500Nm SLC 250d turbodiesel option.
The SLC 180 and 200 are fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but they're also available with the nine-speed autobox that's standard on the rest of the range.
The South African engine line-up and pricing will be confirmed closer to its 2016 on-sale date.
UPDATED CABIN, GADGETS
Designers also tinkered with the roadster's cabin design, which has been given a higher-quality look with new dark aluminium trim parts, revised instrument cluster, new sports steering wheel and improved leather seat trim.
As for the gadgets, the Comand Online infotainment system, which operates through a 17.8cm high-res colour screen, gets a host of new features and functions.
New driver assistance gizmos in the SLC include Collision Prevention Assist Plus, with autonomous braking capability (standard) and the LED Intelligent Light System that automatically adapts to all light and driving conditions.