Text by Bernard Hellberg
With the introduction of the new SL 400 AMG-Line to the local collection of luxury coupé/cabriolets, the Mercedes-Benz star shines brightly over one of its most iconic series, beefing up the marque’s “everyday” sports car credentials.
Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to the world of sports cars. Straddling a fine line between supercar and user-friendly city sports car, the SL has brought driving joy to millions during its illustrious 60-year history.
The SL-Class roadster family is now available with a new entry-level derivative engine – a 3-litre, six-cylinder biturbo system with an output of 245 kW and 480 Nm of torque – while keeping the level of luxury as high as one usually expects from the Mercedes brand.
The SL’s cabin remains a study in the use of fine materials that have been perfectly finished, with great attention to detail. The interior boasts distinctive Mercedes style and character with a touch of individuality to the seats – with their characteristic horizontal fluting – and the three-spoke AMG sports steering wheel in black napa leather.
The SL 400 is every bit an SL: From its classic radiator grille with large Mercedes star, across its long, dynamic bonnet, and extending to its compact cabin and squat, muscular haunches.
The standard-specced Intelligent Light System (ILS) boasts five different lighting functions that are tailored to typical driving and weather conditions, and are activated depending on the driving situation. These not only make for great visibility, but also give the SL it’s very characteristic face. The typical Mercedes curved sidelights and horizontal strip daytime running lights in the far ends of the bumper feature LED technology and create a sense of drama.
The SL 400 focuses Mercedes’ attention on marrying driving enjoyment with more frugal fuel use. With the standard ECO start/stop function and the evergreen 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission configured to curb unnecessary consumption, the SL 400 achieves a combined figure of just 7.3 l/100 km.
To achieve such substantial fuel savings while not affecting the car’s sportiness, the SL 400 AMG-Line combines a direct injection system with spray-guided combustion (of up to five injections per power stroke through its Piezo injectors) with rapid multi-spark ignition (MSI). Simply put, the multi-spark system generates up to four sparks per combustion event by rapidly recharging and discharging (within one millisecond) on each combustion cycle. This creates what Mercedes term a “plasma”, which creates a larger spatial expansion than conventional ignition. On top of this, the rapid-fire multi-spark system will change both the timing of the sparks and the combustion period to suit driving style and engine operating conditions. The result is a surprisingly agile performance, as I experienced in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands recently. Being the smallest capacity SL by two litres, it is a relief that the 3-litre SL retains its ability to thrill.
Steering the car through the winding roads around Nottingham Road highlighted just how nimble the suspension system with Adaptive Damping System is on this car. Pushing the SL hard did reveal some moments of lighter than expected steering feel, but for most applications – and most drivers – the fully automatic suspension damping will entertain any demands as it adjusts to the road conditions. The driver also has the ability to choose the sporty or comfort-oriented basic damper setting.
With a standard price of R1,212,600 (including VAT, but excluding emissions tax) the SL 400 AMG-Line is a polite introduction to the world of Mercedes-Benz luxury sports cars. Its very respectable acceleration numbers, fuel usage and high level of luxury make it a serious contender in this segment.
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