Review: 2017 Mercedes-Benz SL 400

Will a mid-cycle refresh bring back the coveted status to this 2-seater grand tourer?

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, what we all know as a convertible, actually started out as a street-legal Grand Prix car coupe back in 1954, under the nameplate 300 SL. It was all thanks to an American called Max Hoffman who thought it would be the perfect performance toy for the rich. Besides having gullwing doors - the greatest gesture of style - it also had direct injection technology and was the fastest road car of its time.
The generations that followed, although not as flamboyant, were exquisitely styled and real definitions of the 'Grand Tourer'. The 6th generation, launched in 2012, was a surprisingly lacklustre model and somehow got lost in Merc's large portfolio of vehicles. But the brand with the 3-pointed star has revamped the car. So, we borrowed a 2017 Mercedes-Benz SL 400 for a couple of days to seek out its improvements and come up with a verdict.

DESIGN & AESTHETICS
The SL has been a roadster - a 2-door convertible - for much of its 63-year life and, even today, the tradition of carrying a long bonnet, short rear deck, a low-slung body and a convertible roof top continues.
The 2017 SL isn't a brand-new car; it is a revamp of the car that created an awkward silence when the curtains dropped in 2012. People didn't like it too much and, much like caviar, we thought it was an acquired taste. or perhaps we were in denial. But with the facelift comes a new face. The front end has been made sportier, and it's mainly got to do with the new diamond radiator grille - a set of evenly spaced chrome dots floating about on an invisible canvas - as we have seen in the rest of the range. The headlamps, that previously looked bulbous, are sleeker now and congruous with the sleek nose that houses new full LED headlights. The car has been given more width, thanks to the gaping AMG intakes in the front and air slits in the back.
The whole design is more harmonious, and even more beautiful than its predecessor and is great furniture for your villa's driveway. But it doesn't quite deliver the visual magic of SLs of the yesteryears.
How about a technical point of view? The 'SL' is short for Super Leicht, which translates to Super-Light. It's not quite been so for the longest time, with some generation models weighing as much as large sedans. Now, for the first time, Mercedes-Benz has implemented an all-aluminium bodyshell - the Atkins Diet in the auto industry - and with that they've created a bodyshell that weighs around 110kg less than a conventional steel one.
The gullwing doors may have disappeared with the first generation, but here you have the Mercedes emblem shining down on the ground as puddle lamps to greet you, and a switchable ambient lighting system that lets you play with the many interior colours.
Inside, it looks a bit SLC-like, but with a copious amount of space - being a 2-seater. It's very Germanic, so everything is built with quality in mind, and all the trims and panels are bolted together. But it is also very familiar, which means it does look like the insides of every other Mercedes - for twice the money.
We love the familiar chunky flat-bottom steering, the circular airplane-inspired air vents and the tiny shift lever. The sports seats are not as constricting as in a race car, but cossetting.
As expected, rolling in a convertible meant we had to exercise the rituals of the roadster. This has a hard-top retractable roof; with the top up, it remains nice and silent inside, being surprisingly stylish on the outside. It can be operated up to speeds of 40 km/h. But with the roof down - the best way to travel - there is a wind deflector that pops up automatically behind the seats to keep the airflow laminar in the cabin, so it won't mess with your hair too much and conversations can be kept to a light chatter instead of a war of words. And what's not to love about the optional Magic Sky control that turns the glass roof from near-opaque to transparent? It's some tech gimmickry that you can pull over your head like a manual shade, if you're getting cooked in the sun.
What we didn't like in the SL is the smallish infotainment screen, especially considering this is their flagship; plus, there seems to be one too many buttons on the console - too busy for this day and age. Maybe a touch screen feature would have negated its effects.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
The SL Roadster is the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz range and it is born to uphold the definitions of luxury in as many ways as possible - including power, quietness, and ride. and it does!
At the heart of it all is a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 that pumps out 362bhp at 5,500rpm which is ready for any driving occasion; and with it comes 500Nm of torque which is remarkable for a base car. Thanks to the auto start/stop function and direct injection efficiency, you have a grand tourer that is capable of keeping up with sports cars, returning a rather commendable claimed fuel economy of 7.7L/100km, while emitting only 175grams of C02 per kilometre. Rest assured you won't be melting any polar ice caps in this one!
The other advantage of the 9-speeder is improved acceleration, which we would agree is a department that the SL doesn't lack in. Another point to note is that the gearbox is so well sorted it doesn't hunt for ratios. It's a smooth operator. Helping it coast along in comfort is the sophisticated air suspension. It provides a cushy ride without wallowing like a boat. It's the perfect, most luxurious, way to travel in the city. Now given its grand tourer moniker, it is generally relaxed and there is some slight hesitation when you dab the throttle; put your foot into it - if you commit - it will hurl you across town in the quickest way possible and will get you from nothing to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. The SL 63 may be the wilder, quicker and louder beast, but this does question the existence of the SL 500. In Dubai, where you constantly accelerate between 40 and 140 km/h, the SL has proved to be a competent cruiser and friends who frequent the autobahn in Germany will tell you that travelling at the electronically limited top speed of 250km/h is a matter of ease for the SL. On the other side of the spectrum, even the ventilated disc brakes with authority.
The SL comes with five different drive modes, and with each mode comes variation in the drivetrain. the engine gets energised, the steering gets heftier, the chassis gets tauter etc. So whether you're playing relaxed driver on date night or driving hurriedly to the office, you can pick the drive mode to suit your mood.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
As a 2-seater roadster, there isn't much you can expect from it in terms of functionality, yet the SL 400 manages well. Besides cup-holders and door pockets, you also have space behind the front seats to keep your handbag or briefcase, which would have landed on the lap on the passenger if it was the SLC.
There is plenty of space for a full-size suitcase in the boot, but the retractable roof and mechanisms do eat up some of the cargo space when the top is folded. Musical indulgence can be of a high standard, thanks to the $1,200-dollar Harman Kardon® Logic7® surround sound system, but, then, if money is no concern, option it with the $5,000 Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG sound system and its many shiny metallic speakers; 10 GB of the internal hard drive can be used to save your favourite songs and you can rip them from the USB pen drive or CD.
While the dual-zone air conditioner works efficiently, there is also added comfort in the form of seat heaters/coolers. The SL has almost every safety feature conceived like brake assist, lane departure warning, blind sport warning and active cruise control. But we think the stand-out feature is the ISOFIX mounts for a child seat in the front seat, so if you are a single parent and you want to own an SL. you can!

VERDICT
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz SL 400 is a competent 2-seater grand tourer with a big 3-pointed badge upfront that everyone knows would cost a house to own. It runs like the wind and rides like a cloud. especially for a coupe. In short, it provides a big slice of luxury, but, somehow, somewhere along the SL's evolution, it's lost some of that magic - glimpses of which we see in the other 2-door coupes like the AMG GT. And it is justified of us to ask greatness - and not just goodness - from a car that wears the SL nameplate.
SPECIFICATIONS
Body type: 2-seater; 2-door premium convertible
Engine: Front-engine; turbocharged 3.0-litre V6; rear-wheel drive
Transmission: 9G-TRONIC (automatic)
Peak output: 362bhp@5,500rpm; 500Nm@2,000 - 4,200 rpm
0 to 100km/h: 4.9 seconds (claimed)
Top speed: 250 km/h (electronically limited; claimed)
Price: Starting Dh364,500

Good: New and improved looks; purposeful power and smooth ride; features listing
Bad: Lacks a certain 'je ne sais quoi'; smallish infotainment screen and busy centre console; small boot with the roof down
Author's Rating: 7/10
wknd@khaleejtimes.com

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