Mercedes-Benz SLK 1996–2000 car dimensions: 3995 mm long, 1715 mm wide and 1284 mm high. Unladen weight is 1,270 kg. Boot space with the seats up is 348 litres.
The cabin seats two with sports seats that have raised side bolsters, height adjustment and a leather steering wheel. Electric windows, central locking with infrared remote and a wind deflector come as standard. Heizmatic heating with dust filter and separate driver/passenger controls is fitted. full air conditioning is optional. Cruise control is available only with the optional automatic gearbox. Side airbags are optional. No parking sensors, cameras or modern driver aids appear in the equipment lists.
Boot space measures 348 litres with the roof closed. With the vario-roof open it drops to 145 litres. A luggage box is standard in the boot.
Payload is 260 kg based on kerb weight around 1270 kg and gross vehicle weight of 1530 kg. No factory towing figures are published for this model.
The cabin seats two in sports seats with height adjustment and a two-tone design that keeps the upper dash and seat sides anthracite while door panels, console and shift gaiter match the chosen colour. A leather steering wheel, power windows, dust filter with recirculation and the standard fabric draught-stop keep open-top travel calm. The steel vario-roof closes in 25 seconds for quiet, weatherproof coupe use with a heated rear window.
Combined fuel use 9.1 l/100 km premium unleaded
ASSYST service indicator standard in the cockpit
Driver and passenger airbags plus belt tensioners and force limiters standard
Fixed steel roll-over bars and tube-reinforced A-pillars standard
ABS standard. sidebags optional
TIREFIT sealant and electric pump standard in Germany in place of a spare wheel
The SLK 200 runs on premium unleaded and returns a combined 9.1 litres per 100 km. The 53-litre tank and low drag help keep range practical for a roadster.
A cockpit service indicator tells the driver when attention is due. The first Mercedes without a conventional spare uses TIREFIT sealant as standard equipment in Germany so the boot stays usable.
Safety centres on two front airbags, automatic belts with tensioners and force limiters, rigid fixed roll-over bars behind the seats and specially reinforced A-pillars. An ellipsoid bulkhead lengthens the front crumple zone. Sidebags were optional. electronic child-seat recognition deactivates the passenger airbag when a compatible seat is fitted.
The steel vario-roof and body structure give coupe-like stiffness. Lightweight magnesium parts and the compact size keep weight low, while the draught-stop and residual-heat heating make year-round open or closed use straightforward.
Length 3995 mm, Width 1715 mm, Height 1284 mm, Wheelbase 2400 mm (SLK 1996–2000)
Sources: manufacturer data, Mercedes-Benz Classic archive, SLK 200, Mercedes-Benz AG 1996 press specification and the archive series text: boot, These body figures are the pre-facelift car.