Exclusive Style and Luxury Roadster Heritage
Few nameplates in motoring history evoke open-top grand touring quite like the Mercedes-Benz SL. For the 2019 model year, Stuttgart is celebrating the mature refinement of its R231-generation roadster with an exceptionally distinctive package: the Mercedes-Benz SL Grand Edition. Available across both the six-cylinder SL 400 and the muscular V8-powered SL 500, this special edition brings together bespoke aesthetic enhancements, tailored interior luxury, and heightened driving dynamics just in time for top-down summer motoring.
Making its formal public appearance ahead of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Grand Edition package serves as a refined statement piece for the sixth-generation roadster. The SL has never pretended to be a stripped-down, nervous canyon carver; its enduring identity is rooted in effortless continent-crossing pace, uncompromising structural solidity, and deep mechanical serenity. In the Grand Edition, Mercedes-Benz designers focused squarely on bespoke surface finishes, exclusive color harmonies, and an elevated roster of comfort equipment that sharpens both open-air and closed-coupe driving.
Exterior Styling: Subtle Chrome Details and Staggered AMG Wheels
The visual persona of the SL Grand Edition is characterized by restraint and precision rather than aggressive aerodynamic add-ons. Up front, the apron receives bespoke accents in high-gloss chrome and matte silver, lending the wide grille opening and lower air intakes an added sense of three-dimensional depth. These trim applications catch the light with subtle brilliance, providing an immediate visual distinction from the standard AMG Line styling package without disrupting the roadster’s flowing proportions.
Customers choosing the SL Grand Edition can select from a curated palette of metallic paint finishes. The exterior choices include traditional standard black, crisp polar white, graphite grey, iridium silver, and deep obsidian black. Each hue is formulated to contrast cleanly with the specialized brightwork across the front apron and side sills, giving the long-hood, short-deck silhouette a stately yet athletic presence under changing skies.
Filling out the wheel arches is a standout set of AMG 10-spoke forged alloy wheels, specified in a staggered fitment of 19 inches on the front axle and 20 inches at the rear. The wheels feature a high-gloss black finish offset by high-sheen polished rim flanges and face-machined spokes. This two-tone finish provides striking rotational definition whether the car is parked or sweeping through a sweeping mountain pass. Discreet badges carrying the SL Grand Edition script are mounted laterally on the front wings, right behind the front fender vents, offering an understated nod to the car’s limited production pedigree.
Interior Craftsmanship: designo Tundra Brown Pearl Leather
The cabin of the R231 SL has long been admired for its ergonomic integrity, but the Grand Edition lifts the interior environment into true bespoke luxury territory. The centerpiece of this transformation is the exclusive designo tundra brown pearl leather upholstery. Unlike flat, single-tone brown leathers, tundra brown pearl carries a delicate shimmering metallic surface sheen that subtly reflects ambient light, especially when driving with the retractable vario-roof folded neatly into the rear deck.
Every touchpoint reflects meticulous execution. The multi-function sports steering wheel receives a dedicated two-tone treatment: the upper and lower rim segments are wrapped in smooth designo tundra brown pearl leather, while the main side grip zones are trimmed in tactile, perforated black Nappa leather to ensure confident grip during spirited driving. Matching tundra brown piping and topstitching trace the seat edges and door panels, framed against rich leather appointments and cool-touch metal climate control vents.
Fine designo floor mats with leather borders, embossed Grand Edition logos, and illuminated door sill plates welcome driver and passenger into a cabin that feels genuinely tailored. The combination of shimmering earthy brown tones, deep satin black accents, and polished aluminum controls creates an ambiance of quiet sophistication that recalls the classic coachbuilt eras of the 300 SL and Pagoda models.
Standard Equipment and Touring Comfort
Beyond its unique styling details, the Grand Edition bundles virtually all of Mercedes-Benz’s most sophisticated roadster convenience systems into standard specification. Central to the open-top experience is the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system. Integrated seamlessly into the headrests, AIRSCARF directs warm, fan-forced air around the neck and shoulders of the occupants, effectively pushing back the chill of brisk early spring mornings or late autumn evenings and extending the practical roadster season year-round.
Long-distance travel is anchored by the active multicontour seats, which incorporate active pneumatic chambers in the seat cushions and backrests. These seats continuously adapt lateral support according to the steering angle and lateral acceleration of the car, gently bracing the driver through winding roads. In addition, integrated massage functions and seat climate control—with multi-stage seat heating and active ventilation—ensure that driver fatigue remains minimal even after hundreds of miles behind the wheel.
The Grand Edition also incorporates the Driving Assistance Plus Package as standard equipment. This comprehensive electronic suite bundles systems like Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Steering Assist, Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function, Active Blind Spot Assist, and Active Lane Keeping Assist. When combined with Active Parking Assist, the SL Grand Edition takes the stress out of heavy highway traffic and tight urban parking spaces alike.
Chassis Dynamics and Lowered Sports Suspension
While the SL is renowned for its supple cruising manners, the Grand Edition sharpens its road holding without sacrificing ride quality. The chassis features a lowered sports suspension calibrated specifically for this package, dropping the car’s ride height by 10 millimeters compared to the standard model. This subtle drop lowers the roadster’s center of gravity, decreases body pitch and roll during directional transitions, and gives the car a visibly hunkered-down, planted stance over its AMG wheels.
The damper tuning and spring rates have been firmed up to deliver more communicative road feedback through the electro-mechanical power steering rack, offering crisper turn-in response into tight corners. Despite the firmer suspension setup, the R231’s rigid all-aluminum bodyshell structure—first introduced at the start of this generation to slash weight while dramatically boosting torsional stiffness—ensures the chassis absorbs rough road imperfections and expansion joints with composed, rattle-free serenity.
Powertrain Choices: SL 400 and SL 500
Mercedes-Benz offers the SL Grand Edition in two distinct mechanical configurations to suit different grand touring philosophies: the twin-turbocharged V6-powered SL 400 and the muscular twin-turbocharged V8-powered SL 500.
In the SL 400 Grand Edition, motive power is provided by a 3.0-liter biturbo V6 producing 367 horsepower (270 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, available across a broad torque band starting from just 2,000 rpm. The V6 configuration yields a remarkably sweet front-end balance, allowing the nose to dart into apexes with genuine agility. Channeling power to the rear wheels through the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission, the SL 400 accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, reaching an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
For drivers who demand traditional eight-cylinder grandeur, the SL 500 Grand Edition delivers effortless authority. Under its sculpted hood sits a 4.7-liter biturbo V8 developing 455 horsepower (335 kW) and a formidable 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque from as low as 1,800 rpm. Paired with the same slick-shifting 9G-TRONIC transmission, the V8 propels the roadster to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds. The soundtrack is rich, deep, and authoritative—a classic V8 rumble that suits the effortless cruising capability of the SL platform perfectly.
Market Launch and Ordering Timeline
Mercedes-Benz opened ordering for the SL Grand Edition in February 2019 following its media preview, with European dealership arrivals scheduled to commence in March 2019. In the German domestic market, pricing for the Grand Edition package was set as an optional equipment upgrade over the base models, listed at €11,424 (including 19% VAT) for the SL 400 and €9,996 for the SL 500, reflecting the differing levels of pre-existing standard equipment across the two variants.
By blending exclusive designo leather artistry, bespoke AMG rolling stock, and a lowered sports chassis with the legendary comfort of the R231 roadster, the Mercedes-Benz SL Grand Edition stands out as one of the most complete and thoroughly developed interpretations of Stuttgart’s iconic grand tourer.
Vehicle data
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Make | Mercedes-Benz |
| Model | SL Grand Edition (SL 400 / SL 500) |
| Generation / chassis code | R231 |
| Model year(s) covered | 2019 |
| Body style | Two-door retractable hardtop roadster |
| Powertrain / engine | SL 400: 3.0-liter biturbo V6 (M276); SL 500: 4.7-liter biturbo V8 (M278) |
| Power / torque | SL 400: 367 hp (270 kW) / 500 Nm (369 lb-ft); SL 500: 455 hp (335 kW) / 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) |
| Transmission | 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive (RWD) |
| Key performance figures | 0–100 km/h: 4.9 s (SL 400), 4.3 s (SL 500); Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph, electronically limited) |
| Price (as stated) | Grand Edition package premium in Germany: €11,424 (SL 400) / €9,996 (SL 500) incl. 19% VAT |
| On-sale / announcement period | Announced February 2019; dealer deliveries starting March 2019 |
| Market | Europe / International |