Mercedes-Benz India today rolled out the its 6th product this year - the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43. The open top two-seater comes priced at Rs. 77.50 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
20 years after the birth of its segment, the roadster gets a new avatar and name. It was at the 2016 Detroit Motor Show that the company introduced the world to the SLC and within six months of its global premiere, the car comes to India, which shows how aggressive the German carmaker is when it comes to expansion of its product portfolio. The SLC 43 replaces the ageing SLK 55 AMG and it's not just the name that's changed - the facelift gives us a fresh/modernized version of the SLK.
Up front the SLC gets a steeply raked radiator grille which elongates the appearance of the arrow-shaped bonnet. There's a stark resemblance to the A-Class there too, with the diamond radiator grille, which comes as a standard feature.The sweptback headlamps feature a dual-beam setup and the LED DRLs give the SLC a sporty and aggressive look, while at the rear it gets a new bumper which houses the chrome-tipped dual exhausts.
Inside, the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 gets a new light or dark aluminium trim parts with carbon fibre finish. The instrument cluster has a new design too and the two tubular instrument cluster surrounds now feature black dials. The red needles also add to the sporty and contemporary design. Beside this the gets a 4.5-inch screen with a whole lot infotainment options and Mercedes-Benz apps.
Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 Retractable Roof
The side profile of the car has been largely inspired by the SLK, evident from the air outlet and sharp ORVM covers. According to the folks at Mercedes-Benz, engineers have also improved the retractable roof which can be opened or closed at speeds up to 40km/h. The rare section also shows some similarity with the SLK 55 AMG, but comes with a fresh touch. The headlamp design is news and more in lines with the company's latest models and so is the rear bumper that looks well sculpted and gets stylish chrome tipped chrome exhaust.
Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 Rear
But we know, you're all wondering what powers this beast and it's a 3.0-litre V6 engine bi-turbo which puts out 367bhp and develops a massive torque of 520Nm. Yes, we know, gone is the era of the naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V8, but we welcome this change with open arms. The engine is mated to a 9-Speed automatic gearbox which transfers all that power to the wheels, which is why the SLC 43 can go from a standstill to 100Km/h in 4.7 seconds before reaching its 'electronically-limited' top-speed of 250Km/h.
Mercedes-Benz is through its half way mark with the SLC 43 and it'll go up against the likes of the BMW Z4, however, the AMG badging means, it will come at a premium. We can't wait to get behind the wheel of this one!
