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Various silver buttons control the electricals, and there’s a neat, stubby handbrake behind the roof switch. Electric motors operate nearly everything, including memory seats and a steering wheel that’s adjustable for both tilt and reach. The only nasty bits here are the spring-loaded cupholders that pop out like an afterthought from the dashboard tray, blocking the air vents in the process. The CATS-spec SLK 200 already includes sports suspension, bi-xenon lamps and active lighting. The latter means foglights nestled in the lower bumper double as cornering lamps, switching on and off as the driver signals or turns the wheel. Fire it up and there’s a subdued burble from the inline-4 engine. This may only be a 1.8 liter, but 16 valves, twin camshafts and most importantly, a supercharger bumps output up to a decent 163 bhp and a meaty 240 Nm. Power is fed through a five-speed automatic gearbox, with 0-100 km/h time of 8.3 seconds and maximum 226 km/h. We did feel the torque in there somewhere, but it will take a deliberate prodding of the pedal to bring it to the fore—throttle travel is long and heavy. The five-speed auto changes mode via a button near the gearshift lever. It toggles among normal, sport and manual modes. Manual allows gearchanges using switches behind the steering wheel spokes. We fiddled with the manual for a few minutes, but after that decided, to hell with it. The computer can probably shift it better 99% of the time. The steering swaps the old recirculating ball for a rack-and-pinion setup. While large Benzes like the E and S-class feel more agile than their dimensions would have you expect, the SLK drives like a big car. Steering, though sharp, is not quite as darty as the swoopy exterior would suggest. The settings seem more suited to a long, cross-country journey than a quick dash to the office. The approach pays off in the ride comfort. Bumps are absorbed softly and quietly, and undulating surfaces are shrugged off to maintain composure. |
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