2012 Mercedes SLK250 BlueEfficiency roadster
	Price:$51,900 base, $61,870 as tested, including freight
	Engine: turbocharged 1.8-litre DOHC four, 201-horsepower, 229-lb.ft. of torque. Transmission: six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive.
	Fuel Consumption: 9.1 city,  6.1 highway
	Primary Competitors: Audi TT, BMW Z4, Porsche Boxster
	Length: 4134-mm Width: 1817- mm Wheelbase: 2430-mm Weight: 1500-kg

The baby Benz sports car has grown up. The SLK was deemed in some quarters to be a 'chick' car in previous iterations. But Mercedes stylists have given the new-for- 2012 version a much more masculine appearance. The company has also ensured greater accessibility by making it available with a four-cylinder engine and manual transmission to keep entry-level pricing down.

The result is a sharply styled two-seat roadster with the three-pointed star in the grill for less than $52,000 before taxes and other add-ons. We told you about the 302-horsepower six-cylinder SLK350 in this space a few months ago. This week we get to sample one of the first of the 201-horsepower four-cylinder versions to make it across the Atlantic.

The SLK is all-new for 2012. The third generation of this hard-top/convertible has been completely redesigned but continues the long hood, short deck profile.  The front end has a much more aggressive look with gaping lower grill openings. The new SLK is based on the current, and excellent, C-Class platform and is longer and wider than the outgoing model. Canadian versions also get the AMG styling package as standard equipment. The resulting lower body add-ons further accentuate the new masculine look and trick the eye into thinking the car sits lower to the ground.

The SLK is one of the few convertibles that looks as good with the top up as it does with it lowered. The power-operated polycarbonate top folds origami-like into the trunk with no unsightly bulge left to remind you of its dual-purpose nature. Wind and road noise levels are well handled with the top in place and with it down; you can use all of your senses to enjoy the experience. A slick folding tray in the trunk allows you to increase cargo space when the top is up or predetermine the space needed for the folded top when down. A warning sounds if you attempt to lower the top without the device in place. It also prevents compressing and possibly damaging articles in the trunk. There is a reasonable, if not large, amount of space with the top down. If you need more you have to go with the top in place.

The interior is also all-new with additional emphasis on luxury and refinement. From red ambient lighting to a new steering wheel and instrument cluster the SLK now feels like a more expensive car than the price tag would indicate. Standard equipment includes the automatic retracting hardtop, satellite radio, Harmon-Kardon surround sound system, power windows, locks and heated folding mirrors, automatic climate control, heated power seats, tilt/telescope steering wheel, auto-dimming mirrors and alloy wheels.

One of the highlights of the 2012 SLK is the new turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual to a seven-speed automatic. The new four has less horsepower than the V6 offered previously but more torque. I can’t remember the last time I drove a Mercedes with a manual transmission and approached the notion of a four-cylinder version with a manual box with some trepidation, wondering if they had gone too far in trying to keep the price down.

I hadn’t gotten into fourth gear after leaving the Autoport pickup spot before my fears were laid to rest. This is a gutsy engine with gobs of low-end grunt thanks to the direct injection and forced intake. Clutch action is light and positive and the gears closely spaced. The linkage was a little vague and notchy but the former went away with familiarity and the latter improved with mileage. This engine can propel the SLK250 to 100 km/hr. from rest in 6.6 seconds so it gives up little if anything in the performance department. It also get great mileage, I averaged 7.1 litres/100 over a 350-km test loop that included many opportunities to enjoy the instant torque available in high gear for climbing long grades or passing.

Handling has also been improved for the third generation thanks partly to the new and stronger platform. The suspension retains the comfortable ride but new components bring a new alacrity in the corners with sharper steering response and less lean. This is a fun car when the road becomes less than straight.  

The SLK 250 also comes with the neat Airscarf system that blows warm air into the back of your head and shoulders. Used in conjunction with the fabric windscreen it allows you to extend top-down season considerably.