Mercedes-AMG SL 55 review: Open air theatre

The SL is, in Mercedes’ words, its open-top luxury sportscar, and it’s a model with a celebrated lineage spanning over seven decades. This seventh-gen SL seeks to take the story forward with a few firsts to its name.

For starters, it’s the first SL to be developed entirely by AMG. The platform is all-new – not derived from other Mercs or older SLs – and is stiffer than any SL before. This core AMG-ness also manifests in other firsts for the SL – rear axle steering and all-wheel drive. In keeping with the classic SL script though is a fabric roof that comes in place of the last-gen model’s folding hard top. This move has saved the SL 21kg and helped lower the centre of gravity, AMG says. Even so, the SL weighs in at a portly 1,875kg. Not exactly true to its ‘Sport, Light’ heritage.

Mercedes-AMG SL 55 design and styling

Job number one for an SL has always been to seduce. And the latest model is damn good at that. The long bonnet, rear-set cabin and tight tail is classic SL with styling unmistakably new age Mercedes. The swept-back headlights and 14-slat Panamericana grille add to the broad-shouldered SL’s brooding look, and there’s clever active aero bits tucked into the air intakes. Rings on the 20-inch rims do their bit to help air flow too, but personally I’d much rather they weren’t there. 21-inch rims are available as an option, though their added style would likely be accompanied by a hit in ride comfort.

What’s nice is that the SL doesn’t look bulky like many other convertibles do, and to me it’s the rear that’s the SL’s best angle. There’s an elegance to the wide-swept tail-lights while at the same time the retractable spoiler, quad exhausts and diffuser do establish the SL 55 as something serious.

Mercedes-AMG SL 55 interior

You really can't be discreet in an open-top car and, with the roof down, actually share your living space with fellow road users. What they'll see of an SL's interior is a high grade and a high-tech space. The high-grade visual is courtesy a generous use of leather all around the cabin, and tasteful metal work on the gorgeous turbine-look vents and centre console. The high-tech impression is in part down to the digital driver’s display. The info-rich 12.3-inch screen is really vibrant and is customisable with seven themes.

The centrepiece of the cabin, however, is Merc’s new 11.9-inch touchscreen. It’s a fantastic display and is adjustable for angle between 12 to 32 degrees, which means glare-free viewing in all manners of lighting. The thing is, that it's just too much screen for what is an intimate cabin. The screen also packs in way too much. Everything from climate control settings to the roof operation is via the touchscreen. On the go, you’ll find yourself fumbling with the roof settings and it doesn’t help that the screen gets hot on sunny days. The entire process of roof opening or closing can be done at speeds of up to 60kph and takes about 16 seconds, if you can keep your finger in place for the duration, that is.

Mercedes-AMG SL 55 features

Aside from the digital dials, touchscreen and roof, the SL 55 AMG gets tastefully done customisable ambient lighting, there’s a superb 360-degree camera that takes away guesswork while parking and there’s even a data logger that you can geek out with on a race track. I’m not sure how watch aficionados will take to the classic IWC now relegated to the screen, though.

AMG Performance seats are standard fit, but sporty as they are to look at, they’re unusually firm. You’d do well to check out the optional AMG Sport seats that appear a whole lot cushier. Seat heating is included, and there’s also an Air Scarf that blows warm air near the neck area – handy on cold days. Seat ventilation and massage is part of a Rs 3.6 lakh Energising Package Plus option, while the punchy 17-speaker Burmester 3D sound system on our test car is a Rs 7.9 lakh option. Gulp!

The safety suite includes ADAS functions such as lane keep assist and auto emergency braking.

Mercedes-AMG SL 55 rear seats and practicality

The SL is a 2+2 so there’s seating behind the front seats, but it’s just not for adults. Getting in with the roof down is easy enough, but with the front seats back in place, your passengers will be left with virtually no legroom. Not helping is the backrest that’s near vertical. Don’t even ask about headroom with the roof up.

On paper, boot space is 208 litres with the roof down and 240 litres with the roof up. However, those numbers mean little with the space saver spare tyre that takes up all the room in here. You’ll squeeze in a few soft bags but not much else. The SL is not the most practical car you can buy, but then which convertible is?

Mercedes-AMG SL 55 performance

On a day when the weather is fine and conditions permit driving with the roof down, few driving experiences match up to that offered by a convertible. The experience is immersive as is, and even more so in something like an SL. The SL 55 available in India comes powered by AMG’s familiar 4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, in 476hp and 700Nm tune. It’s not the angriest iteration of AMG’s V8, but performance is not lacking in the least.

The engine doesn't feel highly strung, and rather offers a deep reserve of power. A gentle prod of the accelerator pedal grants all the go you need, all with just a few clicks of the rev needle. 

0-100kph takes a claimed 3.9 seconds, which is properly quick. And then there’s the soulful way it sounds. It rumbles and it’s got the right amount of roar – you'll just love hearing it bellow every opportunity you get. Of course, the SL sounds its best and is its sharpest in Sport and Sport+ mode. If anything, it’s the 9-speed gearbox that seems to play catchup with the engine.

Those of a calmer bent will like that you don’t need to go all out to enjoy an SL. It feels strong, smooth and relatively serene in Comfort.

Mercedes-AMG SL 55 handling and comfort

For a car on the wrong side of 1.8 tonnes, the SL feels a lot smaller and lighter than you’d expect. It’s not the sharpest sportscar that you can buy, but the quick and well-weighted steering keeps you connected to all that the front and rear tyres are doing. The rear wheels, as mentioned, can turn up to 2.5 degrees in the interest of best stability and agility. Long story short, you can carry big speeds with confidence.

What unconsciously helps to this end is all-wheel drive. Sure, it’s a departure from the roadster script, but with 476hp and 700Nm, the added grip counts for a lot. Merc’s 4Matic system is predominantly rear biased and channels power to the front axle only when needed. You can expect even more feel with the optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package that packs in a limited slip rear differential, dynamic engine mounts and a Race drive program.

A word on the optional Active Ride Control that comprises hydraulically operated anti-roll bars in place of conventional mechanical ones, with the end goal being to keep the car drive as flat as possible. The SL doesn’t feel floaty and that’s a win. The option also bundles in 30mm of front suspension lift. There’s about 125mm of clearance as standard so you have to be careful over speed breakers. On the largest of the kind, you’ll have to zig zag your way across and will inevitably hold up traffic behind you. But, hey, those behind have got something really nice to look at.

The SL 55 can even work as an everyday car at a stretch. You don't sit that much lower than you would in a midsized sedan, so you're not intimidated by other road users and ride comfort is acceptable for this kind of car. In fact, much of the firmness that you feel is actually from the seats rather than from the road and tyres. Refinement is also commendable. No, it’s not as quiet as a Mercedes sedan, but for a roadster with a fabric roof, it does a good job of isolating you. We didn’t experience any creaks and rattles from the soft top. Worth a mention because creaks aren’t uncommon in convertibles, even at this price point.

Mercedes-AMG SL 55 price and verdict

And the price is – drum roll – Rs 2.35 crore (ex-showroom). That’s a lot of money for a car that you can enjoy to the fullest on just a few days of the year. But therein lies the magic of a convertible. Those days and nights driving with the top down will be etched in your memory.

The SL has all the glamour associated with a convertible and backs it up with a proper sportscar driving experience. Flamboyant, fast and fun, the SL would be a fine addition to a multi-crore car collection. Just remember to keep the weather gods happy.

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