Redesigned 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK, CLS Priced
The redesigned 2012 SLK350 costs $1,500 more than last year’s SLK350. That price gets you two large color displays, leather upholstery, real wood trim, bi-xenon adaptive headlamps and 18-inch wheels. The SLK350 is powered by a 302-horsepower V-6 mated to a seven-speed automatic.
Significant changes coming to the new SLK350 include an all-new interior made of real aluminum trim, new dash materials and a new flat-bottom steering wheel. New standard safety features include a drowsiness detection system, which monitors the attentiveness of the driver.
Pricing for a new base model — powered by a new 201-hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder that can deliver up to 27 mpg in the combined EPA cycle — was not revealed. Information about pricing for feature packages was not revealed, either.
The 2012 CLS550 costs $2,700 less than last year’s model. This is the first major redesign for the model since it went on sale in 2003. The new CLS borrows several design cues from its SLS sibling, and there’s some interesting tech equipment, too, including a first-of-its-kind optional adaptive LED headlamp system. Significant changes include a new 403-hp 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 powertrain mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The CLS550 comes equipped with a 14-speaker stereo with a 10-gigabyte hard drive, dual-zone automatic climate control, LED running lights, passive entry system, drowsiness detection system, leather upholstery and real wood interior.
The even more powerful CLS63 AMG starts at $94,900 and gets a new 518-hp 5.5-liter V-8.
Destination charges for either vehicle adds $875. The redesigned CLS and SLK go on sale this summer.
