IF YOU’RE A fan of the three-pointed star and longed for a pukka coupe or cabriolet, the first generation Mercedes Benz SLK, would have been a bit of a disappointment back in 1996. It wasn’t bad looking compared to its then rival, BMW’s Z3, and it introduced the folding hard top to the segment (Vario roof in Mercedes-speak), but the problem was it had no balls.

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To be honest the first SLK200 was as timid as choirboy and couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding. Among enthusiasts its softer curves and muted dynamics earned it the hairdressers’ car tag.Then Mercedes’ injected some excitement in 2002 with the SLK32 AMG version and two years later gave the second generation more tech in the form of the neck-heating Airscarf. The SLK’s image started to improve slightly, and though the smaller capacity models have never really shaken their softer image, global sales of nearly 500 000 units spoke another story.

For 2011 the German marque has introduced the third generation, again headlined by new technology for its segment in the form of the panoramic Vario roof (R6500 option) and the zanily named Magic Sky Control (R16 000 option). Brilliant. When the roof is up one can vary the intensity of the light permeating the roof glass at the touch of a button. The glass filters UV light and in its darkest setting cuts interior heat by up to 80%. Unfortunately the early production models we drove on the vehicle’s local launch in Stellenbosch weren’t equipped with the new feature, though it will be available to customers.

The big changes are highly visible. Benz designers appear to have taken the shortcomings of the SLK to heart and sought to infuse the latest generation with more power and presence. The masculine design caries strong links to the legendary 190 SL from the 1950s, regarded by many as the original ‘SLK’.

Peer over the V-shaped bonnet at the prominent central star, admire the powerful contours, chiselled lines and new headlamps, and you can only say, ‘God bless the Gullwing’. It’s the original masterpiece which inspired the SLS and now in turn the SLK, endowing the diminutive droptop with a familiar look and face. While the chassis, dimensions and underpinnings remain largely unchanged from the first generation, the new SLK is distinguished from its predecessors at the rear by revised tail-lamps and twin chromed tailpipes, and from the front by a much bolder SLS-like nose. In spite of the larger frontal area, the drag coefficient (Cd) value has been cut to 0.30 – the preceding model managed 0.32.

Moving indoors, the SLK, like the new C Class, shows the strides the German marque is making to match its main rivals in terms of tactile quality and design. Even the base version offers a brushed aluminium finish to the centre console and trim inserts, with dark brown walnut or black ash wood trim as options. SLC-alike cues include the four chromed circular airvents in the dash, while the racier AMG package offers prominent seat bolsters and red ambient lighting, instrument needles and seatbelts. The Airscaf is now standard fare, as is the compact flat-bottomed, multifunction sports steering wheel. A useful option is the sun-reflecting leather which saves the skin in scorching summer weather