Mercedes Plans To Swap Out The SL’s 4-Cylinder Engine For Straight-6

Mercedes-Benz is gearing up for a big change in the entry-level SL (SL43). With the upcoming facelift in 2027, the German automaker will replace the current four-cylinder engine with a six-cylinder.

According to a new report from Auto Motor und Sport, Mercedes will scrap the M139 engine that powers the SL43 because it doesn’t meet Euro 7 emissions standards. Mercedes will replace it with the M256 Evo, a 3.0-litre six-cylinder mild-hybrid engine, and call it the AMG SL53.

As reported by Motor1, the new engine will produce 449 horsepower and be complemented by an integrated starter-generator rated at 23 hp.

The SL53 will also come standard with all-wheel drive, unlike the SL43, which had rear-wheel drive.

The report also states that Mercedes will upgrade the V8 engine that powers the SL55 and SL63. The 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine will receive improved performance while meeting new emissions regulations. The engine will produce 537 hp in the SL55 and 650 hp in the SL63 model.

The report offered no details on the SL63 SE Performance plug-in hybrid, which pairs a V8 with an electric motor. It produces 805 hp, but the new V8 could push that output to over 880 hp.

• Also See: Mercedes-Benz Discontinues Its Legendary V12 Engine In Europe