The new Mercedes-Benz SL roadster is due to arrive in Ireland within weeks.
It comes in a year when 60 years of the SL are being celebrated. Expect the new SL roadster to combine all of the style and comfort one would expect in a sports car displaying the three-pointed star.
In appearance, the new SL is longer and wider with a totally redesigned front grille and slanting eagle-eye headlamps. A long bonnet and a passenger compartment set well back give it an extra sporty look.
Two versions are available with direct injection petrol engines - a 3.5-litre, 302bhp, V6 SL350 version and a 4.7-litre, 429bhp, V8 SL500 twin-turbo version.
Reduced fuel consumption is a big part of the new SL story with the SL 350 consuming 22 per cent less fuel despite having a 0-100km/h (0-62mph ) time of 5.9 seconds – all due in part to a 125kg weight improvement. So too in the SL500 which consumes 12 per cent less fuel while returning a ‘faster than its predecessor’ 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds.
Both versions have a standard Eco start/stop function and seven-speed automatic transmission. Optional items include a panoramic sunroof that can be retracted into the trunk using an electrohydraulic mechanism that converts it from a roadster into a coupé in a matter of seconds. The transparent roof also switches to light or dark at the push of a button.
Another optional feature is a windshield washing system that applies the washer fluid just ahead of the wiper blade. Using channels integrated into the wiper, it ensures that no water gets splashed onto the windscreen and that visibility is not disrupted while in use.
Final prices for the new SL have yet to be confirmed by the manufacturers. However, passenger sales manager Ciaran Allen told the Advertiser that he expects the SL 350 version to be the most popular model in Ireland for which an entry price somewhere below €135,000 is expected, a figure that would be 10 per cent and more below that of its predecessor. Road tax at €481 will represent a substantial drop on the four-figure sum that applied previously.
