The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is a compact luxury roadster manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in three generations; R170 launched in 1996, the R171 in 2004 and R172 in 2011.Mercedes-Benz presented the SLK II concept car at the 1994 Paris Motor Show, showing off the "vario-roof". The car went on sale two years later in Europe, and in 1997 in the US.