The first moment you know Mercedes-Benz Announcing the revival of a sports car in the family SL (SL) once more, our hearts swelled up immediately. Because this is a legendary sports car that has been named “the best” in the production line of the star camp from Stuttgart. The history of SL has a long history of 70 years, through 6 generations before it stopped developing.
The new SL, the seventh generation, came with the development code R232, under the responsibility of the AMG team, hence the new name Mercedes-AMG SL, and was launched with three main options: the SL43, SL55 and SL63. The only official market in Thailand is the SL43, which was launched at the end of 2022 with a starting price of 11,700,000 baht.
above all probably no one would think Mercedes-Benz Thailand will dare to allow the media to test drive. This is not a closed test drive on the track or a restricted drive. But let’s try each other with satisfaction with the Chiang Rai-Chiang Mai-Bangkok route, a total distance of 1,000 km, and we are the last wood, driving more than 700 km.
SL43 Small heart, 4-cylinder, but powerful.
Body dimensions: length 4,700, width 1,915 and height 1,359 (mm. Powerdomes bonnet, DIGITAL LIGHT headlights, AMG Real Performance Sound exhaust sound), 20-inch wheels, special designs, made of lightweight materials with tires, front 265 / 40 R20 – rear 295 / 35 R20
The suspension is called AMG Ride Control, technology from the Formula One circuit and the AMG high-performance compound brake system can be selected in the color Callipers (add money), which Mercedes-AMG owns. 8 consecutive world champions Therefore, with this level of reputation can be assured.
Many people’s first impression following hearing that the SL43 packs a four-cylinder engine heart, unlike previous generations. who choose to use a 6-cylinder, 8-cylinder and 12-cylinder engine, although it has been condemned since it has not seen the real one But must not forget that the origin of the SL comes from the word Sport Leicht (German), meaning lightweight sports car. And the first generation used a 4-cylinder engine as well.
The engine comes with the code M139, 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbo hybrid, maximum power 381 horsepower, maximum torque 480 Nm, rear-wheel drive. Transmission with 9-speed automatic transmission AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9G, all drive systems are the work of AMG that still uses the policy. One engineer for assembling 1 engine (One Man One Engine) performance claims acceleration 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, top speed 275 km/h.
cabin interior design Picked up some from the S-Class, such as the center screen and the latest operating system. Supports both Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity with a hidden SIM card installed in the car. Serves to connect the car to the online world with an automatic call system for help in case of an emergency.
The seat is specially designed. Track-racing bucket seat style, yet still comfortable on the move. Helps reduce fatigue when traveling long distances, as well as having an air blower in the head pillow to increase warmth if driving in winter or snowing. That must have this system because the roof of the SL R232 is a canvas that, despite being extra thick, if encountering heavy snow It would be hard to resist the cold.
This set of roofs comes with the original concept of Makes the car lighter, so decided to choose a canvas. It is equipped with an electric opening and closing system that takes only 15 seconds to open and close while driving. When running at speeds below 60 km / h, the additional safety system is fully equipped with ADAS, complete with the PRE – SAFE® system and 7 airbags.
Fun to drive, the beginning is gone, the end is flowing, comfortable on the long way
as mentioned above This trip is a long journey from the north to Bangkok. But our main highlight is Trying to take the SL43 up Doi Suthep, even if it’s just a short distance, going back and forth, regarding 30 km, but getting to know the performance. fully especially handling and cornering
Trying to drive up and down Doi Suthep This allows us to see a clear change in personality of the SL R232 compared to the previous generation, whether it’s the R230 or R231, including the R129. Middle-aged but young at heart Is love comfort but like fun
The important thing we know is Easy to control driving The lower part is quite soft but firm. and every time when cornering The car is ready for fun if you fill the throttle to get the rear out. or turn off the additional safety driving system Part of this comes from being a front-engine, rear-wheel drive car. make drift or lose balance easily Of course, that must include sufficient engine power.
However, must not leave in terms of the balance of the car. No matter how much technology has been added to help drive, but if the body structure design does not match the power The results of driving will never be good. Many moments that we have tried hard cornering, it is clear that the car body is very well balanced and the system allows us to control the car as easily as we wish. At this point, I would like to pay my respects to the AMG team from the heart of the SL R230.
However, there are two points that must be mentioned. One automatic shutdown system when parked, Auto Start/Stop, which will work to turn off the engine before the car stops. That is if you drive slowly. At a speed of no more than 10 km/h, the car will feel like hiccups. makes the drive not smooth Especially when slowing down the curve slowly. Another thing is the brake sound following driving for a while. Then brake to a complete stop, the car will make a creak sound before the car stops. These two things are Distraction when driving the SL43
while driving a long way We pick up the car with mileage numbers around Over four hundred km. called very new We hit the first part around 300 km., then rest 200 and 200 km., ending in Bangkok. According to the goal, took a total of 10 hours of driving time (excluding rest time), the last mileage exceeded 1,200 km when combined with driving in Bangkok.
Acceleration 0-100 km/h claimed at 4.9 seconds, but from our test drive There was a slight wait during the start. not rushing or have symptoms of pulling the back stuck in the seat in any way Called that if compared to competitors in the class like Porsche 911 or Ferrari or Lamborghini, the SL43 still can’t compete, having to call the older brother SL55 or SL63 as a partner instead.
But the enjoyment in the mid-to-high speed range became a very prominent point. The stroke surges from 80-120 km/h to accelerate the overtaking. Come on, it’s spontaneous, it’s fun, the speed driving in this area is excellent. And if the accelerator is pressed continuously, the speed will go up to close to the claimed maximum speed of 275 km/h, the car remains stable and confident that it can be controlled.
above all I would like to appreciate the design of the seat that makes me not feel tired or tired all the way, even though some times I have to face bad road conditions, waves, holes, the shock absorption is excellent. Some vibrations are felt, but not bad. And if compared to the super car class, the SL is the most comfortable.
Wind noise must be accepted in this section if running at a speed of more than 120 km / h. If driving slower, almost no noise is heard. When opening the hood, driving There will only be a small amount of wind from the back blowing in (does not lower the door glass), which is called a design that is aerodynamically correct.
With a variety of driving modes to choose from, the driving feel is very different. All of which is mentioned above is driving in Comfort mode, but if switching to Sport mode, the engine speed will be higher. The sound of the exhaust pipe will be louder. If using Sport+ mode, the cycle will be even higher. The exhaust sound will change to a roar. and the lower part will be clearly stiffer The responses are swift, while the Track and Individual modes we tried briefly as the first three modes were enough to suit our driving style.
mobility in the city Can impress the car is not so big that it makes me feel paranoid when driving next to it Rhythm going up and down the hill or encountering a big xylophone The sound of the hull twisting is not heard. If there would be suspicion, it would be a matter of getting hit by a motorcycle. Because the color of the car we drive has to pay an additional 800,000 baht, so we don’t want to think regarding the cost of painting if the car has wrinkles.
consumption rate from our driving A total distance of more than 700 km. The average speed used on the screen indicates 74 km/h, while the actual drive is at least 100 km/h. When arriving in Bangkok, the display shows 10.1 liters per 100 km or words. Easy to drive, regarding 10 km/liter, impressive.
Who is it suitable for?
The SL R232 is an everyday supercar. travel long distances comfortably But the decision to buy a car like this would be regarding “emotions” and “dreams” rather than stories of reasons. The personality of the car is suitable for big boys or clear girls who love comfort, like fun, able to fight without being ashamed of anyone. But if you want to go all the way to the SL55 and SL63, although they are not announced for sale. if you want Please contact your Mercedes-Benz dealer. official Guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
