Drive in the Alps: Mercedes-Benz SLC 200

When you travel to the alps for some ultimate driving pleasure one does not simply turn up in a diesel Renault Scénic. What the magnificent twisty roads of the largest mountain range in Europe deserve is not a boring and uninspiring family runabout. To conquer the Alps you need a car with less practicality and more excitement. Preferably a car with two seats and no roof, aka a roadster.
Enter the new Mercedes-Benz SLC.

Mercedes-Benz SLC 200 in iridium silver

The SLC is not a new type of roadster from Mercedes it is just the new re-branded name of the now 20 year old SLK. The original SLK was a huge success with over 300 000 units sold. This is partly down to the (then) groundbreaking metal folding roof which added stability and safety to the roadster. Fast forward 20 years and recipe is still the same, only now called the SLC. The recipe is very like the outgoing SLK in fact, as the SLC is only a facelift. The SLC gets only one new engine which goes to the top range AMG 43. Otherwise the SLC has to manage with the old engines from the SLK.

Or is it diamond silver, I'm not sure

This one had the 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo with and output of 184 horsepower through the rear wheels. Gone are the days of the Kompressor badge, which in my view has taken away some of the charm of the SLK/SLC. This new more efficient turbo unit is highly versatile. It revs happily up to 7000 rpm and the six speed manual this car had slotted nicely in to a higher gear ready for the engine to climb to 7000 again. In more docile driving the engine pulled surprisingly well from low revs. This is thanks to the peak torque of 300 newton meters coming in at a low 1200 rpm. With this versatility you're always in the right gear be it at the autobahn or 2000 meters high in the Swiss Alps. The SLC 200 is also available with the new 9-speed automatic. But who really wants an automatic in a roadster, really. Even though at low revs the engine sounded sometimes like a V6, it lacked character. It was versatile yes, but not trouser tingling or filled with eager like a puppy chasing leaves. In short it felt like a German machine, satisfied with any task you commanded it to do. Nothing more, nothing less.

If compered with the SLK, identical.

The AIRSCARF has three different power settings

The interior hasn't changed at all in the SLC. It's almost identical to the 2012 SLK. The interior is just as the engine very functional but boring. The seats are tight enough to keep you in during hard cornering but comfortable enough so that the trip over the mountains doesn't feel like you've done it on an ox. This also reflects on the quality of the ride. I was never tired after sitting in the car for 6 hours straight. I'm guessing the AMG Line sport suspension is harder but I don't think it will be an issue, that's how well sorted the car is. Also adding to the comfort was that this car was fitted with the optional AIRSCARF (yes it is actually marketed in all caps). It is a heating system with vents in the headrest that blow warm around the neck area. This is especially handy when you drive your SLC up in the mountains with the top down and suddenly notice that there's snow around your car.
 

The SLC 200 is a pleasant drive. It drives well, the engine is resourceful and it does feel at home on tight mountain roads. The steering is light and quick and it managed 225 km/h on the autobahn. It made the journey over the Alps a great experience, but even so the car never left me wanting more. Maybe I'd appreciate the SLC 200 more if I did the journey in a Renault Scénic diesel.

Test drive: Saab 9-5 Wagon

Seeing a Saab on the road is not that everyone takes note of. All Saab models are normal saloons or estate cars that don't raise much attention. In the case of the 9-5 this holds true. But if you think about the competition which the 9-5 went against, BMW 5-series, Audi A6 and the Mercedes E-class, it's no surprise that the 9-5 has gone a bit unnoticed.

Saab 9-5 Wagon (2006) in Fusion Blue Metallic

The Saab 9-5 was released in 1997 as the successor to the Saab 9000. It received a small facelift in 2002 and then a larger one in 2006 with new, well, almost everything. This particular Saab 9-5 wagon is from the year the large facelift which is most notable from the headlights, taillights and the new softer styling of the bumpers. I think it's a good looking estate car, it looks both practical and stylish. Even though the car is ten years old already I think it still looks quite modern as well. You really can't tell it shares its platform with the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra from the styling.

The wagon end of the Wagon

The seating position is very nice, and you do feel in control.

The interior is usual Saab with all the controls curved towards the driver as a cockpit of a fighter jet. Not really, but that's what Saab likes you to imagine. The buttons for the radio and other technology are large and easy to use. The climate control is very good but the controls for it took me a while to understand. Some Swedish quirkiness is present with the position of the window switches and the ignition key. The placement for the ignition key is for safety reasons, so that in the case of a frontal collision the ignition lock housing won't hit your knee as it could do if it would be next to the steering wheel. The other safety feature is the Saab patented night panel instrument cluster. Where by pushing the night panel button all the instruments are shut down and only the essential things such as the speedometer stays on. This is to have less glare from the instruments at night to the drivers eyes. Safety was very important to Saab and it shows in the 9-5 with many airbags. For this car Saab also developed an active head restraint that would prevent whiplash during an event of an accident from behind.

Ooooh, it's like a jet fighter

Key mounted near the gear stick

This facelift generation of Saab 9-5 came always with a turbo four cylinder engine which varied in size and power output. This particular one has the larger 2.3 litre turbo originally developing 185 horsepower through the front wheels. I say originally because this one has had it's engine optimized to run on ethanol. This not only reduces running costs and emissions but it also gives the engine more power and torque. Saab engines are designed to be able to run on the E85 fuel which means even if the engine is optimized afterwards it will run as smoothly and reliably as with petrol. If something goes wrong, however, there are many garages and Saab specialized repair shops with many spare parts around. Which means the repair costs or replacement parts for Saab cars are still the same as when Saab was making cars.

The engine in this 9-5 wagon is very torquey. The low rev grunt is amazing and you will never tire of watching the turbo boost gauge flexing while you are going for an easy overtake. There is not a noticeable amount of turbo lag but if pushing the throttle a bit more violently the turbo will kick in rather suddenly.

The 9-5 is still a soft large family car that doesn't encourage this sort of behavior. It rides smoothly at motorway speeds and with that amount of torque the ride never feels stressful. Even though the car feels light and easy to maneuver to its size, it falls short when in heavy city traffic. That is mainly down to the mushy manual gearshift, which isn't bad but lacks in precision. The Saab 9-5 does feel more at home on long stretches of road.

The re-styled nose after the large facelift

The Saab 9-5 Wagon is a large, safe and fast family car. It has it's quirks that differ it from the competition, which is tough I might add. If you desire this sort of car remember this, the Saab 9-5 is more exclusive than the 5-series, E-class or the A6 but also cheaper to maintain. And even though Saab as a manufacturer is gone there are still many garages that keep up the good and sensible Saab name.