Mercedes has just made an announcement regarding a new powerplant they want to fit on their SLK roadster that will simply annoy enthusiast drivers.
It is the launch of the Mercedes SLK 250 CDI, a roadster that has a diesel powered, oil-burning engine under the bonnet.
I don’t have a downer on diesels, I don’t think they should be reserved for tractors and trucks but there’s something (in my mind) that’s awfully wrong about a diesel roadster.
I think a roadster is a vehicle that has little practicality, is primarily bought for fun, looks and feel. A roadster is rarely your only car so it probably gets a considerable amount of time on the side.
All of these factors don’t necessarily meet with the diesel engine. Despite Mercedes’ best efforts to fit the 250 CDI with a reasonably capable 2.1 liter turbocharged powerplant which churns out 204 horsepower and 368.8 lb-ft of torque, I don’t like it.
The only trouble with that statement is that it’s not about what I like, it’s about what people buy. And on that front, I’m pretty sure plenty of buyers will feel thrilled about having a sports convertible which can do 48 mpg.
For the time being, Mercedes has only announced the SLK 250 CDI’s availability for Europe from 2012 and prices are said to start at €41.828 or just over 60.000 USD in Germany.
