Oozing sophistication

THE iconic Mercedes-Benz SL Class received its unveiling in the kingdom in style at a swanky reception at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa.

The launch by Al Haddad Motors, the marque’s distributor in the kingdom, was attended by company officials, the media and Dr Hassan Fakhro, the Minister of Industry and Commerce.

The new SL offers more sportiness and comfort than its predecessor, setting new benchmarks in the luxury roadster segment, its makers say.

Graeme Newport, general manager of Al Haddad Motors, said: “There are around 900 million cars in the world and thousands of models. But there are only a handful of automotive icons. Our SL is one of them.

“It has class, it has style, it oozes comfort and luxury and blends all of this with unbelievable sportiness and dynamism.”

Thanks in no small part to new aluminium body, these mean machines are lighter than ever and as powerful as they are sleek. The new V8 engine in the SL 500, for example, develops 435hp from its displacement of 4663cc.

Mercedes-Benz engineers say there is no need to compromise on power to ‘go greener’, as the fuel consumption for this model has been reduced by up to 22 per cent while the torque has increased from 530 Nm to 700 Nm – an impressive gain of 32 per cent.

The new V6 306hp engine in the SL 350 delivers 370 Nm of torque and uses just 6.8 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, making it almost 30 per cent more economical than its predecessor.

The SL 350 accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in 5.9 seconds, making it three tenths of a second faster than its predecessor. Meanwhile, the SL 500 takes just 4.6 seconds – eight tenths less than the previous SL 500.

The sixth generation of the SL also offers a vario-roof that can be retracted into the boot using an electro-hydraulic mechanism, which converts the SL in a few seconds into a roadster or a coupé.

The latest innovations in the SL Class include the unique FrontBass system, which uses the free spaces in the aluminium structures in front of the footwell as resonance spaces for the bass loudspeakers, and an adaptive windscreen wipe/wash system, which supplies water from the wiper blade as required and depending on the direction of wipe.

The Hands-free Access system is another Mercedes-Benz innovation which opens the boot when you simply move your foot near the rear bumper. Mercedes-Benz is the only car maker to offer a system which not only automatically opens the boot lid, but closes it as well.

Additional safety options in the SL include Distronic Plus proximity control and Pre-safe Brake, both of which use the same radar sensors. Once a serious risk of a rear-end collision is detected, the Pre-safe Brake warns the driver initially and can initiate autonomous braking if the driver fails to react, and so either prevent the accident or at least mitigate its severity. The feature can also activate occupant protection measures.

Prices start from BD45,000. For more details, contact Al Haddad Motors on 17785454.