Up in the rarified air where six-figure, ultra-luxury, high-performance cars play, there are debates and distinctions shoppers down in the mainstream car class don’t bother themselves about. For instance: Is that high-dollar V8-powered monster a sports car or a grand tourer?
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz SL (Mercedes skipped the 2021 model year for this car) landed more on the GT side of that question. Sure, it had a 0-60 mph time under 5 seconds and an optional adaptive suspension for aggressive cornering. But the thing felt like a classic long-trip 2+2 meant for weekend getaways more than something you’d bring to a duel with a Porsche 911.
The 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL is itching for that fight.
For starters, there’s that name change. Every prior edition of the SL-Class has been designed, built, and marketed under the Mercedes-Benz brand. The 2022 SL is now a product of the AMG division – a sub-brand dedicated to building high-performance cars. Now called the Mercedes-AMG SL, it doesn’t share a single bolt with the previous model.
Prices haven’t been announced. We expect the changes will lead to an increase from the $91,995 entry price of the 2020 model on sales lots today.
Gorgeous, With Athletic Proportions
The design lineage is clearly the same, but it looks more poised to strike. The same long-hood, short-trunk dimensions that characterize GT cars are here, but the wheels are pushed way out to the corners to suggest a more aggressive stance.
It almost looks smaller, but it’s actually longer and wider than the car it replaces. Sharply angled headlights look angry. Pinched taillights look like they’re judging you for letting it pass you so easily.
The previous-generation SL used a power hardtop that retracted via a complex mechanism that looked like something Batman would design. The new one is exclusively a soft-top. That might strike some as a step down in luxury, but it reveals this car’s true purpose. The soft-top is 46 pounds lighter. High-performance roadsters often come equipped with lighter ragtops because moving the mass of a retractable hardtop from the car’s center to behind the seats can upset the handling.
Sumptuous Cabin That Pretends to Seat Four
Inside, the cabin remains every bit as luxurious as before. A 12.3-inch digital screen replaces the driver’s instrument cluster. But a digital head-up display, optional on the SL 55 and standard on the SL 63, projects the most useful information directly into the driver’s line of sight.
A big 11.9-inch touchscreen sits in the center in portrait orientation, running the Mercedes-Benz User Experience software that drives climate and entertainment functions in most Mercedes products. The driver can adjust the screen’s angle – a thoughtful touch we almost never see. The leather-wrapped dash has red contrast stitching for style and huge, sharp-looking turbine vents.
There are two rear seats. Sort of. You wouldn’t ask an adult you like to squeeze back there.
Would You Prefer V8 Power or More V8 Power?
Under the hood, SL 55 models use a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that develops 469 horsepower. SL 63 versions pack a more powerful version making 577 horsepower. Mercedes says they will get from a standstill to 60 mph in 3.8 and 3.5 seconds, respectively.
Power delivery is through a 9-speed automatic transmission to 4-Matic+ all-wheel-drive system that can send as much power as necessary to each wheel. This marks the first time in the SL’s 70-year history that it uses all-wheel drive vs. the traditional rear-wheel-drive setup.
The chassis is all-new. Built of composite aluminum, it’s 18% stiffer than the old one, which was already plenty stiff. AMG’s Active Ride Control suspension with hydraulic roll stabilizers keeps things flat in the corners. It still has the thoughtful function of a push-button lift setting that adds 1.2 inches of front ground clearance for entering steep driveways or negotiating speed bumps.
Standard 4-wheel steering moves the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the front set below 62 mph and with them above that speed.
Rivals Old and New
Shoppers will still want to compare the 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL to its BMW rival, the 8 Series. Some might shop it against the Lexus LC as well, though that leans more toward the grand tourer end of the debate we mentioned earlier. But this SL, with its newfound athleticism, wants a date with the Porsche and similar high-end sports cars.
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