It’s been a two-seater and a four-seater, and has offered both soft- and hard-top roofs, but the Mercedes-Benz SL has never been a hybrid. That’s about to change.
The Mercedes-AMG SL has been snapped testing with a plug-in hybrid powertrain (no, we’re not considering a 48V mild-hybrid system a proper hybrid), ahead of a reveal later in 2022.
How do we know this is a PHEV? Although it looks nearly identical to the SL55 and SL63 models we’ve already seen, there’s an extra flap in the rear bumper for a charger. Those wheels are also in keeping with what we’ve seen from other Mercedes-Benz PHEV models.
Power is expected to come from the same powertrain that features in the AMG GT 4-Door, making up to 620kW and 1400Nm when its 4.0-litre petrol V8 and electric motor are working in concert.
The launch range is powered exclusively by a 4.0-litre turbocharged petrol V8 engine, making either 350kW and 700Nm, or 430kW and 800Nm.
The next-generation SL rides on a completely new aluminium composite spaceframe platform known as Modular Sports Architecture (MSA) that’ll also underpin the next AMG GT coupe.
This MSA platform doesn’t share any components with the previous SL and AMG GT roadsters.
Mercedes-AMG also states the torsional stiffness of the body shell has increased by 18 per cent over the previous SL.
We’ve already seen the inside the SL, which includes a 12.3-inch digital drivers display, as well as a 11.9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system.
This infotainment screen is familiar to the Mercedes-Benz range, and is able to tilt at inclinations from 12 to 32 degrees.
Mercedes-AMG will announce pricing for the 2022 SL range closer to its Australian arrival in the second half of 2022.
