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2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
New SL model? What’s the latest news? Anybody???
So, it would appear that the next generation SL (R232?) will come out in mid to later 2020 as a 2021 model. Most available info still has it coming with a soft top, but there have been some noises out there (Wolfman) that have hinted that M.B. has seen the error of their ways and might retain the retractable hard top. With a new head executive entering the picture, some last minute tweaks might still be possible, but if the 2020 date is still good, most likely the new car is pretty much a done deal by now, one would think. As far as I can tell, it has been quite sometime since any truly new or updated info has been released. MAYBE, the lack of any new information may mean that changes are being made. There may even be a chance that the car does not bow as a 2021 in 2020. Whatever they do, I really hope they get it RIGHT this time. The SL should be a true “halo” car. It should be drop-dead gorgeous, with the design completely refined, with every system beautifully integrated, which is not what they did with the R231. I would rather see them wait another year and get a “perfect” car, than to be disappointed once again. With the car being developed by AMG, I am concerned that the car will lose that soft, plush, luxury cruiser feeling. We have the AMG GT’s, we don’t need another variant of those, we need a traditional SL—with a folding hard top!
I have a 2019 on order and those are my thoughts also. I would not have ordered one with a soft top. If enough people feel the same way it may help support resale value of 231s going forward.
I am not worried about resale value. I just do not like a soft top. The storable hard top has been a key feature of the SL for some time and changing it to a soft top is just one more thing that makes it similiar to every other convertable. On another note the BMW Z3 and Miata I previously owned even with aftermarket liners were really loud on the road with the top up and in Summer I could feel the sunlight/heat on my head. The Miata was a blast to drive but I always felt silly wearing a hat when the top was up in the Summer.....
Well, it appears that the SL will likely sport a soft top after all
There has not been any more specific news on this for a year really (later articles were just warmed up info from a year ago) and if the SL takes the de-facto place of the S-Class cab, a soft-top is all the more likely.
Hard tops have fallen out of favor for weight considerations and I would miss our SL hardtop as the it makes our SL a perfect four season car even in cold and snowy Minnesota...
The new S-Class will roll out in summer 2020, followed by the EQS in 2021 (EV sedan). The SL also arrives in 2020.
In the past I think the SL looked fine with the soft top but it was a very inferior driving experience with the top up. That has been fixed and a soft top works quite well even at speed. This was our last ride in Europe and the car was very quiet at 160mph. It's a bit noisier in rain but not by much.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by Wolfman
Well, it appears that the SL will likely sport a soft top after all
A beautiful photo in a beautiful setting.
I love the look of convertible tops when they are brand new. The trouble is that they deteriorate much quicker than the rest of the car and can look really bad after only a few years, especially if you get any color other than black. Also, they invite thieves and vandals. It takes any kid 5 seconds to slit a soft top and to silently break into the car. And, when one of these tops is replaced, even with a complete, factory cover, the chances of the top squeaking, leaking and overall not being nearly the same as what came installed from the factory are quite high, I speak from experience.
The SL’s are produced in such small numbers these days, you would think that the weight issue would not be that big of a deal. Even though “SL” was supposed to stand for “Sport Lightweight,” SL’s, at least since 1972, have been anything but. These cars don’t need to be all that light, especially to the point of such concerns resulting in the demise of the much loved hardtop. I think I smell an AMG rat somewhere! I truly believe that M.B. will regret this decision.
Wolf: do you think there will be a 2020 R231, or will 2019 be the last model year?
Last edited by Streamliner; 10-27-2018 at 05:24 PM.
I love the look of convertible tops when they are brand new. The trouble is that they deteriorate much quicker than the rest of the car and can look really bad after only a few years, especially if you get any color other than black. Also, they invite thieves and vandals. It takes any kid 5 seconds to slit a soft top and to silently break into the car. And, when one of these tops is replaced, even with a complete, factory cover, the chances of the top squeaking, leaking and overall not being nearly the same as what came installed from the factory are quite high, I speak from experience.
The SL’s are produced in such small numbers these days, you would think that the weight issue would not be that big of a deal. Even though “SL” was supposed to stand for “Sport Lightweight,” SL’s, at least since 1972, have been anything but. These cars don’t need to be all that light, especially to the point of such concerns resulting in the demise of the much loved hardtop. I think I smell an AMG rat somewhere! I truly believe that M.B. will regret this decision.
Wolf: do you think there will be a 2020 R231, or will 2019 be the last model year?
Good question! MB has a habit of skipping a model year on the SL's so it's a possibility. It somewhat depends at which car show they will introduce the next SL. I am thinking it'll be similar to the SL facelift. At best, they will have an unchanged MY20.
What surprises me is the absence of mules (besides the shortened S-Class coupe). A new platform design will have to go through several iterations and we are only 14-15 months from launch.
was just at the sales center and they confirm soft top only and now only 2+2 setup. If you’re in the market for an SL scoop up what you can before the model changes! These hard tops will become rare and sought after! Good luck!
'NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY' if you love the SL's FOLDING HARDTOP as much as I do....
As noted above, the folding hardtop will soon disappear from MB new car showrooms, (replaced by a 'Cabriolet-type of Soft Top' model), but once that happens, I am willing to bet the DEMAND FOR THE CURRENT SL CLASS 231'S WILL INCREASE!
So yes, NOW IS INDEED A GREAT TIME TO BUY A 231 SL CLASS!
THE END OF THE 'FOLDING HARDTOP ERA' IS ON THE HORIZON AND COMING SOON! .
(The SL Class 'Cabriolet Soft Top' will likely make it's debut in mid-2020 as a 2021 model)
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by SLBENZO
was just at the sales center and they confirm soft top only and now only 2+2 setup. If you’re in the market for an SL scoop up what you can before the model changes! These hard tops will become rare and sought after! Good luck!
As someone who truly loves the retractable hard top, I somewhat disagree. First of all, there are a lot of used R231’s out there right now and when the next SL (R232?) comes out, there will be a huge number of current SL owners owners who will want it, adding their current cars to the market. As much as many of us might love the retractable hard top, I don’t think that losing it will deter many customers. If the new car is spectacular (keep your fingers crossed) I think new car buyers will jump to the new model and wave bye-bye to the R231.
Just my opinion, but the R231 was never an inspired design, especially pre 2017. The non-ABC equipped cars do not ride nearly as well as the R230 models they replaced and the sound system problems are legendary. The tiny nav screens are antiquated and the same old/same old color choices have mold growing on them. It seems to me that MB “phoned in” the redesign of the SL in 2013, paid very little attention to it afterwards and pretty much forgot about the slow selling model for the past seven years. Hopefully, somebody in Germany noticed this problem and the next SL will, once again, be a true halo car for the brand. I guess the point I am trying to make here is, if the new car is drop dead gorgeous (as ALL SL’s should have been) and significantly better in most every way over the current car, few customers will stay with the R231 just because of the retractable hard top. Again, just my two cents worth.
A 'WEATHERED SOFT TOP' IS JUST PLAIN 'UGLY'...AND I WOULD NEVERBUY AN SL WITH ONE OF THOSE!....
FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE SL SALES, MERCEDES-BENZ SURE BETTER HOPE THAT YMMV APPLIES HERE! (SALES OF THE SL CLASS ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT IS!
IN MY VIEW, MB IS TAKING QUITE A RISK BY REMOVING THE SL'S MAIN ATTRACTION, (THE FOLDING HARDTOP), IN FAVOR OF A CABRIOLET ROOF THAT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE, BUT NOT SELLING WELL) IN THE C-CLASS, E-CLASS, AND S-CLASS MODELS!.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by bob55
ALL I CAN SAY IS THIS:
IN MY HUMBLE OPINION....
A 'WEATHERED SOFT TOP' IS JUST PLAIN 'UGLY'...AND I WOULD NEVERBUY AN SL WITH ONE OF THOSE!....
FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE SL SALES, MERCEDES-BENZ SURE BETTER HOPE THAT YMMV APPLIES HERE! (SALES OF THE SL CLASS ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT IS!
IN MY VIEW, MB IS TAKING QUITE A RISK BY REMOVING THE SL'S MAIN ATTRACTION, (THE FOLDING HARDTOP), IN FAVOR OF A CABRIOLET ROOF THAT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE, BUT NOT SELLING WELL) IN THE C-CLASS, E-CLASS, AND S-CLASS MODELS!.
You won’t get any argument from me, as I feel it is a huge mistake to remove the retractable hard top. If Ferrari can do it, you would certainly think that the engineering juggernaut that is MB could have found a way to keep the hard top, still reduce weight and make the car faster & more eco friendly at the same time. On that subject, the current cars, especially the SL550 are so frigging fast, that why there ALWAYS seems to be a need for ever more powerful, quicker and faster cars is lost on me. They have the AMG GT series for those who feel a need to melt the asphalt, why must the SL move more in that direction? I really hope that the car becomes more of a comfortable GT than a performance car.
A 'WEATHERED SOFT TOP' IS JUST PLAIN 'UGLY'...AND I WOULD NEVERBUY AN SL WITH ONE OF THOSE!....
FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE SL SALES, MERCEDES-BENZ SURE BETTER HOPE THAT YMMV APPLIES HERE! (SALES OF THE SL CLASS ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT IS!
IN MY VIEW, MB IS TAKING QUITE A RISK BY REMOVING THE SL'S MAIN ATTRACTION, (THE FOLDING HARDTOP), IN FAVOR OF A CABRIOLET ROOF THAT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE, BUT NOT SELLING WELL) IN THE C-CLASS, E-CLASS, AND S-CLASS MODELS!.
I agree; soft tops also encourage more theft and get ruined easily with time!
A 'WEATHERED SOFT TOP' IS JUST PLAIN 'UGLY'...AND I WOULD NEVERBUY AN SL WITH ONE OF THOSE!....
FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE SL SALES, MERCEDES-BENZ SURE BETTER HOPE THAT YMMV APPLIES HERE! (SALES OF THE SL CLASS ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT IS!
IN MY VIEW, MB IS TAKING QUITE A RISK BY REMOVING THE SL'S MAIN ATTRACTION, (THE FOLDING HARDTOP), IN FAVOR OF A CABRIOLET ROOF THAT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE, BUT NOT SELLING WELL) IN THE C-CLASS, E-CLASS, AND S-CLASS MODELS!.
I love the hardtop with Magic Sky; making it a perfect 4 season car. Here in Minneapolis, it’s nice to have the sun shine into the car on a cold winters day.
BUT, the hardtop has never been the SL’s main attraction. The SL was simply the S-Class roadster. Top of the 2 seat convertible foodchain.
I’ll take a 2 seater with the softtop but will think twice if they are making a 4 seater out of it. The larger opening is making the car an inferior top down and that is to me the primary purpose. Sporty, luxurious roadster.
Personally I like the AMG GT roadsters. Classic roadster design. Long hood, low overhangs, small 2 seat cabin. I wish it would be a bit more plush and a touch softer but this thing looks good from all angles.
Hey, they even have it in a non-metallic red! Jupiter Red is very close to Mars Red
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Maybe they’ll offer a removable hard top. Wouldn’t that be a step backwards! I have painful memories of dealing wit those on many 50’s & 60’s Corvettes, along with my ‘79, ‘86, ‘90 & ‘91 SL’s. Never again!
You won’t get any argument from me, as I feel it is a huge mistake to remove the retractable hard top. If Ferrari can do it, you would certainly think that the engineering juggernaut that is MB could have found a way to keep the hard top, still reduce weight and make the car faster & more eco friendly at the same time. On that subject, the current cars, especially the SL550 are so frigging fast, that why there ALWAYS seems to be a need for ever more powerful, quicker and faster cars is lost on me. They have the AMG GT series for those who feel a need to melt the asphalt, why must the SL move more in that direction? I really hope that the car becomes more of a comfortable GT than a performance car.
It’s not a question of engineering as virtually all hardtops have been designed by one company anyway (including Ferrari). This was a Mercedes/Porsche joint-venture but was eventually sold to Magna International, a Canadian company.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by Wolfman
I love the hardtop with Magic Sky; making it a perfect 4 season car. Here in Minneapolis, it’s nice to have the sun shine into the car on a cold winters day.
BUT, the hardtop has never been the SL’s main attraction. The SL was simply the S-Class roadster. Top of the 2 seat convertible foodchain.
I’ll take a 2 seater with the softtop but will think twice if they are making a 4 seater out of it. The larger opening is making the car an inferior top down and that is to me the primary purpose. Sporty, luxurious roadster.
Personally I like the AMG GT roadsters. Classic roadster design. Long hood, low overhangs, small 2 seat cabin. I wish it would be a bit more plush and a touch softer but this thing looks good from all angles.
Hey, they even have it in a non-metallic red! Jupiter Red is very close to Mars Red
Believe it not, I have transcended the idea that my next convertible must be red. When I started looking at the 911 Cabriolets, the idea of something other than a red one really took hold. Actually, it’s not that I must have a red SL, it’s more that I don’t care for any of the other colors, except white & silver and then I don’t like the interior color choices that go well with those exteriors, except for white w/ginger beige and that is so boring. Also, the push button controlled rear wind deflector in the 911 Cab is an engineering masterpiece and it works really great to handle the turbulence of the open 4-seater. Hopefully the new SL has one similar. And, I’m with you, Wolf, about the AMG GT styling. I think it is beautiful and if they just reworked the car to be a comfy tourer with all the S Class creature comforts, wouldn’t that be great? This photo posted recently looks very much like something I could get very excited about: design, color, trim—GORGEOUS! I just want to push a button and have the top retract.
Maybe they’ll offer a removable hard top. Wouldn’t that be a step backwards! I have painful memories of dealing wit those on many 50’s & 60’s Corvettes, along with my ‘79, ‘86, ‘90 & ‘91 SL’s. Never again!
Agreed! I came across an old pic from our last R129 SL. That was almost 18 years ago. No need to revisit this crap...
Agreed! I came across an old pic from our last R129 SL. That was almost 18 years ago. No need to revisit this crap...
Very true! I too owned a 129 back in the 90's and it was such a pain to remove the hardtop. My wife hated it if I asked her to help me remove it...she was always worried she might drop her side on the cars causing body damage. A design that required (2) people or a lift mechanism installed in your garage would not be an acceptable option today.
A 'Push Button' Convertible Top (and also a 'push button' Wind Deflector), are both 'must haves' for me now!
SL with a soft top, might as well just get a C class convertible then. I bought my R230 because of the folding hardtop, it looks just like a coupe when the top is up, that was the whole appeal. No other convertibles look like full size coupes when the top is up as much as the SL.
As someone who truly loves the retractable hard top, I somewhat disagree. First of all, there are a lot of used R231’s out there right now and when the next SL (R232?) comes out, there will be a huge number of current SL owners owners who will want it, adding their current cars to the market. As much as many of us might love the retractable hard top, I don’t think that losing it will deter many customers. If the new car is spectacular (keep your fingers crossed) I think new car buyers will jump to the new model and wave bye-bye to the R231.
Just my opinion, but the R231 was never an inspired design, especially pre 2017. The non-ABC equipped cars do not ride nearly as well as the R230 models they replaced and the sound system problems are legendary. The tiny nav screens are antiquated and the same old/same old color choices have mold growing on them. It seems to me that MB “phoned in” the redesign of the SL in 2013, paid very little attention to it afterwards and pretty much forgot about the slow selling model for the past seven years. Hopefully, somebody in Germany noticed this problem and the next SL will, once again, be a true halo car for the brand. I guess the point I am trying to make here is, if the new car is drop dead gorgeous (as ALL SL’s should have been) and significantly better in most every way over the current car, few customers will stay with the R231 just because of the retractable hard top. Again, just my two cents worth.
Streamliner: I could not agree with you more. I purchased an '09 CPO SL550 when the 2013's came out, partially because I didn't like the R231 design. The refresh in 2017 helped some, but IMHO the later R230's still outshine it. I've been hearing for over a year that the R231 replacement will gain jump seats and lose the folding hard top. My solution? I'm keeping my R230 and have ordered an AMG GT roadster. I'll lose the hardtop with the panorama feature, but at least the AMG GT is faithful to the original SL ideal.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by FxFormat
SL with a soft top, might as well just get a C class convertible then. I bought my R230 because of the folding hardtop, it looks just like a coupe when the top is up, that was the whole appeal. No other convertibles look like full size coupes when the top is up as much as the SL.
Well, I would not agree. The C Class Cabriolet is a tremendous step down from an SL. The SL’s are top tier cars, with fittings and features leaning towards those of the S Class cars. C Class cars may look nice, but that is where it ends, at least for me. They may be nice for younger folks, but I have refused to accept anything smaller than an E Class as a loaner from my dealer, as I find the smaller C Class cars to be cramped and uncomfortable, but that, I guess, is a whole other topic.
10-26-2018, 11:45 AM
) I think new car buyers will jump to the new model and wave bye-bye to the R231. 
