The new Mercedes SL will be a real AMG! In the eighth generation, the Roadster will once again be significantly sportier than its predecessor as a 2 + 2-seater and with a classic fabric roof. The SL, known internally as R 232, is currently in the final test phase. LatestCarNews summarizes all previous information and has the first pictures of the interior!
● New SL developed by Mercedes-AMG
● R 232 will be lighter and sportier
● Return to the fabric roof
● All-wheel drive for the SL for the first time
● SL 73 e 4Matic + as an 800 hp top model
● Market launch in early 2022
Mercedes SL 2022 Interior
The workplace in the Mercedes SL has never been so digital! AMG shows the first pictures of the interior of the roadster and confirms the previous assumption: The SL is getting large displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment. Unlike the Mercedes C-Class or S-Class, the 12.3-inch instrument cluster is not free behind the steering wheel, but rather disappears under a cover. This should protect against sunlight from above when the 2 + 2 is being driven open. For this reason, the 11.9-inch touchscreen in the center console can also be tilted electrically. The system is the usual MBUX infotainment, supplemented by AMG-specific content. Visually, the SL combines different design elements from other vehicles bearing the star.
The center console is reminiscent of the AMG GT 4-door, the dashboard a bit of the C-Class. However, the ventilation nozzles are still around and have curved turbine blades as air guide elements. The seats should be designed to be either sporty or comfortable if desired. They are clearly to be seen as a design element. The elaborate quilting in the photos will probably only be reserved for models with ventilation, but it shows what is possible. The typical Mercedes air vents in the head restraint (“Air Curtain”) are of course also a good form in the SL and keep the occupants warm in the neck area even in autumn temperatures.
For the first time since 1989, there are seats behind the driver and front passenger in the SL for the new generation. According to Mercedes, there should only be space for people up to 1.50 m tall in the second row, but as an emergency solution, the two spaces can at least offer a little more everyday use. Even without children in the back seat, the space gained is certainly practical and allows small parts to be stowed away quickly without going to the trunk.
Getting smaller
Mercedes had previously published official pictures showing two prototypes of the upcoming SL during tests on the Arctic Circle. The photos clearly show that the new SL will be a whole lot smaller than the R 231. The platform donor for the new SL will be the AMG GT, which means that the SL will return to its roots and become a sporty roadster again.
The abbreviation SL stands for “super-light”. The SL has recently been a long way from that. So that the eighth generation can slim down, Mercedes is going back to the classic fabric roof, which replaces the elaborate Vario roof of the R 231. In addition, the pictures show that the bonnet of the new SL is pulled significantly further down and the headlights are narrower. Of course, the Panamericana grill should not be missing on the SL either. It gets interesting at the rear: In addition to the electrically retractable spoiler lip, different exhaust systems can be seen. The roadster with the black fabric roof has four round tailpipes, while the SL with the red roof has four angular exhaust tips. That could indicate the engines.
Mercedes SL 2022 Engine
One thing is already clear: the new SL will only be available as an AMG version. At AMG, the 43/53 models are characterized by four round tailpipes. Accordingly, an SL 43 could form the basic version. The square tailpipe trims are normally reserved for the 63 models. However, it is not yet entirely certain whether Mercedes-AMG will continue to use the four-liter V8 Biturbo. While the upcoming C 63 will be a plug-in hybrid with a four-cylinder, the loss of prestige in the SL without a V8 might be too great. In addition, there is already a lot of speculation about the top model SL 73 e, which should rely on an electrified version of the V8 Biturbo with up to 800 hp.
All-wheel drive
Mercedes would then revive the 73 abbreviations after a good 20 years – albeit without a V12, because a twelve-cylinder, as most recently in the SL 600 and SL 65, will no longer exist in the R 232. LatestCarNews assumes that the SL will be offered with engines ranging from the SL 43 (367 hp) to the SL 73 e (800 hp). A plug-in hybrid with the drive from the new, 558 hp C 63 is also quite conceivable. There is also an absolute novelty in the SL: For the first time, the Roadster is also being offered with the fully variable 4Matic + all-wheel drive.
Mercedes SL 2022 Price
The premiere of the 2 + 2-seater is planned for autumn 2021, the market launch will probably follow in early 2022. There is still no information on the price of the new SL. The predecessor was last available as a 367 hp SL 400 for around 100,000 euros, the 530 hp AMG GT Roadster costs at least 136,178 euros. LatestCarNews assumes that the R 232 will start at a good 100,000 euros – depending on which entry-level engine Mercedes decides in the end.
