Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 2016 Review

Mercedes-Benz SL 400, SL 500, AMG S 63
International Launch Review
San Diego, USA

Steeped in history and dripping with opulence, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is the car that says "I'm successful". The two-seat luxury grand tourer adds new tech and a new look to an already formidable package, offered with a trio of assertive twin-turbo engines. Arriving here in July, prices start at roughly $220,000 for the V6, rising to $360,000 for the AMG V8, and Mercedes wants you to think that owning one of these tells the world you're winning. So does it?

Like swimming in a champagne-filled pool, there's something frighteningly extravagant about driving the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. Even though the 'new' model doesn't represent a massive step-change for the car – the V8 engines are largely untouched and the SL drives much as it used to – it’s still absurdly decadent.

As reported in our news story, three versions of the Mercedes-Benz SL are coming to Australia, the SL 400 (V6), SL 500 (V8) and SL AMG 63 (V8), all of them twin-turbo. It's kind of like fast, faster, fastest.

The two V8s pump out a bit more power now thanks to more turbo pressure and ECU tweaks, 335kW and 430kW, while the V6 gets a significant workover, its 270kW and 500Nm up by 25kW and 20Nm.

The cars are expensive and exclusive, large and powerful, and the icing on the cake is the folding metal roof that transforms the driving experience into something altogether more memorable.

The power-operated glass and metal roof now also functions at up to 40km/h but can only be initiated while stationary. It can also be operated remotely via the key fob when the car is parked, which attracts more attention than a social media rant from Kayne West.

On top of the sumptuous luxury experienced in these cars – think heated and ventilated large leather seats with extra padding and massage features, beautiful metal and timber accents, thumping stereos and stitched leather on virtually every surface – the facelifted 2016 Mercedes-Benz SL gets a smoother exterior look, thanks to a nip and tuck front and rear.

Attention to detail is impressive too, from the small timepiece on top of the dash (an IWC item in the AMG variant) to the SL-embossed gear shifter, which beats a column shift for aesthetics and execution every day of the week.

Another neat touch is the bonnet with its vents and strakes, a nod to the SL's of yore, which also remind you there's a potent engine lurking underneath.

New nine-speed transmissions make the SL 400 and SL 500 models faster now, but more fuel efficient too, as low as 7.7L/100km for the former, 9.0 for the latter.

On the go, the new nine-speeder is a winner, fluid and seamless at lower speeds and prompt when push comes to shove. It matches the car's imperiousness rather well and can slot into ninth gear at 100km/h using the paddle shifters and happily hum along at low revs.

Better yet, it will drop from ninth into fourth gear in a heartbeat if you nail the throttle in 'D'. And holding down the paddle-shifter will likewise see the transmission drop several gears in the blink of an eye. Impressive.

First impressions of the SL 400 ($220,000) on the road reveal a refined, smooth boulevard cruiser. It's quiet and docile around town with virtually every comfort and convenience taken care of.

It's surprisingly pleasant to cruise around in these cars at pedestrian speeds, but hit the sport button that tweaks the suspension, steering, throttle response and exhaust note, and the SL 400 comes alive.

The 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine (270kW/500Nm) emits a sonorous note for a V6 – more akin to an inline six – with a subtle exhaust pop and crackle on the overrun. And this car can move. It dashes from rest to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds and doesn't mind spinning its tyres either.

It handles well for such a stocky, heavy car (1735kg dry), and although the power assisted steering masks most feedback – this goes for all three models – it's still reasonably fast and involving on a twisty road.

Ride comfort is remarkably good in the SL 400, even on 19-inch alloy wheels in the 'comfort' setting, and top down, stereo on. It's a hoot at white-knuckled or relaxed velocities.

Occupants are well protected in the cabin with the roof open; even at 120km/h there's not too much buffeting because you sit hunkered down deep inside the SL's extravagant cabin. The automatic wind break works well and AirScarf – standard on all Aussie cars – was welcome on a brisk Saturday morning with the top down, piping warm air on one's neck through a small vent in the seat headrest.

Importantly, the SL is a good long-distance cruiser. I stepped out of the vehicle feeling relaxed after a 200km stint behind the wheel, half of it cruising, the other half fanging. It's the way a grand tourer should make you feel; no headache, no back ache.

Step up to the SL 500 ($280,000) and you'll part with an extra $60K for an engine with plenty more gristle, the 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 (335kW/700Nm). It gives the car an effortless turn of speed that'll land you in hot water with the rozzers before you can say "This speedo isn't metric?"

The 1795kg V8-powered Benz also makes a louder, baritone burble when you hoof it, which with the top down really stirs the soul. And again, the nine-speed auto is a winner in all scenarios.

Hunker down in the big-daddy Mercedes-AMG SL 63 ($360,000) and it's really time to party, the 5.5-litre biturbo V8 belting out an incredulous 430kW and 900Nm. It snarls like an angry beast when you're going at it hammer and tong on a twisty road, and the car is ludicrously fast.

It whips to 100km/h in just 4.1 seconds and the force-you-into-your-seat acceleration doesn't let up – at all – even at triple digit speeds. And grip levels are beyond belief for such a hulking machine, thanks largely to sticky Michelin Sport Sport tyres and clever suspension.

Less cruiser, more bruiser, the SL 63 is a weapon of a car and with the optional carbon ceramic ($17,000) disc brakes it can plunge into corners like it weighs half its 1845kg claimed kerb mass.

Ultra capable on twisting, turning mountain passes, the rear axle differential lock gives the big AMG plenty of corner exit speed, and combining throttle and steering to point the car in the desired direction is an enjoyable pursuit, to put it mildly.

New stuff? There's a 'curve tilting' mode for the SL 400 and SL 500, and you can feel it in operation as it tilts the car up to 2.65 degrees to keep it flat in a corner. But it's hardly the stuff of legend. The theory behind the optional tech, expected to cost around $5000 in Australia, is to add even more comfort for occupants, and to a small degree it's effective.

Will it stop your chai and kale detox shake from spilling all over the car? Not a chance.

There's also a powered luggage cover now. If your bags fit under the partition, the roof can be opened. There are also tweaks to the infotainment system with Apple CarPlay integration for Aussie cars (it wasn't offered on these test cars).

But it's not all fine wine and caviar. In contrast to the flexible nine-speed transmission, the AMG's seven-speed MCT gearbox thumped noisily and rocked the car on several occasions during slow deceleration while downshifting. If my $400,000 car did this, I'd take it back.

And the infotainment system looks and feels dated; this is one of Mercedes' older cars, sitting on a unique platform, and it shows.

Little things like the lack of bottle holders in the doors might irk some buyers, and why is there no touch screen? A car costing this much should have a more intuitive input system.

The centre console controls look and feel last-generation – because they are – and there's no head-up display either. The boot has a claimed 485 litres of space, which drops to 345 with the roof open, but it feels like a lot less in reality with three small bags barely squished in.

All Australian models will come standard with the AMG styling package when they arrive in July, which means body kit and 19-inch wheels, and the question of the whether this car is a luxurious boulevard cruiser or hard-nosed sports car is simple to answer – it's both… although slightly more the former.

On sale for more than 60 years, the SL-Class is the quintessential luxury convertible. There's a lot of cachet in owning a car with badges dating back to the 1950s, let alone a car that has huge presence on the road and commands attention.

So is this car just another facelift or something more significant for the SL? The new look is subjective, and the two V8s, while compelling, don't really bring anything new to the table.

It's the feisty V6 and the nine-speed transmission that impressed the most in this test and gives the range a fresh feel. The SL 500 has traditionally been the top seller in Australia, but is that model $60,000 better than the SL 400? Not a chance in value terms.

But at this end of the market, value is a relative term. Many buyers will want the V8, and the SL 500 badge… And plenty of options.

Either way, if you're in the market for an SL-Class, you are most definitely telling the world you've made it and that yes, you're winning.

2016 Mercedes-Benz SL 400 pricing and specifications:
Price: $220,000 (approx. plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol
Output: 270kW/500Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 175g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> BMW 6 Series (from $176,975 plus ORCs)
>> Maserati GranCabrio (from $328,000 plus ORCs)
>> Ferrari California (from $409,888 plus ORCs)