Mercedes-Benz SLC Convertible (2016 - ) Review

What is different in name, but otherwise very similar to SLR replaces. As the car was, SLC compete with the Audi TT Roadster and the BMW Z4

The Mercedes SLC seems pretty appealing in isolation, with smart looks inside and out, a strong image and some impressive economy figures. However, when you compare it with talented rivals like the Audi TT Roadster in these areas – plus pretty much every other one, for that matter – then the Merc’s weaknesses become more apparent.

Pros

Smart looks and posh image

Economical diesel engine

Good standard safety kit

Cons

Lacklustre to drive

Interior quality and ergonomics

Some basic kit missing

Exterior Our rating 4/5

The SLC cuts a very familiar shape, but in a variety of different ways. From the rear and the side, the car is virtually indistinguishable from the SLK that it replaced, which is hardly surprising given that the two cars are pretty much identical in all but name. At the front end, by contrast, the styling cues are more recognisable from the larger SL roadster than they are the SLK, with the same spangly grill design and rounded headlamps. The resemblance to its bigger, more luxurious brother does give the SLC a certain amount of extra glamour, but rival cars like the Audi TT Roadster aren’t exactly short of glamour, either. Both trim levels – Sport and AMG Line – come with alloy wheels and a folding metal roof, but the higher-trimmed car has beefier skirts, a spanglier grille and a more hunkered-down stance thanks to its lowered suspension.

In isolation, the quality of the SLC seems generally quite high, with the materials that feel similar in poshness to those found in the A-Class, CLA or one of the other small cars this Merc. However, compared with plushness incredible that you get from the cabin Audi TT, and SLC fall far behind. Unfortunately, it's the same story with ergonomics: the center console is decorated with a large number of small, buttons poorly marked - many are completely pointless, given that most of the same functions can be accessed through will be a menu on the screen selected by the wheel controller placed right next to this button - and some other controls have the usual Mercedes habit; the wiper control rod indicators, anyone? Pedal offset weight will limit how comfortable you will be, and with the top up, rear visibility you are not too good.

Practicality Our rating 3/5

This isn’t the reason you buy a two-seat roadster, but nevertheless you’ll want enough practicality to let you enjoy a weekend spent blatting around the countryside. The SLC’s cabin has enough space for two fully formed adults to sit in comfort, and there’s plenty of storage space for odds and ends dotted around the place. Storage space for luggage is rather more of a mixed bag, if you’ll pardon the pun: you have loads with the roof up - 335 litres, in fact – but with the roof down, you have to cram your bags underneath a fold-down load separator, which reduces the space to 225 litres, space that’s also extremely difficult to get to without raising the hood entirely. And, while rival roadsters let you raise or lower the roof while trundling along at low speed, so you don’t have to pull over when a sudden downpour (inevitably) hits, the SLC’s roof demands that you be stationary. That means you’ll be getting pretty soggy if you can’t find a convenient bus stop.

It may have different names, but the SLC is almost no different from the old SLK underneath, and that means it feels like an old clear technology. The biggest problem was the comfort of driving, or rather, lack thereof. Car nervousness and agitated over small bumps, thuds and then the clash is greater. adaptive dampers provided varying behavior of the suspension according to the three driving modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport +) is selected, but even this does not fix the problem. All this is compounded by the fact that the body shakes and flexes more than it should, and as soon as you reach the less than perfect surfaces, creaking and vibrating start disturbing of all places. proper handling, with a strong grip and body control are reasonable, but SLC is nowhere near as prepared or playful as rivals such as the Audi TT Roadster.

Performance

So far, we have only driven SLC with one engine available, a 2.1-liter diesel which will be the biggest seller. The performance is pretty much what you would expect - there are good slug low- and mid-range torque for appropriate flexibility - but in the end, it does not feel as fast as the power output of 201bhp suggest. The nine-speed automatic gearbox swap gears smoothly and clean, but the sound made by the engine grumbly reduce the level of improvement, especially when you have the roof down, so that you are more exposed to the noise. Three more engines are available, all turbocharged petrols. There are some 2.0-liter unit in the SLC 200 and SLC 300 provides 181bhp and 241bhp, respectively, and 3.0-liter V6 in SLC 43 AMG. All models except the 200 get a nine-speed 'box as standard (version has a six-speed manual instead), but you can add auto' automatically to 200 as an option.

Prices for most versions of the SLC pretty much spot-on with those of its biggest rival, the Audi TT Roadster; but, surprisingly, some versions make Merc looks very expensive in comparison, so choose carefully. Looks sleek and desirable badge must mean SLC holds quite good value because of age, which means that the overall cost of living better, but Audi will probably do better on that score. Compare petrol model, and SLC is nip-and-tuck with TT for fuel economy and CO2 emissions, but SLC diesel has a comprehensive beating fellow Audi with the average number of 70.6mpg.

Reliability Our rating 3/5

Mercedes has had a rather mixed reputation for reliability over many years, and things are still not as good as they should be, according to Warranty Direct Reliability Index. The company has a fairly low down in the rankings manufacturer of study - alarmingly low, some would say - and, although the data reliability for SLC itself is not yet available, the SLK has not exactly proven to be one of the models the company hardier. That said, the owner reviews on our own website is much rosier picture painted about the reliability of this SLK, and like all models of Mercedes, SLC comes with a three year / unlimited mileage warranty fair-to-middling.

Safety Our rating 4/5

SLC is equipped with all the safety kit you would expect from a roadster prestige, including six airbags, stability control and a high-performance braking system. It also comes with one or two bits you might not necessarily expect, such as autonomous braking, a pop-up bonnet pedestrian friendly and a system that warns you if you feel tired. Some other smart systems, such as blind-spot monitor and lane-keep assistants are available by way of various package options. SLC has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP, and SLK has not been tested since 2002, either.

Equipment Our rating 3/5

2016 Mercedes SLC

Even the entry-level Sport models come with a number of half decent kit

Sport models form the point of entry into the ownership of SLC, and even this model comes with a number of half decent kit, including air conditioning, electric windows, DAB radio, cruise control, Bluetooth and fabric wind deflector. Upgrade to AMG Line trim will give you a whole heap aesthetic enhancements inside and out, but almost nothing in the way of extra plush toys. SLC version 43 got a bit of extra mechanics to handle the extra power, together with the neck-level heating, reversing sensors, heated seats and sat-nav. However, you could argue that the last three items should be standard-fit throughout the range, rather than left on the options list.

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