IMMENDINGEN, Germany – After dominating the Autobahn with the GT 63 S E Efficiency, we took a detour into the luxurious, undulating south German countryside. It wasn’t simply to combine issues up. There, lurking within the forest simply exterior the tiny city of Immendingen, was a Mercedes testing facility and the temporary likelihood to pattern the 2025 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Efficiency.
And by temporary, we imply it – two half-hour stints on twisty rural roads across the facility in addition to some slow-speed village cruising. No Autobahn, and no high-speed blasts on the “Prüf- und Technologiezentrum,” both. It wasn’t plenty of time, however the excellent news is that the SL 63 S E Efficiency is mainly a convertible GT 63.
The powertrain is equivalent, together with the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, nine-speed computerized, 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive and a rear-mounted motor fed by a 6.1-kilowatt battery pack and despatched via a two-speed rear gearbox. The SL 63 S E Efficiency has the identical 805 horsepower and 1,047 pound-feet of torque because the GT model, plus the identical estimated 8 miles of electrical vary in European testing. It’s solely a tenth of a second slower to 60 mph (2.8 seconds) and three mph slower in prime pace (196 mph).
The similarities don’t cease there. The 2 vehicles share the identical width and wheelbase, are almost the identical size (the SL is shorter by a little bit greater than half an inch), and the interiors are mainly the identical. Rear axle steering, carbon ceramic brakes and the trick Lively Trip Management suspension are equally all customary. The SL is mainly a convertible GT with a distinct entrance fascia and a middle display that may tilt to scale back glare with the highest down.
So largely all the things we stated in regards to the GT 63 additionally applies to the SL. However there are certainly some variations. The largest, effectively, apart from that fabric roof, is the suspension tuning. Although it additionally has the Lively Trip Management suspension (amongst quite a lot of wildly advanced components, the adaptive dampers are interlinked hydraulically), the tuning is a bit softer throughout the board than the GT. It’s not a dramatic distinction – the SL is darn-near as fleet-footed on the road because the GT – nevertheless it’s sufficient to indicate that the SL is supposed to be a bit extra relaxed. It sacrifices that little little bit of response for rather less harshness. This character shift additionally helps make the considerably disconnected steering far more forgivable.
So what we have now is the GT, however only a tad extra chill. There could also be benefit to that for some, however we’re finally left with a much less intense model of a automotive we concluded wasn’t intense sufficient given its prodigious energy. It nearly appears wasted, much more so within the SL. The 577-horsepower, non-hybrid SL 63 presents greater than sufficient wallop, making the 805-hp S E Efficiency overkill, and never essentially in a enjoyable, Hellcat kind of method. A boisterous AMG V8 will sound simply as growly with the highest down whether or not or not it has an electrical motor up its bottom.
Now, what the non-hybrid can’t present, is peaceable, silent, top-down cruising. As enjoyable as listening to that V8 echo via the German hills was, it was equally as beautiful to let these pipes go quiet and simply benefit from the wind rustling previous because the solar set. The sleepy little villages we silently handed via most likely didn’t thoughts, both. Additionally, as we beforehand coated, the motor’s 200 horsepower is a lot for toodling round, even as much as freeway speeds.
However then we bumped into the identical downside as earlier than: You may barely go anyplace on electrical energy. Very quickly in any respect, you’ll have drained that dinky all-electric vary, and also you’ll be needing to run the V8 to recharge the pack. That’s additionally assuming you charged it up earlier than hand.
So similar to the GT, we’re left questioning in regards to the powertrain’s health for the aim. Within the GT, it appeared just like the automotive was bestowed with monumental energy, however not made sporty sufficient to correctly make the most of it. Within the case of the SL, it’s extra that it looks like Mercedes didn’t go far sufficient in electrifying it. The electrical operate is very interesting, however the vary so meager as to be almost pointless for simply weekend outings, by no means thoughts each day driving. And because it’s not a maximum-attack sports activities automotive, it could’ve been good to see Mercedes focus extra on vary and capability, as a substitute of fast discharging and energy. For that matter, it leaves us pining for a completely electrical SL.
There’s something we all know in regards to the SL that we don’t in regards to the GT: value. The bottom value for the SL 63 S E Efficiency will begin at $208,150. That’s a fairly comparable value bounce between the SL 55 and the SL 63, and for a a lot larger energy enhance. So not less than by way of energy per greenback, it’s not a horrible deal.
In order for you probably the most SL, the S E Efficiency is definitely the selection. And it’s nonetheless an attractive, comfy and quick machine, one which’s a fairly cheap value contemplating what it provides on paper. However what it provides in expertise is extra questionable. Its V8-only siblings supply almost all of the gas-powered expertise, whereas its personal electrified advantages are negligible. It’s conflicted, and as outcome, so are we.
