Friday, 24 February 2017

The Red and the Blue: Mercedes-Benz SL Designo Edition

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While the original Mercedes-Benz SL may have earned its initials as a means of denoting its inherent sportiness and light weight, modern iterations of the German two-seater have long since abandoned those qualities. Sport has fallen by the wayside in favor of luxury and refinement, while weight has been piled onto the SL like gravy on mashed potatoes. In fact, the last SL we tested, a beastly Mercedes-AMG SL65, tipped our scales at 4151 pounds, or 80 pounds more than our long-term Nissan Murano. Even a six-cylinder SL400 we tested in 2015 weighed in at a porky 3843 pounds.

While the apple has fallen far from the tree that once spawned the famed 300SL Gullwing coupe, today’s plush, leather-lined SL roadster aptly combines comfort and speed. And thanks to the new Designo Edition, Mercedes-Benz’s hardtop convertible can now be sprinkled with an additional dose of style. Available both on the 362-hp twin-turbo V-6 SL450 and the 449-hp twin-turbo V-8 SL550, these special models include a set of 10-spoke AMG wheels (19-inch up front, 20-inch in the rear), extra chrome on the front bumper cover, and Designo Edition logos on the front fender vents. Paint options are limited to Brilliant Blue Metallic and Cardinal Red Metallic.

Inside, the Designo Edition SL is marked by a white-and-black leather interior that includes “piano white” trim on the dashboard and door panels. Befitting the SL’s opulent nature, the Designo Edition comes standard with features such as heated and cooled seats with a built-in massage function, Mercedes-Benz’s Airscarf neck warmer, and a host of active safety equipment, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automated emergency braking.

Pricing for the Designo Edition won’t be released until closer to the on-sale date this summer. For reference, the standard six-pot SL450 starts at $87,875, while the eight-cylinder SL550 opens at $111,725. Since this SL is still sporty and far heftier than its forebear, it seems the nomenclature no longer denotes “sport light” but “stylish luxury,” and the new Designo Edition has both in spades.