2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170)

General information & model overview

Body & dimensions

Engine specifications (facelift years)

Drivetrain & transmission

Facelift visual & equipment changes

Performance & volume (approximate)

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

What the 2000 SLK facelift is

The 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK is the mid-cycle update of the first-generation R170. Production of facelift cars began after February 2000. Visually it is cleaner and more integrated than the 1996 launch car; mechanically it introduces the first six-cylinder SLK (320), updates the Kompressor fours, brings the 200 Kompressor to worldwide markets, and from 2001 adds the supercharged SLK 32 AMG.

For the original 1996–1999 specification set, see the 1996 R170 entry.

Facelift substance

1. First SLK six-cylinder

The SLK 320’s 3.2-litre M112 V6 at about 218 PS changed the car’s character for buyers who wanted smoothness over supercharger whine. It is the key powertrain reason many shoppers prefer post-2000 cars.

2. Updated fours and global 200 K

Supercharged 2.0 and 2.3 engines were recalibrated. The SLK 200 Kompressor, previously limited to selected markets, became a worldwide model as the naturally aspirated 200 left the range.

3. SLK 32 AMG

From 2001 the 32 AMG used a helical twin-screw supercharged 3.2 V6 at about 354 PS, SpeedShift automatic only, larger brakes, and AMG bodywork. About 4,333 were built — a small but important performance chapter of R170.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Driving and market role

Facelift R170 cars remain compact, relatively light by modern standards, and defined by the folding hardtop that made the original SLK famous. Ride is comfort-biased. The 32 AMG is the outlier for pace; the 320 is the refined daily roadster; the 230 Kompressor remains the volume enthusiast four.

Ownership notes

1. Facelift identification

Bumpers, lights, body-colour handles, and six-cylinder or 32 AMG badging separate these cars from 1996–1999 examples.

2. Known themes

Vario roof seals and hydraulics, M111 supercharger systems, M112 V6 maintenance, and early ESP/electronics age items are the usual inspection list. Rust is less dramatic than 1980s Mercedes but sills, wheel arches, and underbody still need checking.

3. End of line

R170 production ended in April 2004 as the R171 took over. Facelift cars are the most complete first-generation SLKs.

Six-cylinder smoothness versus Kompressor character

The SLK 320 changed who bought the facelift. Buyers who found the supercharged four busy or noisy could step into a smoother M112 V6 without leaving the hardtop roadster format. Acceleration improved modestly versus the 230 Kompressor, but refinement improved more. The later 32 AMG inverted that calm with a supercharged V6 and AMG gearing aimed at BMW’s M Roadster and Porsche’s Boxster S.

Visual facelift cues for identification

Body-colour door handles and side skirts, revised taillights, a cleaner grille, and integrated mirror indicators are the quick street-side tells. Combined with a larger fuel tank, the facelift is the more complete daily R170. Pre-facelift cars retain a slightly more “first edition” look that some collectors prefer; facelift cars are usually the better drivers’ choice for six-cylinder power.

Production context

R170 volume was dominated by the 230 Kompressor across both eras. Six-cylinder and AMG cars are minorities. When the generation closed in 2004 at about 311,000 units, Mercedes had proven the folding-hardtop roadster as a durable global product, not a fashion one-off.

Legacy

The 2000 facelift completed the first SLK generation: six-cylinder smoothness, worldwide Kompressor fours, and a genuine AMG supercharged V6 flagship. Durable facts: R170 facelift from 2000, 2,400 mm wheelbase, Vario roof, engines up to 354 PS AMG, family total ~311,000 through 2004.