2022 Mercedes-AMG SL – What We Know So Far About the Upcoming Legend

The current but soon to be out of production R232 generation got off on the wrong foot back in 2012, mainly because of its not-exactly elegant exterior design that not even the 2017 extensive mid-cycle facelift could cure.

Some say that the SL’s downfall had begun much earlier, with several factors pushing its development into the direction of a more comfortable gran tourer instead of what its original name might imply (SL comes from Sport Light in German).

That said, previous generations did well for themselves regarding sales, despite the increasingly smaller niche they occupied.

Sadly, the current sixth-generation model has slowed to a crawl, which is why Mercedes-Benz really took its time with deciding the start of development for the seventh SL.

In other words, the only Mercedes-Benz roadster was this close to go the way of the Dodo, just like its smaller brother, the SLC, until a long-disputed idea popped up in those engineering heads in Stuttgart.

What if the SL gets a return to its roots and features a soft-top instead of a retractable hard top like the last two models? With that in mind, development first got underway with an odd-looking mule, which looked like a shortened S-Class Coupe, a model which will not have a successor for the foreseeable future.

The problem with that ‘return to roots’ train of thought was that the Mercedes-AMG GT now exists, in both coupe and roadster guises.

Only Mercedes could have a sporty and relatively lights roadster called GT in its lineup while the SL is a comfortable grand tourer.

It’s almost like Greenland being full of ice and Iceland having green pastures all over it.

Well, fret not about the SL not continuing its history because it seems that there will not only be a seventh generation of the model, but its development has been taken over by Mercedes-AMG.

In fact, the next SL roadster will share its platform with the second-generation GT, which may or may not lose its roadster version in the process.

What this means for the future of the car remains to be seen, but we can be sure that the new SL will have a 2+2 seating arrangement and a retractable canvas top.

While the current Mercedes-AMG GT is using a revamped and shortened version of the aluminum spaceframe body that debuted on the SLS AMG, the next generation will switch to a more traditional architecture called MSA (Modular Sports Architecture).

Instead of a space-consuming transaxle setup of the transmission and a front-midship positioning of the engine like now, the gearbox will be paired with engine upfront, like in a more traditional passenger car.

While this arrangement doesn’t bode too well for how the next GT will handle, it means nothing but good news for the beloved SL, which may thus get enough space in its compact body to get a pair of jump seats behind the two front ones, thus becoming a true Porsche 911 Cabrio rival.

Since the four-seat S-Class Cabriolet will kick the bucket soon, the new SL may also bring back some of its soon-to-be frustrated customers.

Another highlight of the new MSA platform is that it allows all-wheel-drive, which will benefit both the SL and its GT brother, at least regarding straight-line performance.

What the SL won’t have is a V12, with the engine lineup comprising an assortment of electrified inline-fours, -sixes and V8s that are also currently in development.

Probably because it's being cooked in Affalterbach and not Stuttgart, the model’s nomenclature will change from Mercedes-Benz SL to Mercedes-AMG SL, with the model lineup comprising the SL 43, SL 53 4Matic, SL 63 4Matic and SL73 4Matic.

While the 43 will get a (gasp!) four-cylinder turbocharged hybrid, the 53 will get the current turbocharged straight-six mild-hybrid, with the 63 and 73 being the proud recipients of V8s. Thanks to the addition of a powerful electric motor, the SL 73 4Matic will deliver 800+ horsepower from a powertrain that will first make its appearance in the Mercedes-AMG GT four-door in a few months time.