The new SL is expected to be priced from around £90,000 for a basic 55 model, while a well-specified 63 car will cost well over £100,000. Both models will go on sale next year.
The new Mercedes SL has the same drop-top roof and long-bonnet styling that you’ve seen on every SL before it, but there are changes too. You get the panamericana grille, recessed door handles and a curvy rear end that’s possible because the roof is now made of easier-to-package fabric.
It looks sportier than the car it replaces, however the SL is still a big car with a sizable 1950kg kerb weight that’s a match for entry-level versions of the range-topping S-Class saloon.
That’s despite the new roof weighing 21kg less than the old model’s. It can be raised or lowered in 15 seconds at speeds of up to 37mph.
Inside, the new Mercedes SL mirrors the new S-Class model’s Tesla-aping tablet infotainment screen. In the SL, you can adjust the angle it sits at to stop it glaring in direct sunlight. It’s powered by the the latest version of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment screen which – if the new S-Class is anything to go by – will have a very reliable voice activation system. You'll also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Mercedes calls the SL’s interior 'hyperanalogue' so as well as getting the big screens and fancy infotainment tech, you also get posh materials and Mercedes’ trademark turbine air vents. Stitched Alcantara and carbon fibre trim pieces mark the SL out from Mercedes’ less sporty saloons.
As does the lack of passenger space. Sure, the front seats have loads of room for tall adults, but the rear seats are best left for (small) kids and the 240-litre boot will handle a couple of suitcases. That drops to 213 litres when the roof is folded away.
You’ll be able to have the SL in two forms – the SL55 and the SL63, both have the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine.
In the 55, it is tuned to produce 476ps and 700Nm of torque – it gets the SL from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 183mph.
The 63 has 585ps and 800Nm of torque, which gets the SL from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and hits 196mph flat out.
The Mercedes-AMG SL comes fitted with four-wheel drive as standard meaning all that power can be metered out to the road with the minimum of fuss. You also get four-wheel steering which will make the big SL nimble at speed and very manoeuvrable in tight spots like multi-storey car parks.
Both can be packaged thanks to the SL’s new aluminium space frame chassis which is up to 50 per cent more rigid than the chassis in the old car. For the first time, the SL gets five-link front suspension that will cope better with bumps and 63 models come as standard with Active Ride Control that can scan the road ahead and prime the suspension to deal with bumps as well as propping the body up during hard cornering.