Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 K – Great Handling, And Attention-Grabber
Finally, I have managed to get my hands on a Mercedes-Benz SLK 200K roadster, courtesy of DaimlerChrysler Sdn Bhd, the local distributors of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Even though the car has been around for close to a year now, it is not that common a sight, and even if it was, its unique shape, its SLR-inspired front nose, the very low-slung passenger compartment and the short rear makes the SLK an eye-turner, a sure attention-grabber everywhere you go.
Compared to the previous SLK, the new one looks much more aggressive. My friends are divided about which looks better, but I guess it would be fair to say that each one has its own distinctive features. Of course, the new one is always better to drive.
The test team took turns to check out the SLK, and our other two male testers gave it the thumbs up! Our very petite lady driver had a small complaint that the seats of the SLK are not friendly to people below five feet as she had difficulty reaching the pedals even with the driver’s seat fully extended to the front. A small cushion helped, but the designers had better take note of this. Anyway, our lady tester did comment, “The handling is nice, and the power is good.” She went further to explain that because of the fast acceleration, she built up speed so fast that she came upon an ‘S’ curve on the Kerinchi Link (a highway in KL city) at a speed substantially higher than what she would normally have used, but found that the SLK could take it without any fuss.
I took the car down to Port Dickson for a wedding party over the weekend, and yes, the car became the centre of attraction. More interestingly, I took the KLIA/Sepang route that has some very interesting and winding B-roads. Here the SLK excelled in its handling characteristics. It is in situations like this that the button shifts located at the back of the steering become very useful, allowing one to shift up and down at will. Although the engine only puts out 163 horses, torque is good at 240 Nm peaking at as low as 3000 rpm, and combined with a vehicle weight of 1390 kg, together with a set of well-matched gear ratios, the SLK is very responsive to throttle demand. True, it is not an out and out racer, but it is a fun car to drive. Compared to the older unit, the new SLK has the edge on handling. This is due to a newer design traction control system, and also the fact that the steering mechanism is now rack and pinion instead of the re-circulating ball type in the outgoing model.
Having fun of the Sepang to Lukut section, the feeling is akin to having a bout on my Playstation 2, what with the push-button shifts that allow you to play around with the 5-speed box, and the extremely good handling. The ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) is a standard package, but the 4-wheel independent suspension, which actually feels soft and supple at low speeds, does seem to hold the car around the bends very well; the ESP did not deploy at any time, perhaps due to the fact that I was keeping a little in reserve (you don’t go flat out when you know the car you are driving has a value equating to many times some peoples’ annual incomes). For the techies, the front suspension is made up of McPherson struts, with an anti-roll bar, a set-up popular with roadsters, and the rear is a multi-link arrangement. Shod on 16-inch tyres, 225/50 R 16 at the rear, and slightly smaller 205/55 R16 at the front, handling is a given; this is one of those test drives during which I actually enjoy driving. I suppose inching up to 17-inch or 18-inch wheels would make the car look that much better and handle a little sharper, but the standard ones are good enough if you are not finicky.
On the straights, the lane-change characteristics are good, and the maximum speed achieved was 240km/hr. The car is very stable at speeds up to 200. At speeds above 200 km/hr, the suspension is a little soft, and the car could do with a ‘Sports’ option, perhaps with electronic controls for the damping, like in the Porsche Cayman.
One thing good about the relatively low horsepower is that you can drive the SLK quite sedately if you wish to. We were stuck in a two-hour traffic crawl along the highway near Seremban a couple of days earlier, but all you have to do is to stick it into auto mode, lean back and chill.
The inside is typically Mercedes, electrically controlled seats, dual temperature controls for left and right, a 6-speed air-cond blower for you to set how cold air you want, and of course, full leather upholstery. The seats are a little thin though, but if you are a sport scar fan, this is only a minor detail. In case you didn’t know, the SLK is a hardtop convertible, and the roof goes down into the boot at the touch of a button, something that you might want to do while cruising down Jalan Telawi in Bangsar on a weekend evening.
Whilst some may say that the engine is of too small a capacity to be a sports car, there are some benefits. Firstly, being only 1796 cc, (with a super charger), it you get to pay minimal road tax. There are some cars on the road that are going for a song, very powerful, I would admit, but cost an arm and a leg in road tax every year. Next, there is the issue of fuel consumption. For a refill of RM110.00, we managed 550 kilometres, which works out to be exactly 20 sen per kilometre; this range included some acceleration tests, exuberant driving for most of the time, and some time stuck in a traffic jam coming back from Melaka the previous day. Running cost is not going to be a problem with the SLK 200K. (This means that when the price drops in a couple of years time to a more palatable level for those of us with limited budgets, owning such a car can become a reality).
The SLK 200K goes into my bookss as one of the select few cars that I enjoy driving, and I would have no reservations about recommending it to anyone who cares to ask me. The only factor that deters me is the asking price of RM470k, which puts it way out of my league, but I am sure there are many of you out there who can pay the price.
