Mercedes seeks to reclaim some of the SL's luster with a Grand Edition
Will new wheels, brown leather and fancy badges be enough to make the SL great again?
For decades, Mercedes' SL convertibles were pretty much the pinnacle of the luxury convertible market. The SL was a genuinely aspirational car, but in recent years the venerable model has faced competition from other brands both in terms of performance and outright luxury.
Not one to be beaten, Mercedes-Benz is firing back with the SL Grand Edition. Mostly following the same formula as the GLS-Class Grand Edition that was introduced in 2018, the SL brings added style and luxury to a solid, if aging, platform.
The Grand Edition trim will be available only on the SL450 and SL550 trim models. If you've got to have an AMG badge on your SL, then you're out of luck, pal. The Grand Edition will be offered in Graphite Grey and features a mix of chrome and matte aluminum-finish metals.
It will also feature Grand Edition-specific 19-inch front and 20-inch rear forged aluminum wheels from AMG. These are painted in a high-gloss black inside the barrels and on the sides of the spokes, while the wheel lip and spoke faces get a polished aluminum finish. Going for the Grand Edition also nets you special Grand Edition badges. All Grand Edition cars get the sports suspension option as standard, which drops the car by 10 millimeters and is firmer than the basic kit.
Inside, you'll find that the seats are clad in what Mercedes is calling Designo Tundra Brown Pearl leather. It's got a quasimetallic finish, and while it's not to our tastes, it's definitely unique. The leather is also quilted, because duh, this is a high-level Mercedes. There is a unique model designation stitched into the headrest, and there is a brown and black sports steering wheel as standard as well.
Mercedes is keeping quiet as to what the Grand Edition SLs will cost, but they're SLs, so we're betting that it's a lot. We do know that we can expect to start seeing them in US dealerships beginning in 2020.
