Four years on from its launch, the successful
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has undergone a number of enhancements, the most significant being in the areas of technology, design and interior appointments.
New V6 and V8 engines, as well as an uprated V12 powerplant, deliver assured driving pleasure. Second-generation Active Body Control and the more direct steering make for noticeably sportier handling without compromising the high level of comfort which is one of the hallmarks of the SL.
The redesigned front section, new rear light units and new light-alloy wheels reflect the more dynamic character of the revised SL even when it is stationary. New interior appointments as well as painstaking attention to the details of the new materials and colour schemes give the interior an even more luxurious look and feel.
Shift paddles on the steering wheel – which form part of the optional 7G-TRONIC Sport package – underline the dynamic character of the enhanced SL-Class.
With an output of 285 kW/388 hp and 530 newtonmetres of torque, the newly developed V8 engine in the SL 500 offers everything that is expected of a powerful sports car.
The eight-cylinder unit has a displacement of 5.5 litres and is one of the most powerful engines in its displacement class. The SL 500 accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds (predecessor model: 6.2 seconds).
Despite the 26 percent boost in performance, the fuel consumption (NEDC combined) matches that of the predecessor model at 12.2 litres per 100 kilometres. The six-cylinder engine in the SL 350 is another new unit.
Although this 200-kW/ 272-hp V6 powerplant achieves fuel savings of over one litre per 100 kilometres, its output is 11 percent higher. The combined NEDC fuel consumption is 10.3 litres per 100 kilometres.
The SL 350 accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, making it more than half a second faster than the predecessor model. At the top of the model range is the SL 600 with its V12 biturbo engine.
The output and maximum torque of this unit have been increased to 380 kW/517 hp and 830 newtonmetres respectively. This twelve-cylinder engine accelerates the SL-Class from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds (predecessor model: 4.7 seconds).
The ABC (Active Body Control) active suspension system (standard in the SL 500 and SL 600), which is regarded as one of the milestones of automotive technology, has been refined even further for the new SL-Class. Compared with the predecessor model, body movements in dynamic driving situations have been reduced by up to 60 percent.
This takes the SL-Class into a new dimension of driving dynamics, yet the Roadster still offers the same high level of comfort. Standard in the SL 500 and SL 600, Active Body Control is available as an optional extra for the SL 350.
A new steering set-up with a more direct ratio and new valve control logic makes the SL-Class even more responsive. In addition, the brake systems of the SL 350 and SL 500 have been optimised for the increased engine output.
Faced with the task of updating the interior of the SL-Class, the Mercedes designers again found that only discreet changes were required.
Measures taken to accentuate the characteristic combination of Mercedes comfort and uncompromising sportiness include the use of even softer leather upholstery, new interior colours, high-quality metal doorsills with Mercedes-Benz lettering and embossed aluminium trim elements.
Other interior highlights characterised by their particularly attractive look and feel include classic, chronometer-style gauges housed within the redesigned instrument shroud with double topstitching, the new digital clock and the cover of the adjacent ventilation outlet, as well as the new aluminium-look switches for operating the vario-roof.
The two-seater can be converted from a Coupй to a Roadster – and vice-versa – in next to no time. Opening or closing the folding roof, a glass version of which is available as an optional extra, takes just 16 seconds.
The new-generation SL-Class will have its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2006; it will appear in the showrooms of Mercedes-Benz outlets and authorised dealerships from March 2006.
The German retail list prices of the SL-Class models are as follows (incl. VAT):
SL 350: 81,548 euros SL 500: 102,544 euros SL 600: 134,096 euros
Source: © theautochannel.com
The overall shape and the dash-mounted bud vase, though, were about the only elements that were like the original. After all, the original was an air-cooled boxer 4-cylinder, rear-engine people’s car, built as simply and dependably as possible to be sold cheaply. The New Beetle was a transverse mounted front-engine, water-cooled, inline-four, nicely trimmed, fully featured and priced well above the bottom feeders. It was a hit at the show and still a hit when it came to market in 1998.
