Mercedes-AMG SL 43 | Small Heart, Big Looks
Though the world may never have been as polarized and divided as today, almost everyone agrees that the Mercedes-AMG SL is nothing but beautiful. But when I mention a 4-cylinder in the SL? You're right back in the polarized world.
In the world of automotive journalism and on web forums there’s an unrefined consensus: 4-cylinder versions of sexy cars shouldn’t be around. Yet Mercedes-AMG, or Daimler, isn’t the first automaker that slaps tiny engines in cars meant for eight-cylinder-madness. And companies like this don’t start developing a model until the business case is solid. So people who buy these cars are seemingly not influenced by the before-mentioned consensus, they’re a different group altogether? So who are they? What do they do? And what drives them? According to the spokesman, the target audience on which a business case is built and the real buyers often differ. Why? Because real-world buyers are influenced by many factors we never discuss in reviews. Availability, budget, local tax regulations, and looking good without big spending all matter when buying a car.
Caught in the middle
When we elaborate on the driving characteristics of the Mercedes-AMG SL 43, the first thing that comes to mind is that the car can't help being caught in the middle. If you look at it from the perspective of the midpoint petrolhead, you could say the car underperforms. Look at it from the perspective of the aesthetically-fueled buyer and you can't deny that this SL gets you from A to B in style quite swiftly. But the reality is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle and that truth, according to us, can't be grasped in a single sentence.
There’s no noticeable, or factual, difference in the cocoon of this SL compared to its V8 siblings. Sky-high build quality, design to die for, and material finishes that make you rub your cheek against every surface, are omnipresent. You can still get the AMG control buttons on the steering wheel too. But they won’t take you into a race mode in the SL 43, no there’s a line drawn there by the brand: this isn’t worthy of a race mode. And that makes sense, as entry-level AMGs simply don’t get race mode as standard equipment because they are aimed at a different buyer.
But despite that credential of not being the top of the line, this SL is the only RWD version of the bunch. Sure, the 55 and 63 have a drift mode available, but that isn’t switched on all the time. It is yet another contrast housed within this car, on one hand is equipped with a stigmatized 4-cylinder, and on the other it has a highly praised RWD setup. Although the engine in the SL 43 has a cool EQ Boost feature, it simply doesn't sound as cool as just saying your car has a V8.
An unrefined shake
And that brings us to how the top-less tourer drives in the real world, on a day-to-day basis that is. Both Beau and I had the pleasure of driving the beautiful SL for nearly a week, enough to form strong opinions. And you guessed it, the car houses yet another contrast. But this time round it’s more complicated than good and bad, or black and white.
An unrefined shake during city driving and a surprising push once momentum is there is the best way to describe the experience the 4-cylinder drivetrain offers in the SL. When the engine was running cold and traffic lights kept us from moving, the vibrations felt uncomfortable at best. That feeling instantly vanished when the SL gathered speed, the shake transformed into a drivetrain eager to haul the 1.810-kilogram vehicle forward. The amount of eagerness surprised us, as on paper the 381 horsepower, 480 Nm didn’t sound like they could win the battle with all those kilograms and still end up with fun being the victor. Nor does the 4.9 seconds to a hundred sound like something to tickle you in the right way. But perhaps the temporary 14 horsepower from the EQ Boost, an electrically spooled-up turbo, and its enhanced throttle feel do add to the mix.
The SL is a roadster and such, you’re not spending your hard-earned money to leave the roof on. So you’ll interact a lot with the controls on how to open/close that top. So naturally you’d want something intuitive and something that you can easily operate up to the 60 km/h limit. Unfortunately, this function is positioned on the big touch screen or a hard-to-operate button and stopping the process halfway.
Once the top is down, the SL has some neat features to keep you comfortable in all conditions. A wind blocker from the back and a heated air scarf make sure that you can drive this convertible topless even when temperatures drop down to single digits. Only a slight draft comes through the cabin from between the seat and the drivetrain tunnel, a small blanket pushed in between here easily gets rid of this.
Another way the 4-cylinder affects the car’s behavior comes down to the weight reduction it offers. The SL 43 not only carries 4 cylinders less than the V8 siblings, but it also benefits from not being equipped with an AWD setup, which results in a 160-kilogram weight reduction compared to the SL 63. This by no means makes the car a lightweight but the whole does feel more nimble. Add that eager drivetrain and RWD into the mix, and the equation starts to make sense.
(V)8 - 4 = 4 (inline)
Money, like it or not, plays a big role in the majority of purchases. The price gap between the SL 43 and SL 55 will unboundedly cause stress in some households while considering which version of the convertible to buy. Where the first-mentioned comes in at € 132.495, the latter will set you back a minimum of € 172.304 (BE). Not to mention the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 E Performance, costing over € 100K more than the SL 43.
And that lower price is without a doubt a big plus for the entry-level SL.
There simply aren't that many places where you can enter the Mercedes-Benz-level world of luxury at that price tag.
So is the SL 43 a success? Well, it all depends on how you look at the car. In terms of quality for your buck, it's a big "yes". In terms of bang for your buck, it is a doubtful "yes." And that comes down to the unrefined drivetrain experience at lower speeds, compensated by a surprisingly playful car once momentum is there. Want a more refined, smooth drivetrain? That's € 40k, please.
