Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
For the first time in the model’s almost 70-year history, the Mercedes-Benz SL will not feature a six-cylinder powertrain in its lineup, as the seventh generation of the roadster is heading toward a total revamp of its raison d'être.
Originally set to be unveiled earlier this summer, its launch has been delayed to the upcoming 2021 Munich Motor Show, which will replace the biannual Frankfurt Motor Show for the foreseeable future.
That said, we should be getting an early preview of the new luxury roadster in the upcoming days.
Mercedes-Benz has already shown the aluminum-intensive construction of the new SL’s bodywork and has also unveiled its interior, so the only details still largely under wraps are the exterior design and its powertrain lineup.
Speaking of Mercedes-Benz, the seventh generation of the SL roadster will no longer be offered under the MB brand, with the Germans preferring to integrate it with the other two models that are currently available strictly as Mercedes-AMGs, the GT and the GT Four-door Coupe.
The move isn’t entirely unexpected since the SL is based on an all-new platform that is set to be shared with the next-generation Mercedes-AMG GT, which will only be available as a coupe this time.
That being said, the new flagship roadster (and the only remaining Mercedes roadster in the future) will not be a purely technological tour de force, but also hark back to the earlier SLs.
The 2+2 seating arrangement will make a comeback, and so will the more traditional-looking soft-top. Don't expect the two rear jump seats to be much more accommodating than the ones found on its main rival, the Porsche 911 Convertible, though. Still, their existence is definitely a plus, not a minus.
On the powertrain side it’s where most of the novelties will be found, with the seventh generation of the SL Roadster being the first one that doesn’t feature any six-cylinder engine in its lineup.
The model will be powered strictly by either inline-fours or V8s, with two of the entry level engines being all-new 2.0-liters, based on the M139 four-cylinder in the ‘45’ models, switched longitudinally and one of them augmented by mild-hybrid tech and an electric supercharger.
At least two V8s will be available eventually, one of them mild-hybrid and similar to all the current ‘63’ models and the other one a plug-in hybrid with around 816 metric horsepower and likely over 1,000 Nm (748 lb-ft) of torque, sent to all four wheels.
That said, we should be getting an early preview of the new luxury roadster in the upcoming days.
Mercedes-Benz has already shown the aluminum-intensive construction of the new SL’s bodywork and has also unveiled its interior, so the only details still largely under wraps are the exterior design and its powertrain lineup.
Speaking of Mercedes-Benz, the seventh generation of the SL roadster will no longer be offered under the MB brand, with the Germans preferring to integrate it with the other two models that are currently available strictly as Mercedes-AMGs, the GT and the GT Four-door Coupe.
The move isn’t entirely unexpected since the SL is based on an all-new platform that is set to be shared with the next-generation Mercedes-AMG GT, which will only be available as a coupe this time.
That being said, the new flagship roadster (and the only remaining Mercedes roadster in the future) will not be a purely technological tour de force, but also hark back to the earlier SLs.
The 2+2 seating arrangement will make a comeback, and so will the more traditional-looking soft-top. Don't expect the two rear jump seats to be much more accommodating than the ones found on its main rival, the Porsche 911 Convertible, though. Still, their existence is definitely a plus, not a minus.
On the powertrain side it’s where most of the novelties will be found, with the seventh generation of the SL Roadster being the first one that doesn’t feature any six-cylinder engine in its lineup.
The model will be powered strictly by either inline-fours or V8s, with two of the entry level engines being all-new 2.0-liters, based on the M139 four-cylinder in the ‘45’ models, switched longitudinally and one of them augmented by mild-hybrid tech and an electric supercharger.
At least two V8s will be available eventually, one of them mild-hybrid and similar to all the current ‘63’ models and the other one a plug-in hybrid with around 816 metric horsepower and likely over 1,000 Nm (748 lb-ft) of torque, sent to all four wheels.
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