End of an era: Mercedes-Benz unveils SLC Final Edition
Mercedes-Benz will soon cap production of the SLC Roadster
When Mercedes-Benz introduced the SLK roadster back in the late 90's, it was a bit of a revolution. It ushered in a new wave of compact convertibles with metal folding roofs, with just about every automaker rushing to bring one to market. While it wasn't the first to have that concept, you can credit it for reviving it.
It was renamed the SLC in 2016, but it never lost that trick roof. Now, the SLC will be folding its roof one last time as Mercedes-Benz will be pulling the plug on this model soon. Instead of just discontinuing it altogether, the German automaker has decided to give it one last hurrah in the form of the SLC Final Edition.
The Final Edition is a special package that's available to most SLC variants, from the SLC 200, all the way to the AMG-tuned SLC 43. You can get it with the base SLC 180 and SLC 250d. Yes, Mercedes-Benz still makes a diesel roadster.
So what makes the Final Edition unique from the other trim lines? First off, you can have it in any color as long as its in Sun Yellow. It also comes with 18-inch alloys which are exclusive for this package. The Night Package is also standard on the Final Edition SLC, which adds black highlights on the roadster.
Go for the Final Edition Premium and it adds the Comand Online infotainment system, Mirror package, LED Intelligent Light System, wind deflector, and even a panoramic sunroof. In the SLC 43 Final Edition, the audio system gets upgraded to a Harman Kardon unit.
As mentioned, you can have the SLC Final Edition with three engine choices. The SLC 200 makes 184 PS, while the SLC 300 puts out 245 PS. As for the SLC 43, that one churns out 390 PS.
At the moment, Mercedes-Benz has yet to say if there will be a successor for the SLC. However, it seems like there aren't any plans for it, as the company isn't making any buzz about a next-generation model, at least for now.
The market for small roadsters have shrunken over the years, with Audi saying they will stop production of the TT (both the coupe and convertible) soon. A lot more automakers have abandoned this segment, namely Ford (Focus CC), Peugeot (206 CC and 307 CC), Citroen, Volvo (C70), and Toyota (MR-2 Spyder). The only notable cars in this class are the Mazda MX-5, Porsche Boxster, and BMW Z4. Here's to hoping then that the roadster will rise again.
