Lotus Emira vs Mercedes-Benz AMG SL
Verdict
At RM1,131,800, the Lotus Emira costs RM131,912 more than the RM999,888 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL, yet it is the purer two-seat coupe: 400 hp, manual, rear-drive and 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. The AMG SL counters as the easier grand tourer, with four seats, a convertible body, wet dual-clutch auto, 480 Nm and a 240-litre boot. For Malaysia, the road-tax split is brutal: RM4,182 a year for the 3,456 cc Lotus versus RM376 for the 1,991 cc hybrid Mercedes.
Pick the Lotus Emira if you want the quicker, manual, two-seat coupe and can accept the RM1,131,800 price and RM4,182 annual road tax.
Pick the Mercedes-Benz AMG SL if you want four seats, open-top driving, more torque, a bigger boot and far lower RM376 annual road tax.
Key differences
- Price: Lotus Emira RM1,131,800; Mercedes-Benz AMG SL RM999,888
- Output: Lotus Emira 400 hp and 420 Nm; Mercedes-Benz AMG SL 375 hp and 480 Nm
- Acceleration: Lotus Emira 0-100 km/h in 4.3 s; Mercedes-Benz AMG SL in 4.9 s
- Layout: Lotus Emira coupe with 2 seats; Mercedes-Benz AMG SL convertible with 4 seats
- Boot space: Lotus Emira 151 L; Mercedes-Benz AMG SL 240 L
- Road tax: Lotus Emira RM4,182/year; Mercedes-Benz AMG SL RM376/year
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM 1,131,800 | RM 999,888✓ |
| Body type | Coupe | Convertible |
| Segment | Sports Car | Grand Tourer |
| Seats | 2 | 4 |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Powertrain | ||
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Hybrid/REV |
| Engine | 3,456 cc | 1,991 cc |
| Power | 400 hp✓ | 375 hp |
| Torque | 420 Nm | 480 Nm✓ |
| Transmission | Manual | Dual-clutch Automatic (Wet) |
| Driven wheels | Rear Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Performance | ||
| 0–100 km/h | 4.3 s✓ | 4.9 s |
| Top speed | — | 275 km/h |
| Efficiency | ||
| Battery | — | 1.0 kWh |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,412 mm | 4,705 mm |
| Width | 1,895 mm | 1,915 mm |
| Height | 1,225 mm | 1,359 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,575 mm | 2,700 mm |
| Boot space | 151 L | 240 L✓ |
| Fuel tank | — | 70 L |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | — | 5 |
| Auto emergency braking | Yes | Yes |
| Ownership | ||
| Warranty | 5✓ | 4 |
| Road tax / year | RM 4,182 | RM 376✓ |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Emira
- Quicker 4.3-second 0-100 km/h time
- Manual rear-drive layout
- 5-year warranty
- Costs RM131,912 more
- Only 151 litres of boot space
- RM4,182 annual road tax
AMG SL
- Four-seat convertible body
- Higher 480 Nm torque output
- Much lower RM376 annual road tax
- Slower 4.9-second 0-100 km/h time
- Lower 375 hp output
- Shorter 4-year warranty
Emira vs AMG SL FAQ
Is the Lotus Emira or Mercedes-Benz AMG SL better?
The Lotus Emira is better as a focused sports car: it is lighter on seats, manual and quicker to 100 km/h. The Mercedes-Benz AMG SL is better as a grand tourer, with four seats, a convertible roof, more torque and a bigger boot.
What is the price difference?
The Lotus Emira costs RM1,131,800, while the Mercedes-Benz AMG SL costs RM999,888. That makes the Lotus RM131,912 more expensive before running-cost differences such as road tax.
Which is cheaper to run on road tax in Malaysia?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG SL is far cheaper on road tax at RM376 a year. The Lotus Emira’s larger 3,456 cc engine puts its annual road tax at RM4,182.