The 2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC may not be for everyone, but it has features anyone would love.
The roadster formerly known as the SLK. The baby Benz droptop. The SL’s little brother. It doesn’t matter what you call the 2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a two-seat roadster with a retractable hardtop.
The things that are important in a car like this don’t change, either. As the above Kelley Blue Book video shows, the SLC seems to tick all of the right boxes.
What are some of those boxes? Just like any car that costs a minimum of nearly $50,000, the SLC needs to be attractive. Check. It also needs to perform well with its top down. Thanks to a header that doesn’t crowd occupants, a top that can go down at speeds up to 25 mph, and Airscarf’s neck warming, ditto. Top up, the SLC’s available Magic Sky Control roof panel gives people inside the comfort of tinted glass or a transparent view of the stars above with just the touch of a button. With the exception of the chintzy climate control knobs, the interior’s quality gets high marks from KBB‘s Micah Muzio. He also finds the SLC’s cabin features comfortable seats and plenty of space for (most) people and their packages.
The SLC also needs to be powerful and fun to drive. It checks those boxes, too. The base SLC’s turbo four has plenty of pep. The Mercedes-AMG SLC 43’s 362-horsepower twin-turbo V6 has even more. Mercedes hooks both engines to a nine-speed automatic that shifts with “staggering immediacy,” according to Muzio. The steering is equally urgent, adding to the SLC’s fun factor.
Sure, the SLC isn’t the lightest car out there, and it doesn’t have the looks of the Porsche 718 Boxster, but there are clearly plenty of reasons to like the SLC… or whatever you call it.
Looking for a good deal on a new Mercedes-Benz? Get insider information here.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
