Mercedes-Benz SLC to bow out with Final Edition

The Mercedes-Benz SLC will cease production later this year following the release of an end-of-line Final Edition model.

It marks the end of Mercedes’ baby roadster, first launched in 1996 as the SLK. It ushered in a then-revolutionary folding hard-top roof and spawned two successors. The current third-generation model was renamed SLC in 2016 as part of Mercedes’ naming structure reshuffle.

The Final Edition is based on the highly specified AMG Line trim, but comes with the option of an exclusive paint finish. Sun Yellow is intended to echo the original SLK’s unusual launch shade of Yellowstone.

It also gains uniquely styled bumpers and 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. Models in black or grey feature chrome detailing along the front, while yellow or white models use black detailing.

Four engines are on offer. At the entry level, there’s the 1.6-litre SLC 180, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and producing 154bhp. Moving up, SLC 200 models are manual as well but feature a 2.0-litre unit with 181bhp.

Next is the SLC 300 – also a 2.0-litre, but mated to a nine-speed automatic and producing 242bhp – while topping the range is the 3.0-litre V6 SLC 43, with 383bhp.

The interior’s trimmed in two-tone black and silver leather with grey stitching, plus grey seatbelts and carbon-fibre-look leather elements. The centre console is trimmed in silver and generously equipped, although the SLC’s ageing dash can’t support high-end equipment such as a digital gauge cluster or touchscreen infotainment.

No replacement for the SLC is imminent, with Mercedes instead focusing its efforts on SUVs and electrification instead of niche roadsters.

Prices for the Final Edition SLC will be announced when it goes on sale next month, but expect a slight increase on the standard model’s £32,769 price tag to reflect the high levels of equipment on offer.

The Geneva Motor Show runs from March 7 to 17, with press days on March 5 and 6.