Mercedes-Benz SLC: Power down, price down

A power hike is still possible for the AMG version of Mercedes-Benz's facelifted, updated and renamed SLC, which has dropped V8 power and 40kW as part of its overhaul from SLK.

But before that the swap to V6 turbo power in the top spec AMG version and the chance of a detuned SLC 180 becoming the new entry point of the range when it is released here in July means we could experience that rare thing – a new model launch with a price drop in a period of steadily worsening exchange rates.

"We will definitely hold the [pricing] line pretty much and if we do a 180 we might be able to come down a bit," Mercedes-Benz Australia-Pacific Senior Manager for Public Relations, Product and Corporate Communications David McCarthy told motoring.com.au at the Detroit auto show this week, where the SLC was launched.

"The [SLC AMG] 43 will come down as well. It will be significantly cheaper but we haven't locked the price in yet."

McCarthy explained the price drop was feasible because of long term exchange-rate agreements with the factory in Germany.

"It's one of the things that absolutely control your pricing and you need to have some certainty there," he explained. "If you are a big volume importer then your rates are set a long time in advice."

You can read our wrap-up on the various changes made in the transition from SLK to SLC here.

The current SLK range of two-seat hard-top convertibles is topped by the last naturally aspirated V8 AMG model, the 320kW SLK 55 AMG priced in Australia at $162,400. But the SLC 43 AMG swaps to the 270kW 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 already seen here in the all-wheel drive GLE 450 AMG.

At the other end of the range, the entry model is the $87,200 SLC 200, but an SLC 180 would undercut that by several thousand dollars.

Intriguingly, while the SLC 180 specification released by Benz shows the car coming with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine sourced from Renault-Nissan, McCarthy said an Australian SLC 180 model would use a detuned version of the new 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder that will definitely come here in the 135kW SLC 200 and 180kW SLC 300.

The only SLC model that won't be sold in Australia is the SLC 250 d turbo-diesel that won't be manufactured in right-hand drive.

The expectation the SLC 43 would arrive with up to 295kW was fostered by AMG boss Tobias Moers when he broke news of the V6 43 to Australian journalists late last year.

But the production car didn't follow through and there have been rumours of a last minute change of heart on the matter by Benz.

However, Benz global sales and marketing chief and former AMG global boss Ola Kallenius hinted to Australian journalists during a media round table at the Detroit auto show this week that there was still a chance a powered-up model would arrive.

"During the happy years I was allowed to spend at AMG the engineers never held themselves back in the eternal quest for more performance combined with better efficiency," Kallenius said.

"I am absolutely convinced they have not changed their attitudes so we will see what the future brings.

"I don't want to start a rumour now, all I can say is that trajectory of AMG in general has always been toward more performance and better efficiency."

While expecting a small uptick in interest for the SLC compared to the outgoing SLK, which sold 235 examples in Australia in 2015, McCarthy told motoring.com.au the audience for the rear-wheel drive roadster was relatively limited, stable and loyal.

"It [sales] will come up a bit. The car still has a lot of life in it. It will do okay. We follow what we have done with every model; we price it as competitively as we can, we put as much kit into it that we can and that's worked for us."