SL Drops its Price Possibly Because China?
Mercedes has never been known to shy away from high prices on its luxury automobiles. In fact, since the company’s inception, all of its cars have slowly or quite drastically shot toward the moon in terms of price. Now, however, in a very shrewd move, one that I think has some ulterior motives, the new SL400 is getting a $20,000 drop.
While the SL400 is the entry-level model of the SL range, it’s still quite expensive. At $84,000, it’s definitely one of the most expensive drop tops you could hope to buy. The last-generation SL400 started at $100,000, so that $20,000 drop is a massive savings; however, there are two reasons I believe the SL400 dropped its price.
First off is that there is an all-new engine for the entry-level convertible: the twin-turbo V6. The new engine is lighter, more fuel-efficient, and makes the same type of power the old V8 made. That definitely could be a factor in this price drop, but just think of the R&D work that went into building that engine and figuring out how to put it into the SL. It’s why cars get more expensive through the years. More and more R&D means the company needs more of a profit to break even, but I’m unsure if that’s really the driving factor in the price drop.
What is certain is that Mercedes and a whole host of other auto manufacturers are having a heck of a time in China right now due to what the Chinese government calls “extortion” on the prices of new vehicles and parts. Dropping the price of one of the company’s most prominent vehicles would be a start in showing goodwill to the government, and that hopefully will allow them to stay in the market.
Like any Mercedes, you will still get all the luxury of the old car, just for a bit cheaper. I’ll be at a Mercedes event later next month, so hopefully I’ll get to have some seat time in this new SL, and I’ll report back if it’s worth all that cash … even without the V8.