Test drive Mercedes Benz SLK R171 2004 - 2008 Cabriolet
Relay success
Over three hundred thousand owners in all parts of the world, more than forty international prizes, world leadership in their segment - these are the achievements of the Mercedes -Benz Slk family for five years of release. But success must be maintained, and in Stuttgart it was well understood ...Today, everyone who developed the new SLK can be satisfied: the car was a success. The light, rapid outlines of the body are a continuation of the contours of the hood, personifying power and pressure. The designers decided to give the novelty some resemblance to the McLaren Mercedes teams, which won many victories in Formula 1, hence such a long hood. The car generally became larger - 72 mm long, 65 width, the base increased by 30 mm. The technical characteristics of the body have also improved: CYC decreased to 0.32, and rigidity, on the contrary, increased by 46 %.
The new SLK, as before, is equipped with a rigid folding roof. The manufacturers managed to bring its drive almost to perfection. The top now closes and opens even faster and takes even less space in the luggage compartment than before. They achieved this due to the fact that during the folding of the top, the glass turns and tightly adjacent to the vault of the roof. It is only a pity that, as before, to open or close the top, a joystick that controls the operation of five hydraulic cylinders has to be kept throughout the operation, which now lasts 22 seconds (before 25).
The use of a new roof folding mechanism made it possible to increase the trunk. Its volume with a folded hard top is 208 liters - 63 more than that of the previous model. But still, large -sized things will not be able to lay here with a folded roof - because of the too narrow opening. We could not squeeze even a small coffee with a camera. There is nothing to be done, SLK is a sports car, not a utilitarian one.
Two huge silver cylinders, in one of which are immersed as a speedometer and a watch dial, and in the other - a tachometer and an indicator of fuel level in the tank, are slightly turned to each other, and therefore the driver is very convenient to read information from them. There is a small display between the cylinders, on which you can call the data of the track computer, navigation systems or a telephone book; up to 50 individual settings are provided.
To match the instrument shield of the central console, on which, as usual, the climate installation control unit and the CD resort are located. In addition, a chainer on 6 CDs was installed in the glove compartment of our car, and there was a little more space left for all sorts of trifles. The volume of the glove box is 6.3 liters - almost 30 % more than that of the previous model. The glove compartment cover is associated with the central lock that is included in the serial package: when locking the machine using remote control located in an electronic ignition, this lid is also blocked.
The only thing that did not really like the design of the instrument panel is the texture of the material from which it is made. It looks rude and resembles Kirza. The panel is made by spraying polyurethane foam, which allows you to accurately form edges and radii, in addition, a layer of plastic foam up to 10 mm thick forms a pleasant to the touch, soft surface. Nevertheless, it does not look very attractive, and its shallow texture will probably contribute to the collection of dust.
Concluding the overview of the cabin, we note the new sports, sagged seats with a carefully selected springy layer of foam. Both elements - shaped springs and a layer of foam - are located in a durable frame of the pillow made of fiberglass. For the backs, the engineers chose the magnesium frames. Thanks to this, with a lateral blow, for example, the back of the seat will become an additional transverse element of the hardness of the body.
Security in the new SLK is given special attention. Body elements that are crucial for protection against impact are made of high -strength steel (in general, it is 42 % of sheet steel used in the manufacture of the body). Also in the car serially installed a sensor that recognizes the beginning of overturning and instantly notifying the central control unit of retention and protection systems about this. The microcomputer immediately activates the seat belts and side pillows for protecting the head and chest of the crew - regardless of whether the top is open or closed.
On our SLK there is a new two -liter engine with a compressor with a capacity of 163 hp. Its main difference from previous power units is the presence of Twinpulse system. The engine equipped with compressor boost, balancer ramparts, a boiled air cooler and the adjustable camshaft bearings, provides the car with good dynamics and tolerant fuel consumption. Only 8.7 liters of gasoline are required on the highway 100 km along the track, however, only when driving with the installed roof. It is worth removing it as the fuel level in the speed of movement begins to fall before our eyes. Nevertheless, with such dynamics, and up to hundreds of a car with an automatic gearbox accelerates in 8.3 seconds, its appetite can be recognized moderate.
By the way, the automatic transmission on our SLK is an option. In the basic configuration, a car with such a motor is aggregated by a six -speed manual box, which adds a drawer, albeit slightly (acceleration to a hundred - for 7.9 s). If desired, it is possible to sort through the transmission manually on the machine. The sequential mode is available at any time, and the programs are clung to both the handle and the corresponding buttons are located on the back of the spokes.
The steering is completely new. The place of the steering machine with a screw and a ball nut was taken by the rail, so the responsiveness and accuracy of the steering wheel increased significantly.
This is also facilitated by a new front suspension: instead of the previous independent, on double cross levers, a three -leaf is installed on McPherson racks. As before, SLK is a rear -wheel drive car, which in no way affects its handling. Roadster is so clearly holding a given trajectory and prescribes turns that sometimes it seems as if not only the rear bridge, but also the front one takes part in the organization of the progressive movement.
The brakes did not really like the brakes. First of all, due to the fact that the pedal squeezing the pedal is too zealously, at first it is not easy to dose the force, and the car slows down the move much more intensively than required. At the same time, it is clearly felt how the pedal itself goes further from under the foot. In the future, of course, you get used to it.
I was pleased that in such a machine you can completely move completely on our bad roads. A car with a fairly clamped suspension is almost not shaking on bumps, and transverse seams on the asphalt, so unloved even by SUVs, passes with a bang. Nice, I must say, surprise.
The good news for fans of the model will be that the price of the new SLK increased slightly, by 3-4 percent. Our car, equipped with a number of options, costs 58 100 euros. In the basic configuration, it will cost 42,900. It is not necessary to doubt that there are people who want to purchase this rubber: it’s enough to look at the figure at the very beginning of the material.
Technical characteristics of Mercedes-Benz Slk 200
The body is supporting, all -metal.
Number of places, people. - 2
Equipped mass, kg - 1390
Dimensions (length/width/height), mm - 4082/1777/1296
Base, mm - 2430
Trunk volume, l - 300
Maximum speed, km/h - 226
Acceleration time to 100 km/h, s - 8.3
Fuel control (mixed cycle), l/100 km - 8.8
The volume of the fuel tank, l - 70
Engine:
- Type - in order, 4 -cylinder, with a compressor
- working volume, cm3 - 1796
- Power, L.S. at min -1 - 163/5000
- Torque, N.M at MIN-1- 240/3000-4000
Transmission - automatic, 5th.
Tire size - 205/55R16
Wheel suspension (front and rear) - independent
Brakes (front, rear) - disk, ventilated
Steering - gear -rake, with gur
Price, euro - 58100
Text: Oleg Kalaushin
Source: Magazine 5 wheel
