Under the Hood of the Redesigned Mercedes SLK

Yesterday we took a look at the exterior and interior features of the newly redesigned Mercedes-Benz SLK. Today we will look under the hood to discover even more enhancements.

The SLK class vehicles are available with a range of engines: four cylinder, six cylinder and the familiar eight cylinders in the SLK 55 AMG. However, all three engines have undergone tweaking to achieve lower emissions as well as lower fuel consumption. Of the three, it is the V6 that has undergone the most extensive rehab.

The SLK’s new V6 sport engine is capable of achieving 305 horsepower at 6500 rpm. Torque has also been enhanced, now achieving 360 Nm at 4900 rpm. This was made possible by raising maximum rpm to 7200, replacing the intake manifold, increasing the compression ratio and heavily modifying the valve gear.

In harmony with the SLK’s new 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission, the engine triggers double declutching during downshifting, limiting load-alteration effects and providing a satisfying engine noise. Despite the heavy modifications, however, the V6 sport engine considerably cuts fuel consumption, down to only 9.2 liters per 100 km when paired with the 7G-TRONIC transmission.

If the 7G-TRONIC is not your transmission of choice, you can select the 5 speed automatic transmission or the powerful 7G-TRONIC Sport version instead. Among other features, the 7G-TRONIC Sport features shift paddles on the steering wheel.

Available as an option is Mercedes’ newly developed direct steer system. Direct steer dispenses with the complicated sensors and other electronics of the old speed sensitive steering in favor of a purely mechanical system that changes the steering gear ratio in response to changes in steering angle. The new system provides optimally-tuned steering in all conditions at all speeds.

The newly redesigned Mercedes-Benz SLK features a host of new and exciting under-hood features. Drop by our local dealership for even more information on the new SLK, and stick around to test drive our already-available Mercedes vehicles.

[tags] mercedes slk, new vehicles in de, 7g-tronic transmission, new slk features, mercedes redesigns, new vehicle technology, slk engine enhancements, v6 sport engine, mercedes emissions, direct steer [/tags]

Filed Under: Mercedes-Benz Vehicles