India-bound Mercedes SLC unveiled ahead of 2016 NAIAS debut - IAB Report

16/12/2015 - 17:32 | Mercedes SLC, Mercedes-Benz | Riza Rizvi

Will be launching early next year.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the facelift of the fabled Mercedes SLK roadster. The convertible has been given a new name and is now called the Mercedes SLC. Prices are not disclosed yet and are expected to be revealed when bookings open in mid-January next year globally.

The Mercedes SLC will be available in four trims – SLC 180, SLC 200, SLC 300 and SLC 250d, there is also the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 performance flagship. The exterior has received many revisions, beginning from the front where there is a revised diamond grille and headlights incorporating LED DRLs. The sides feature prominent wheel arches, 16-inch light alloy wheels and fender vents. The rear gets redesigned bumpers, modified tail lights and a dual exhaust system. The electrohydraulic roof can now start operation from a standstill and function at speeds of 40 km/h (24 mph).

The interior exudes a premium feel and features dark aluminium and carbon-fibre accents. The seats can be wrapped in standard or Nappa leather which also gets a “sun reflecting” feature and contrasting stitching and piping. The three-spoke, flat bottomed, multi-function steering wheel is finished in Nappa leather with the central grip area trimmed in Dinamica microfiber. The instrument cluster has also been revised with a 4.5-inch colour TFT screen sitting between the two analog dials.

The 7.0-inch COMAND infotainment screen is prominently placed on the dashboard between the chome-lined AC vents. The system can be used to access functions such as phone, audio, video, navigation and internet; it is also compatible with Bluetooth, USB and DVD.

Under the hood, all SLC trims are powered by inline four engines except the AMG variant. The petrol engines are the 1.6-litre producing 156 hp / 250 Nm in the SLC 180 and the 2.0-litre that comes in two tunes generating 184 hp / 300 Nm and 245 hp / 370 Nm in the SLC 200 and SLC 300 respectively.

The sole diesel offering is the 2.2-litre inline four in the SLC 250d that churns out 204 hp and 500 Nm of peak torque output. All the models excluding the base SLC 180 and SLC 200 come with the 9G-tronic automatic gearbox as standard. The base variants are equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission as stock but can be optioned with the 9-speed automatic.

The SLC 43 is no longer powered by the AMG V8 (in the SLK 55 AMG). Instead it gets the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 which is capable of 362 hp and 520 Nm of torque. Transmission duties are handled by the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission that helps the SLC 43 sprint from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.6 seconds with the top speed restricted to 155 mph (250 km/h).

Dynamic capabilities are improved thanks to the Dynamic Select system that comes as standard. This system offers five driving modes namely – Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Eco, and Individual modes. Each mode tunes the engine, steering, transmission and suspension settings to give a different feel to the driver. An active safety feature that is offered as standard is the Active Brake Assist system. This feature warns the driver if it senses a collision, and if no input is received, it applies the brakes autonomously in order to prevent or reduce the severity of the accident.