Mercedes SLC pricing and specs announced

Renamed 20 years after its launch, the Mercedes SLC convertible is set to replace the SLK and is available to order now, with prices from £30,495.

Four engines will be available, including a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with either 181bhp in the SLC 200 or 242bhp in the SLC 300. The former comes with a manual six-speed gearbox as standard, or the optional 9G-TRONIC automatic, while the latter gets the auto as standard. Emissions range from 137g/km to 150g/km of CO2.

Also destined to be popular in the UK, is the 2.1-litre diesel in the SLC 250 d, with 201bhp and CO2 emissions of just 114g/km.

Trim levels are kept simple, with Sport and AMG Line, while halogen headlights with integrated LED DRLs, a sports exhaust (standard with the auto SLC 200 and 300), LED rear lights, Active Brake Assist, Attention Assist, Active Bonnet, remote boot release and automatic headlamps come as standard.

You can distinguish Sport models by their 17-inch alloy wheels, while AMG Line models come fitted with 18-inch AMG multi-spoke items. New options for the SLC include LED cornering lights, which can also switch between low and high-beam automatically, for £1,150. Keyless entry and starting is a £765 option.

AMG SLC 43 gets 362bhp 

If it’s Boxster-beating performance you’re after, then the AMG SLC 43 gets 362bhp, courtesy of a 3.0-litre V6 biturbo engine, catapulting it from rest to 62mph in around 4.7 seconds. Despite this acceleration, and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph, it emits 179g/km of CO2, around 20g/km less than the V8 found in the SLK 55 AMG. It’s a good deal cheaper too, coming in at £46,355, rather than the eye-watering £55k of the previous 55 AMG range-topper.

The SLC 43 also comes loaded to the gunwales with an AMG leather sports steering wheel, neck-level heating, LED headlamps, Garmin sat-nav and AMG chassis upgrades, including sports suspension, high-performance brakes with red calipers and a sports exhaust.