SL-Class (R231) [Official] Mercedes-Benz SL (R231)

[Rolf]

It is all good except the current SL has a horrible front end that needs to be fixed asap.

I agree with you the front styling especially the lights needs an urgent change, it makes the SL look really out of date fast and not fit in with the current Mercedes styling trends, if they can change or look similar or the new S Class coupe it will look much better and the rear lights also need a rethink, make the back look too flat

 

[Merc1]

The front and rear need work IMO. The overhangs are too long compared with the C and the S. The headlights and grille are just too big to be sporty/sleek and the entire front end is too blunt. It is nearly unbelievable that Mercedes would goof the SL and then turn around and get the S and S Coupe so right. These 3 have always looked the part, together. The SL got screwed big time, caught up in a design mess and I'm scared the facelift will result in some really weird looking car.

M

 

[GTA45E]

Guys, come on. Attention to detail! It`s much more than the front end.
Check out the rear compared to the S-Coupe. The SL could have benefitted from the license plate position of the S-Coupe.
The rear lights of the S suggests higher caliber design compared to the SL. This SL shares the same damn taillight design with the entry level CLA.
A design not benefitting an $80k+ vehicle. Why in the world does an SUV "coupe" share rear ends with the top of the line S instead of the icon SL.
What the hell were these guys thinking. The SL needs a complete design overhaul imo.
there are just too many problems here.

 

[Sunny]

I don`t think a face/lift is going to happen any time soon. You guys have to remember, the SL is the icon of Mercedes.
The SLs stay in the production cycle a lot longer than any other Benz. The previous SL was in production from 2003-2012. It did not get a face lift till 2008 if I remember correctly. If Mercedes follows this path, we might not see a face/lift till 2018.

R230 had a normal and minimal facelift in 2006. What it got in 2008 was a more drastic corporate face graft.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Feeling compelled to chime in:

I find that there is less "fundamentally wrong" with the R231 SL, but rather it being a matter of some details. As mentioned, the headlamps appearance is unfortunate. Too large and resembling cinder blocks. The finned front wing vents too pronounced and contrived. I do not agree with the "SL heritage" argument in this aspect. In fact, drop the vent-or at least the fins. And most of all, it is that horrid hard-drop top with its' ugly shut lines, requiring an ugly shut lined boot. Cloth would be an aesthetically far more pleasing route to take.

 

[Rainer271]

2015 Mercedes-Benz SL 400 Costs $84,925 in the United States

If you want an R231 SL-Class Mercedes-Benz with the entry-level 3.5-liter V6, tough luck because the SL 350 ain't available anymore. The SL 400 replaces the SL 350 and its naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 with a 3-liter twin-turbo V6 mated to a 7G-Tronic Plus auto.
It may displace 0.5 liters less, but the new mill has an extra 27 ponies and 100 Nm (81 lb-ft) of torque over the SL 350's motor. Another important change is that the SL 400's engine complies to Euro 6 emissions standard thanks to a direct injection system with spray-guided combustion and multi-spark ignition.

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz SL 400 may be the least powerful SL you can get with its 333 hp and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque, but it's still a pretty fast car considering it can get to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.2 seconds, seven tenths faster than the model it replaces. Fuel economy is also improved, with 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined.

For the $84,925 you are charged, Mercedes-Benz offers you a lot of goodies, including fine leather, sat-nav, wood trim, heated front seats and a loud 600-watt Logic7/Dolby 5.1 audio system. Slated to arrive in U.S. dealerships by the end of August, the 2015 Mercedes SL 400 is the type of car you can spend a fortune ticking boxes from the options list.

$4,900 will buy you the Premium 1 pack that boasts with Parktronic, Active Parking Assist, Keyless Go, ventilated seats, a rearview parking camera and the trick Airscarf neck heating system. You can spend $2,000 more on a package that gets you 19-inch five-spoke AMG alloy wheels, sport brakes, a sporty steering wheel and such. But the $2,950 Driver Assitance Package is a better investment in our book, with its active blind spot assist and lane keeping assist, Distronic Plus and the Pre-Safe Brake system.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/2...0-costs-84925-in-the-united-states-85797.html

 

[ThroughandThrough]

I'm probably in the slim minority, but for what it is, I really like the SL's current design.

Now, I know Mercedes can do better with their current design language, but the current proportions in my eye aren't as horrific as most see.

 

[Pagani]

I am a lot less accepting of the SL design after having seen the new S Coupe. It is unbelievable that the SL came from the same styling department that subsequently penned the S Coupe.

 

[Amat46]

That's because designing the SL was headed by Peter Pfeiffer before Gordon Wagner took his position.

 

[Rainer271]

Mercedes-Benz SL Facelift Spied Wearing S-Class Coupe Headlights

We were all waiting for Christmas back in 2011 when Mercedes-Benz introduced the current SL and now it seems that history is repeating itself, as our spy photographers have managed to snap the first pics of the R231 SL Facelift.

Yes, you are right, those headlights on the mid-cycle revamp SL prototype are not its own. The front light clusters belong to the S-Class Coupe and this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The improvisation you see on this early test mule is just the beginning of a visual makeover that will see the SL respect the family identity introduced by the S-Class - even the V-Class has a face styled such as the one of the carmaker’s flagship sedan these days.

In order to achieve the literal facelift, the SL will also sport changes for the radiator grille, hood and, of course, the front apron. As for the rear end, the transformation will be carried out to a less intense extent, but expect thinner taillights, as well as a new bumper and redesigned exhaust tips.

We may receive an AMG Sport SL

As far as the engines line-up is concerned, the 2015 SL has already welcomed the new SL400, powered by a twin-turbo V6 producing 329 hp (333 PS). Nonetheless, we might see the upcoming AMG Sport range, which will debut in January at the Detroit Motor Show, touch the SL. Mercedes-Benz wants to double AMG sales by the end of the decade and the AMG Sport will play an important role in this.

Together with the S-Class and the G-Class, the SL has always been the apple of Mercedes’ eye, so while the cabin transformations will be limited, expect them to up the ante on the premium level.

Three-pointed star fans looking for test mules with deeper front and rear changes will probably have their SL thirst quenched by the end of the winter testing session. As for the actual roadster, expect this to bow in 2016 as a 2017 model.

Mercedes-Benz SL Facelift Spied Wearing S-Class Coupe Headlights

 

[Merc1]

This is going to take some doing to make this car look right. A headlight swap, while nice, won't do it.

M

 

[Giannis]

1. No pics of the rear?

2. Enough with these headlights. It's like MB has only one headlight unit across the whole line-up. The details, if any, are very very very hard to see between each model, and this comes from a GCF member of 10 years!

 

[Wunderkind]

This is going to take some doing to make this car look right. A headlight swap, while nice, won't do it.

M

I think the facelift for the interior and exterior will be comprehensive.

 

[W201]

Now that the AMG GT is on the market, redesigning of the SL will be very hard - to look as good as the GT, but different.

 

[lukeswiss]

A pig in lipstick is still a pig.

I'm guessing the entire front will get a work over.

 

[Centurion]

The SL and SLK design and positioning require major overhaul for the models to regain the popularity they have 15-20 years ago. Back then roadsters were hot and metal folding roofs were a huge draw. Today, people find SUVs more cooler. If anyone can reignite the love for dreamy roadsters it's Mercedes.

Next time around they better not just change body panels but also redesign the roofs.

 

[Rolf]

The main negative in my eyes is the front lights and grill, it is too upright, they need to add more chrome around the grill and get rid of the fish eye look current vertical looking lights. The back lights are also in need of a serious make over. They will probably stick the iPad screen in the interior to replace the current screen

 

[ThroughandThrough]

Looks much cleaner.

 

[ThroughandThrough]

1. No pics of the rear?

 

[Pagani]

Gordon Wagener should have been involved in the SL design.