The new SLK comes with two power options. Michael McAleer tested them in the Welsh valleys.
Time to get butch. The sleek new SLK comes to market here at the end of the month and this time it's not the dinky sports car of old. Yes, it looks like a shrunken SLR. But then the SLR supercar is such a beast, a little reduction is warranted in the real world.
The favoured piece of street jewellery and a must-have second car for Mercedes fans, the SLK has a long history of winning favour with the female market, and the current model has done so with aplomb.
Now, however, Mercedes is adding a little bulk to the diet in the hope of being considered as butch as the tranche of new two-seater roadsters which arrived recently. Anything resembling the ultra-macho SLR is sure to win the target male audience Mercedes is so keen to pursue.
Yet this latest version retains the two-seater roadster styling of old, along with its impressive folding metal roof. But it's a lot sharper in all elements, from design to performance.
From the front, the imposing SLR-style lines give it a raciness that was lacking in the bland current range. At the rear it's got extra girth.
As we tailed another SLK on winding Welsh roads, we couldn't help thinking how closely it resembled a slightly smaller SL. All round, the appearance is far more striking than before, giving the car a character all its own, something the previous model sadly lacked.
But there's more to the new model than looks. The bigger body means a more spacious cabin and boot - and there are more powerful engines and revised suspension.
Initially only two models will be on offer: a 1.8-litre supercharged SLK200 with 163bhp and the awesome 3.5-litre 272bhp SLK350. The 200's engine is heavily revised to cut consumption and emissions with no loss of power, while the 350's motor is brand new and beats the output of the old 320 by 54bhp.
We've always had one qualm about small sporty Mercedes - gearboxes have not been their strongest suit. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard in both SLKs. A five-gear automatic will be an option in the 200 but keep clear.
We just don't understand how a prestige maker such as Mercedes can continually fail to come up with a decent autobox for small cars. While others such as Jaguar, BMW and Audi have turned to German experts ZF, Mercedes continues to develop them in-house. It's an unfortunate mistake.
However, there is promise for the future - the new seven-speed automatic in the 350, the first of its type in the world, is well worth the extra outlay over the manual six-speed. The tiptronic-style buttons on the back of the wheel are perfectly to hand and the power kicks in almost instantaneously.
Having sacrificed its old chassis to the Chrysler Crossfire, Mercedes has come along with a new stiffer version which feels a lot better balanced. The problem was that the old chassis couldn't really deal with all that power in the higher range models. This new version can.
The ride may be a little firm for some, but it offers far more communication than before and the car sits into corners admirably.
We drove both cars and, putting price to one side as only we can do, the 350 is streets ahead. While the 200 can cope with most conditions, on the long hillclimbs or motorway stretches on our test route it sometimes acted like an indolent student, slipping down to the mid-40s unless monitored.
The 350 is more enthusiastic and diligently maintains momentum. It's the more natural of the two, offering the requisite power with an assured ride.
It's as if this engine was the one the engineers had in mind when creating the new model. The 3.5-litre offers more than 100 extra horsepower over the 1.8-litre model. Even to our untrained ear, the smooth tones of the V6 are more suited to the long tapering F1-style bonnet than the more strained tones of the 200's four-cylinder unit.
In automatic trim, the 350 hits 62mph in just 5.6 seconds compared with the 200's 8.3 seconds. All out, the 200 hits 140 mph, while the 350 is limited to 155 mph but is clearly capable for more.
The new SLK can run with the best of the rest, but it's a cruiser at heart. And that's exactly what its audience wants. The SLK excels at looking smart, impressing friends and covering long distances without trouble.
Style and quality, rather than performance and dynamics, have been keys to success of many SL models and, as we weaved through the Welsh valleys with the roof down, it was more a matter of coasting along than dashing between the hairpins.
The SLK may be aimed at the young and sporty market, behind the wheel it's more a traditional touring car than raw roadster. And that's just fine for its audience.
C-Class takes its medicine on the chin
While the C-class has been the volume player for Mercedes in other markets, here it's never quite matched the E-class in sales. Up against the BMW 3-series and Audi A4, it always struggled to find form.
Four years into its lifecycle it's time for a litle nip and tuck and that's exactly what Mercedes has chosen to do, opting for minor aesthetic changes to the exterior and interior rather than a major overhaul.
The team at the three-pointed star knows that BMW and Audi are reworking new models of their small execs for launch next year or the year after. These models will put the C-class under new pressure, so changes have been made, particularly in the cabin which has come under criticism in recent years.
Outside there's a new front-end with modified bumper, clear-lens headlamps and a revised radiator grille. Suspension, steering and six-speed manual transmission have a more sporty configuration, ensuring an even more agile C-class driving experience.
There's also a new 192 bhp supercharged four-cylinder engine for the saloon and estate models, while the C220 CDI now has an output of 150 bhp, seven more than before.
Unfortunately it still doesn't match its fellow Germans in terms of driver dynamics - the C220 CDI is not as refined as our favourite in this size of car, Honda's 2.2-litre diesel in the Accord.
Again the gearboxes don't quite get the most from their power units. You have to consciously choose your gears in the manual for fear of slipping into the wrong gate, though the diesel is significantly more impressive in traffic and on the motorway than the petrol versions.
Behind the wheel there's the usual solid Mercedes handling and steering, if not quite the same feel as some competitors.
Inside there's a new cockpit design, a welcome reworking and a demonstration that Mercedes is responsive to the critics. The end result is a C-class with a more executive feel.
The sports coupé is better described as a luxury hatchback. It's not really that sporty and its long boot lid and sliver of glass on the tail are more suited to shopping centres than cruising the Riviera.
BMW has admitted defeat over its 3-series compact and, while Mercedes has had more success with this C-class variant, the question remains whether car fans will want to pay so much for a fancy hatchback.
Aside from this, the changes are enough to keep the C-class competitive and young execs will do well with this three-pointed star.