Is There Another SL Facelift Coming?

[Merc1]

I found this on one of the Mercedes dealer blogs I check.

Mercedes-Benz has just informed us that there will be no model year 2010 SL550, SL600, SL63 AMG, or SL65 AMG. We will sell the remaining 2009s until the end of the year and then the 2011 SL-Class will be launched in the 1st quarter of 2010. The 2011 will not be a body style change - that is expected for model year 2013. More details should be available soon.


Mercedes Benz | Atlanta Classic Cars | Jesse Cannon-Wallace


It isn't unusual to skip a model year at the end of the car's production, but I remember reading someone here thought there was another facelift coming? Is that possible?


M

 

[Centurion]

I smell BS. The SL65 BS was the final bow for the SL. What I think is that Mercedes might be "skipping" a model year like Porsche did with the Cayenne a year before the facelift by not releasing a "new" model year i.e no updates. I'm sceptical that the current generation will stick around until 2013, it will be a dinosaur by then, although the facelift is a pretty sight.

 

[Shining Star]

Hmm...this does seem odd...MB has no reason to switch model years...maybe....if you remember..the pre FL SL was given many minor FLs before the big one last year... maybe we're just getting another small revision. I do not believe that MB will just let the SL sit until 2013.

 

[Merc1]

I'm guessing that there will be some subtle changes for the 2011 model year to carry it through to the 2013 model year. However that means the new SL will debut in Europe in late 2011 or early 2012 to make it here for the 2013 model year. Very possible.


M

 

[Gullwing]

Hmmm I can't think of any other time MB skipped a MY for any car, let alone in the middle of a specific model.
03-08 minor tweeks 09 FL then skip 10 and go straight to 11 FL. I don't think that would be smart.

 

[Merc1]

The skip in model years makes me think the 2011 model will have some changes, but nothing major. Similar to the 2007 changes.

M

 

[Yperion]

Mercedes needs to present a new SL asap , the current model was only made worse with the facelift...

 

[Yaz]

Possible. A facelift of a facelift

Anyone wanna guess how long the R129 stayed in production?

 

[Merc1]

From 1990-2002 model years in the U.S. Production was from 1989 to spring 2001.


M

 

[///K]

I'm guessing minor changes, new colours, maybe rims, etc...

 

[DaSilva]

lol @ all the guessing

but If so I am guessing LED's and lots of LED !
Mouahahahhhaha

 

[tennmb]

SL sales are awful. The facelift was a huge flop. It actually lowered the desirablity of the car. The headlights are terrible. The interior remained unchanged for the most part, which is the biggest weakness.

I doubt Mercedes is real eager to invest a lot in a car that starts at $100k in this economy.

 

[Merc1]

2011 Mercedes-Benz SL550, SL63 AMG and SL65 AMG Pricing and Release Dates

Changes:
Exterior:
New paint: Quartz Blue (230)

Interior:
Black interior (221/811) now features silver contrast stitching
Natural Beige/Black interior (214/804) is now available
Premium Leather steering wheel (Std.)

Technology:
HD Digital Radio® (Std.)
SIRIUS® Real-Time Traffic (Std.)
Direct Steer system (Std. SL550)

Model Retail Release Pricing:
SL550 - 2/16/2010 - $102,600
SL63 AMG - 2/16/2010 - $139,050
SL65 AMG - 2/23/2010 - $198,750


The 2011 SLs will make their debut in the US next week. There are a few minor updates from the 2009 but nothing major scheduled until Model Year 2013 for the new body.

http://www.benzblogger.com/



Hmmm....I thought there would have been some changes to the exterior, LEDs etc. I guess not. Where is the SL600??


M

 

[sako97]

It's amazing how the California has put R230 to sleep. The R230 went being the most successful premium roadster of all time to being a Merc dealers are desperate to sell.

The R231 has to be as ground breaking and innovative as the R230 once was when it was first unveiled back in 2001.

 

[Merc1]

The SL had sales trouble way before the California. For one its old now and there are so many other cars in its market segment. Various Aston-Martins, Maseratis etc. They've all made a huge dent in SL sales.

M

 

[tennmb]

And so it is with $100k two seater cars in this economy.

S-class sales are way down as well. For the price, the SL should offer more. A hard top convertible is not that revolutionary. Not when you can get it in a Miata.
The facelift set the car back. At least the headlamps did.

The bad news is MB has tacked on a little money to the 2011. My guess and hope is that you will see very trim production numbers, making the SL a rare car with stronger resale.

 

[Pagani]

It is the rest of the top of the MB lineup that make the SL look bad, namely the S and CL, especially in interior and technology. Interior styling belongs to the last century, when it was designed.

If will be very awkard for Mercedes to have yet another revision round for the SL, but the cycle of the next SL mules makes me think they will have to keep the current one going for at least two model years. If that, I think the SL will get the LED treatment and the new TT V8s, both regular and AMG. I cannot foresee major changes in the interior, as telematics would necessitate a major overhaul in the interior, which is simply madness to do on such an old model.

 

[Merc1]

I thought for sure that it would get the new V8 and the LEDs for 2011. Oh well. Hopefully the 2011 CL/S Coupe will.


M

 

[sako97]

S-class sales are way down as well.

Mainly due to the fact that dealers have been drowned with S400 Hybrids they can't move. False demand for a Hybrid S-Class at large. I still believe an initial E400 Hybrid would have been a far more logical move.

At the moment the Panamera is selling out.

 

[Sovereign]

SL sales are awful. The facelift was a huge flop. It actually lowered the desirablity of the car. The headlights are terrible. The interior remained unchanged for the most part, which is the biggest weakness.

I assume that this is the first SL in its history that is considered to be a flop sales-wise. I agree with each and every word of this statement. The headlights are the worst ever on a Mercedes. The current designers have taken a beautiful car and ruined it completely IMO. I just hope that the trend wouldnt continue on to the future models. The single-blade grill ain't matching the overall design of the car. A total failure.

See the difference

Source:wikipedia