What’s the best pick for a sun-drenched, cross-country
luxury-car road trip for two—on a route that doesn’t shy away from
challenging mountain two-laners? The set of contenders has reshuffled over the
years, but the Mercedes-Benz SL holds strong on the shortlist.
For 2017, this roadster original has reached a crossroads in
the Mercedes-Benz lineup—one that helps refresh and redefine this model. With
more powerful engines, new nine-speed automatic transmissions, svelte
styling upgrades, and some new trick chassis technology, the
2017 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class models
hones its driver’s car credentials just a little bit more, and gets what adds
up to more than a mid-cycle refresh.
After taking a Southern California road trip of our own
(guided by Mercedes-Benz), this past week—250-plus miles in several different
SL models—we can say that the SL stretches its luxury roadster boundaries more
than ever.
The way we see it, the current generation of the SL feels
far more like a grand-touring coupe than an all-out sports car—and given that,
there are two potential sweet spots in the lineup.
Relearning the ABCs
But first, a little background is in order. Up until this
year, our preference within the SL lineup was the base car, with its steel-spring
suspension, supplemented by a variable damper system that adjusts with the
Dynamic Select modes (now Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual)—and,
to some degree, to driving style and road conditions.
Active Body Control (ABC) is a full active suspension
system, controlled by hydraulics and capable of adjusting its parameters in
milliseconds. It helps erase lift during hard acceleration, nosedive during
hard braking, and body roll (tilting to the outside of the corner) during hard
cornering. But this system, which has been offered as an option for years, has
been a mixed blessing, because the sensations it provides tend to feel
unnatural in tight switchbacks, as the car stays flat.
Now with a new Curve Tilting function for ABC, it allows that
system’s great dynamic prowess but lets the car lean up to 2.65 degrees—into corners,
like a motorcycle rider would, or as a driver and passenger track their eyes
through a corner—so as to effectively reduce the lateral Gs.
It’s a dynamic trick, but an incredibly effective one, and
it makes the rather heavy SL not just feel more nimble in switchbacks and quick
transitions, but more settled, also reducing head-toss and road-weariness on
such roads. SL63 models really make the most of this, too—not entirely because
of the added horsepower and torque, but because of these models'
limited-slip/locking rear differential.
The new Curve Tilting ABC is available on every SL model,
though, from the base SL450 and its twin-turbo V-6 to the twin-turbo V-8 SL550,
as well as the SL63 AMG and SL65 AMG models.
Four models, delivering to very different expectations
From a powertrain standpoint, it’s the twin-turbo V-8 in the
SL550 that best seems to fit the relaxed yet strong touring character that’s a
natural with this car. It now makes 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque,
and matches up quite well with the nine-speed automatic transmission (although
we noticed some uncouth behavior at low speeds and gentle throttle in a few
cases during our drive).
More than 50 percent of SL buyers have been choosing the V-6
version of the outgoing SL, and it’s easy to see why. Especially in this new,
more powerful 3.0-liter twin-turbo version (362-hp, 369 lb-ft), the SL450 feels
nearly as quick in driving anywhere near legal speeds; while the sound is a
little more strident, as long as you don’t crave the character of a V-8 this
engine will do just fine in flaunting your (or your spouse’s) taste in roadster
style.
Off in the opposite direction, there are the AMG versions.
In a car that’s been designed with such inherent grace, the AMG SLs can feel a
little forced. That said, the SL63 is the meticulously engineered,
sharply-tuned brute of the lineup. Its pulsating, bellowing, crackling
high-revving V-8 (577 hp and 664 lb-ft) always feels just a little over-the-top
in sounds, sensations, and actual power delivery, and the seven-speed AMG
Speedshift transmission is a gem with this combination, managing to shift with
delicate precision at gentle throttle openings yet bang out racing-influenced
powershifts when you need to move quickly.
It’s not quite the snarling, ebullient AMG GT, but it’s also
a heck of a lot more livable.
Truly, seven speeds are more than enough; the awesome,
responsive seven-speed AMG transmission arguably does a better job in most
respects than the nine-speed in the mainline models—and it allows full manual
control, holding the selected gear even with the accelerator mashed to the
floor.
But there’s no need to even use the manual mode, as the
electronic shift controls feel telepathic, blipping to a lower gear with just a
dab of the brakes before a corner or to control speed on a steep
downhill.
All the models in the lineup now come with engine
stop/start; and it's the SL63 AMG, surprisingly, that has the most subtlety to
that system's operation, masterfully quelling the momentary shake you feel
slightly in the non-AMG models.
We didn’t drive the 621-hp, V-12-powered S65 this
time, but it remains the banshee of the lineup, a car that’s technically the
quickest and fastest in the lineup, but with enough additional weight to point
back to the S63 as the superior handler.
The styling tweaks for 2017, on the outside, are a
relatively minor point in all but the full-frontal view of the SL. While they
provide some synergy to the rest of the current M-B lineup, they also give the
SL more of a polarized, two-sided design ethos: chiseled, and more like an
over-the-top sport sedan front end, but with a graceful touring coupe rear
two-thirds. Purely from the side profile, it’s still far from the prettiest,
most perfectly proportioned SL; but from the other collective angles the
facelift manages to help command quite the presence.
A calm cabin, within tempestuous performance
Comfort in the SL models, no matter which one you choose, is
better than what you’ll find in most prestige luxury cars costing quite a bit
more. Highlights include strong cooled seats, massage seat features, and, of
course, Airscarf, which blows warmed air onto your neck on cool mornings. The
top will raise or lower at up to 25 mph, and through some folding wizardry it
leaves enough trunk space for two airline carry-on suitcases, plus a backpack
or two. It’s a shallow space, but a usable one—and behind each of the front
seats there’s a deep, lidded-and-hinged storage bin.
Top down, you can power up an air deflector that, with the
side windows up simultaneously, is one of the most effective in any convertible
made, creating a zone that lets you be relatively soft-spoken at 70 mph. Power
up the top, and the SL truly turns into a tight, vaultlike coupe; a
passenger might have no idea that this moonlights as a convertible.
About the only feature we’re not convinced about on the SL
is what’s front and center—its COMAND interface. Compared to the rival high-end
versions of iDrive or MMI, it feels limited and too dependent on remembering
text-based menus. While it’s more excusable in a $35k CLA, being in a $150k+ SL
63, otherwise a tour de force of technology and engineering, underscores that
point.
A heavy helping of safety tech
At the base SL450 level, these models include Keyless Go
with Hands-Free Access, Parktronic Parking Assist, a Harmon Kardon
surround-sound system, and a Collision Prevention Assist Plus feature with
active brake assist. A Driver Assistance package heaps on more active-safety
items onto the SL, including Distronic Plus advanced cruise control with
steering assist, an Active Brake Assist system with cross-traffic
functionality, Active Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist, and Pre-Safe
Brake, which will help actively brake at up to 40 percent power, while sounding
an alert, if traffic is stopped ahead. The moment the driver does touch the
brake pedal, 100 percent of braking power is delivered.
Other key options on the SL include softer Nappa leather
upholstery, ambient lighting, and the Active Body Control with Curve Tilting
function. And there’s Magic Sky Control, which makes much of the roof glass,
with the capability to adjust light transmission with the touch of a button.
Additionally, on the AMG models you can get a 12-speaker
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system.
Taking a step back, the SL is peerless. The Maserati
GranTurismo Convertible, Aston Martin V8 Vantage Convertible, and Porsche
911 Cabriolet all sacrifice just a bit more quiet, long-legged road-trip
comfort, while, perhaps, delivering a little more edginess at those times when
you're pushing the limits.
Collectively, the revised SL lineup goes farther, employing
some technological tricks, as well as some serious engineering, for more
seat-of-the-pants thrills, all to full advantage—pushing the limits between
what defines a racy roadster and a downright luxurious convertible. Expect no
less.
source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1102586_2017-mercedes-benz-sl-class-first-drive/page-3#image=100547091
by Bengt Halvorson
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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