In Cars, International News, Mercedes-Benz, Spyshots / By Jonathan Lee / 10 April 2015 4:33 pm / 4 comments

No, your eyes are not deceiving you – yes, that is a facelifted version of the current R172 Mercedes-Benz SLK spied making the rounds, but that’s not the badge it will carry when it goes on sale. Instead, it will be called the Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class, following the new nomenclature system set by the three-pointed star last year.

Coinciding with the new name, the folding-hardtop roadster will be given a slight nip and tuck to bring it in line with Mercedes’ more rounded current design language. There will be new graphics for the head- and tail lights and redesigned front and rear bumpers, the latter with integrated dual exhaust tips. There could also be some detail changes made to the interior to bring it up to date with its stablemates.

As the current car has just been given updated four-cylinder engines this month, we expect the facelifted models to soldier on with those mills, but the current SLK 55 AMG‘s 415 PS 5.5 litre naturally-aspirated V8 (the only non-turbo car currently in AMG’s range) could be replaced by the new 4.0 litre twin-turbo unit found in the C 63 and GT, and gain the SLC 63 moniker in the process. There could also be a SLC 450 AMG sitting under the full-monty AMG model, equipped with the C 450‘s 367 PS 3.0 litre biturbo V6.

The new Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class is slated to make its debut either at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September or at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show next March.