Mercedes SLK R170 (1996–2004): history, the Vario-Roof and the engine range

The first SLK was a new kind of car for Mercedes: a small two-seat roadster that, thanks to its folding steel roof, could double as a year-round coupé. In 2026 the first cars turned 30. In this article I have collected the history of the R170 — from the concept studies, through the engine range, to the facelift. If you are looking for buying advice, there is a separate SLK R170 buying guide.

How did the Mercedes SLK come about?

The SLK was developed in the first half of the 1990s as a compact two-seat roadster. Mercedes showed two concept studies in 1994: the SLK I at the Turin motor show and the SLK II in Paris. The production version was presented in April 1996, again in Turin, and series production at the Bremen plant began that summer.

The name stands for sportlich, leicht, kurz — sporty, light, short. Technically the SLK was based on a shortened floorpan of the W202 C-Class, with a 2,400 mm wheelbase; the recirculating-ball steering also came from the C-Class, and the brakes from the W210 E-Class. The SLK 200 was 3,995 mm long, 1,715 mm wide and 1,284 mm high.

Demand at launch was exceptionally high. According to auto motor und sport, early customers paid up to 15,000 Deutschmarks over list price, and waiting times of up to two years were mentioned. The SLK won the Goldenes Lenkrad in Germany in 1996 and the North American Car of the Year title in 1997.

Who designed the SLK?

The styling came from the Mercedes design department, then headed by Bruno Sacco; lists of R170 designers also name Michael Mauer and Murat Günak. The body design was registered in Germany on 30 September 1993, and the first pre-production cars were built in October 1995. According to auto motor und sport, the SLK covered more than 1.8 million test kilometres during development, and body rigidity was one of its praised qualities.

Besides Bremen, the SLK was also assembled in East London, South Africa.

How does the Vario-Roof work?

The Vario-Roof is a steel roof that folds electro-hydraulically into the boot, and the full change from coupé to roadster takes about 25 seconds. The idea of a retractable hardtop was not new — auto motor und sport recalls the 1930s Peugeot Eclipse and a few American cars — but no earlier car had folded and stowed a steel roof in volume production. In the magazine's test, the SLK's closed roof proved quieter than the fabric top of the Mercedes SL R129.

According to Mercedes, with the roof folded there is still room in the boot for light luggage for two. The roof is operated with a red switch on the centre console. The price of convenience is boot space: according to auto motor und sport, the boot holds 348 litres with the roof closed and 145 litres with it stowed. The roof's hydraulic pump sits in the boot, behind the trim on the right-hand side.

Which engines did the SLK R170 have?

The SLK R170 had five main engine versions: three four-cylinders (one naturally aspirated and two supercharged) and two V6s. Kompressor means a four-cylinder engine with a mechanical supercharger.

Sources: Wikipedia (manufacturer data), Stuttgarter Zeitung (SLK 230 Kompressor).

The pre-facelift 192 PS SLK 200 Kompressor was built for selected markets — Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey and Greece — with a five-speed manual only. The other versions were offered with a manual or a five-speed automatic, and the SLK 32 AMG with the automatic only. The most popular was the SLK 230 Kompressor — according to Stuttgarter Zeitung, with the five-speed manual it reached 231 km/h.

What did the 2000 facelift change?

The February 2000 facelift changed the looks, the safety equipment and the engine range. From the outside you can recognise it by the restyled bumpers, grille and tail lights, and the indicators in the mirror housings.

The main changes:

• Engines — the naturally aspirated SLK 200 was dropped, the SLK 200 Kompressor (163 PS) went on sale in all markets, the SLK 230 Kompressor got 197 PS, and the SLK 320 joined with a 218 PS V6.
• Safety — ESP and side airbags.
• Practicality — fuel tank enlarged from 45 to 53 litres.
• Gearboxes — in 2001 a six-speed manual replaced the five-speed.

What safety equipment did the SLK R170 have?

From the start of production the SLK had ABS, driver and passenger front airbags and seat-belt pre-tensioners as standard. The facelift added ESP, side airbags and on-board diagnostics. In the 2002 Euro NCAP test the SLK scored 26 points for adult occupant protection (four stars) and one star for pedestrian protection.

Mercedes also notes that with the 2000 facelift the interior colours became even more vivid; its anniversary material names the shades Merlin Blue, Magma Red and Lotus Yellow.

What made the SLK 32 AMG special?

The SLK 32 AMG was the most powerful and the rarest R170. Its 3.2 V6, supercharged by a twin-screw compressor with charge-air cooling, produced 354 PS, and the car reached 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. It came only with a five-speed automatic, and the brake discs grew from 300 to 334 mm.

According to the figures collected on Wikipedia, about 4,333 were built between 2001 and 2004, of which more than 2,000 went to the USA and 979 stayed in Germany — just over 1% of total R170 production.

How did SLK R170 production end?

R170 production ended in spring 2004 with the Final Edition, and the car was replaced by the second-generation SLK (R171). A total of 311,222 were built, and the best-selling version was the SLK 230 Kompressor. Exact figures for individual versions differ between sources (auto motor und sport gives 113,520 for the SLK 230 Kompressor), so I do not repeat them here.

The R170 floorpan was also used by Chrysler: the Crossfire shared most of its components with the SLK. In April 2026, on the 30th anniversary of the launch, Stuttgarter Zeitung noted that the oldest SLKs can now get German historic H plates, with a flat-rate road tax of €191.73 a year.

Where can I read more about the SLK and other roadsters?

If you are considering buying one, start with the SLK R170 buying guide — it covers the roof, corrosion, the supercharger and the choice of engine. For comparison with other roadsters, read the Jaguar XJS vs Mercedes SL comparison and the MGB guide, and you can see a larger Mercedes roadster from the same era in the showroom: the 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500. Other guides are in the Models and buyer's guides category, and the cars for sale are in the MB Classics showroom.