We continue to wait for a new Mercedes-AMG E63 to appear. While the BMW M5 has gone hybrid to a mixed reception, and rumours of a new Audi RS6 with electrification are beginning to swirl, it seems all is quiet on the AMG front.
Some reports of an E63 arriving next year with a V8 have appeared now and then, but little of substance so far. Which, for now, leaves us with this as the most potent version of the saloon you can get – the Mercedes-AMG E53.
You will notice that number is indeed 10 less than 63. While AMG-badged, this is positioned a step below that top-run moniker – think what once was the BMW M550i, or the Audi S6 as its rivals.
Mercedes-AMG E53, rear
Powering the new E53 is a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine, itself producing 443bhp and 413lb ft. That’s not all, though, with an electric motor squeezed in between that and the nine-speed multi-clutch automatic gearbox, taking the powertrain’s combined peak output to 577bhp and 553lb ft. Punchy, then.
That’ll result in a 0-62mph sprint of 3.8 seconds and a top speed capped at 155mph, although raised to 168mph if you opt for the Pro Performance Package. Quick on paper, and in reality, too.
It’s one of those cars you plant your foot in, don’t really feel the sensation of how quick you’re going and suddenly realise you’ve actually made a lot of progress and should probably slow down a bit. That’s a testament to the immense refinement that you’d expect of a Mercedes E-Class, but less so the AMG badging.
Mercedes-AMG E53, side
Muted is the best way to describe it, really. It’s not backed up by a ferocious, cackling engine note either – instead, there’s a lot of faux noise that sounds like something recorded for Gran Turismo 4 rather than the raw note of a six-cylinder engine. We know they can sound good – just listen to a BMW M2 or M3 – and this just doesn’t.
It’s a similar story when you get on some more interesting roads, too. Given the 2315kg weight before you throw in petrol and a scruffy journalist in the front seat, its suspension does an impressive job at keeping all of its mass in check – aided by rear-wheel steering, which does a good job at artificially injecting a sense of agility. It’s never really fun, though – its steering is direct but lifeless, and while there’s a constant feeling that the car can be thrown around a corner, it doesn’t egg you on to do so.
The trade-off of all that, though, is that it’s very good at being a Mercedes E-Class to drive. It’s exceptionally comfortable and brilliant at isolating you from the elements at speed, it’s pretty good around town too, and there’s even a semblance of good efficiency.
Mercedes-AMG E53, front
We managed 34mpg over the course of the week, starting with a fully charged battery and relying solely on regeneration to keep it charged. Mercedes quotes 58 miles of electric-only on a full charge – we’d expect something closer to 45 realistically, which is plenty if you have the facilities to charge at home.
It’s not drastically different to any other Mercedes E-Class inside, either, save for the AMG steering wheel, a little bit of carbon trim and the seats. That means it looks like an awfully nice place to be, and although it is screen-heavy the systems do at least work. However, things begin to unravel once you prod stuff.
Once a bastion of quality, Mercedes has seemingly lost its way a little in terms of fit and finish recently. The E53 is no exception – there’s quite a bit of plastic, a lot of the switchgear doesn’t feel particularly expensive to the touch, and you can even almost completely bend the sliding armrest compartment cover at the press of a finger, which feels like an expensive breakage waiting to happen. That’s compounded by the world’s flimsiest pop-out door handles, too.
Mercedes-AMG E53, interior
Then you consider that, as specified, this particular Mercedes-AMG E53 is £100,855. You’re clearly paying the price for the hybrid technology, because it’s hard to find a six-figure justification from the build quality.
It’s not even that far behind a BMW M5, realistically. At £111,605, the starting list price of the Bimmer is about £15,000 more than the E53, but look at the monthly payments on a PCP deal or as a company lease (with favourable BiK rates for both, thanks to immense electric ranges), and there’s actually not all that much in it. In fact, depending on where you look for the latter, you may even be able to get an M5 for less – and that’s for a car with almost 200bhp more, and one that’s more exciting.
At which point, you have to wonder why you’d consider an E53. As a stopgap until the E63? Maybe if you’re absolutely dead-set on having an AMG now, but for our money, we’d just hold out. Or buy the BMW.
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