Currently reading: 2016 Mercedes-Benz SL facelift leaked ahead of LA motor show
Updated Mercedes-Benz SL will go on sale in the UK next year, after the smaller SLC

Images of the facelifted Mercedes-Benz SL have been leaked prior to the car's official debut at the Los Angeles motor show next week.

The images - which were first published here - confirm that the updated SL will adopt minor styling changes designed to bring it in line with the current Mercedes-Benz family, and in particular the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car. A redesigned front grille and LED headlight clusters can be seen, alongside tweaked exhaust outlets and a reprofiled bumper at the rear.

The SL’s engine line-up is unlikely to change significantly, meaning the current range of 3.0-litre V6, 4.6-litre and 5.5-litre V8s and 6.0-litre V12 engines will carry over. The high-performance SL63 has also been leaked, and is understood to be keeping its current 577bhp 5.5-litre V8 engine. Styling changes for the SL63 include a new grille, new carbonfibre exterior trim and new allow wheels.

Reflecting similar changes made to the SLK back in April, Mercedes’s new nine-speed automatic transmission will be optional for the first time, replacing the existing 7-speed automatic unit.

In the SLK, the new transmission helps to improve fuel consumption by 5.3mpg while also improving that car’s 0-62mph sprint time.

Inside, the SL receives new materials and details designed to refresh its premium image, as well as a new free-standing infotainment screen running the latest version of Mercedes’s COMAND software. A touch-sensitive controller for the system, already in use elsewhere in the Mercedes range, also features, as does a new dash-mounted clock.

With the facelifted SLC (formerly SLK) scheduled to launch at the beginning of 2016, it’s likely the updated SL will be seen towards the middle of next year.

The revised GL-Class, which now goes under the GLS name, will also be on show in LA.

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jonboy4969 15 November 2015

Hardly "Leaked" when they are

Hardly "Leaked" when they are all the official pictures owned by mercedes, more likely they have pushed them onto the media before its launch, to get a perspective of how it is greeted by the masses, and to be honest, its not pretty, but then since the Bobby Ewing version, they have not been very nice.
manicm 13 November 2015

No amount of face lifting can

No amount of face lifting can fix this ugly dog. It's the only truly ugly SL in history and a disgrace. And the new S-Class cabriolet - an infinitely better looking car - will seal its fate. Let this dog die, and Merc better not mess up the next one.
scrap 11 November 2015

SL is an iconic badge for

SL is an iconic badge for Mercedes Benz, so that's probably why it has survived, despite not fitting the logic (??) of the new naming system. Shame the car itself seems so outdated. Who wants a massive, not-very-sporty roadster? If they make a GT convertible, it really will be redundant.
kraftwerk 11 November 2015

scrap wrote: Who wants a

scrap wrote:

Who wants a massive, not-very-sporty roadster?

I'd have one in a heartbeat; my R129 500 was a glorious car. It's unlikely the current model will ever be available for the kind of pocket money I paid for mine, unfortunately.

scrap 11 November 2015

kraftwerk wrote: scrap wrote:

kraftwerk wrote:
scrap wrote:

Who wants a massive, not-very-sporty roadster?

I'd have one in a heartbeat; my R129 500 was a glorious car. It's unlikely the current model will ever be available for the kind of pocket money I paid for mine, unfortunately.

Oh I agree, the R129 was a great car. I just think the SL has moved a long way from that template.