Mercedes-Benz is hoping to lure Audi TT Roadster customers with a new cut-price SLC roadster called the SLC 180. Priced from £32,039, it uses Mercedes’ traditionally strong retained values to offer a tempting PCP deal costing £275 a month.
You’ll have to find a £3999 deposit, but the dealer will more than match this with a hefty retailer deposit contribution of £6,158. Representative APR is 5.7%: want to purchase it at the end of the 10,000 miles a year deal? You’ll need to find £15,850 – or put the car towards a PCP on a new Merc.
The new SLC 180 AMG Line is no rocketship. It uses a 1.6-litre turbo engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox (a 9G-Trionic auto is £1600 more), to run from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds. Top speed is 140mph, combined economy is 48.7mpg and it emits 134g/km CO2.
It’s not poverty spec in equipment, though. Standard kit includes 18-inch alloys, air con, cruise control, plus Merc’s faux leather upholstery called Artico. The firm’s promising sport suspension and sports braking for the new SLC 180, which is on sale now, with deliveries starting in late summer (here’s hoping for an Indian Summer).
As it’s a car hardly in the first flush of youth (and may not survive to another generation), Mercedes-Benz has also rationalised the SLC model line-up. The SLC Sport model has been culled, so it’s now an entirely AMG Line trim choice: prices of all AMG Line variants have been cut by £500.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
Gallery: 2017 Mercedes SLC
