2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC:: circa $70,000 starting price for Australia
The SLK moniker might be gone after two decades in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio, but the spirit of the model will live on in the newly-named and freshly facelifted SLC range.
Revealed in December, the 2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC range introduced the latest step in the German car maker's new brand-wide naming structure, along with a styling makeover, new technologies, and the introduction of the new AMG SLC43.
Those changes are joined by the retirement of the SLK55 AMG, which was the last model in the company's range to feature the now retired 5.5-litre V8 engine.
Exact pricing for the local line-up is still to be confirmed, but CarAdvice can now confirm the pricing range that is almost certain to follow the model when it hits Australia in September.
The most recent entry pricing for the SLK range was for the SLK200, which started from $87,200 plus on-road costs. The SLK range sold 296 units in Australia in 2015, with almost 50 per cent of those sales made up of SLK250.
Along with the facelift, there will be equipment changes for the new SLC range. All new SLC models will get a reverse view camera as standard. Australia will get three SLC models, kicking off with the SLC180 (115kW/250Nm), and a small number of those will be offered in manual form.
There will also be the SLC200 (135kW/300Nm) and SLC300 (180kW/370Nm), while the hero of the range will be the AMG SLC43 with its 270kW/520Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6. AMG promises a 4.7-second run to 100km/h, making it just a hair slower than the outgoing SLK55 (4.6 seconds).
"The SLC200 and SLC300 models haven't had Australian pricing finalised as yet, but there will be at least a five per cent drop against the current equivalent models," said David McCarthy, Public Relations Director for Mercedes-Benz Australia.
The SLC300 will be equipped with an AMG Line styling kit, Distronic, air scarf, DAB stereo, keyless ignition, Dynamic Select, Lane Keep Assist and Blind Spot Assist, all as standard.
" The SLK55 AMG is currently priced at $162,000 but the SLC43 AMG will be priced in the mid 130s," said McCarthy.
"SLC180 will be priced in the low 70s, which means it will be attractive price wise and hopefully we sell a few manual models as well."
McCarthy says Mercedes-Benz Australia would like to sell 400 SLCs per year.
The SLC range will go on sale in Australia in September 2016.
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