Mercedes-AMG E53 Arrives As 603bhp PHEV, With A Catch

When the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 got a plug-in hybrid version, it was only a matter of time before more AMGs followed suit. Then the C63 came with its polarising four-cylinder setup, widely panned as overengineered and perhaps a worrying sign of things to come. Now, the first of the AMG W214 E-Class is here, and it’s taken a different approach to electrification.

The Mercedes-AMG E53 is here with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, as with the CLE53, albeit here paired up with a single electric motor integrated within the nine-speed auto gearbox. It’ll provide peak power of 603bhp, sent through a 4Matic all-wheel drive system, though that figure comes with a catch.

That maximum output is only available in ‘Race Start’ mode as part of the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package. You can access it from a standstill, as the name suggests, and AMG claims it’ll propel you from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds.

Any other time (or if you didn’t tick the options box), you’ll have ‘only’ 578bhp on tap which adds an extra couple of tenths to that time. Torque remains the same either way at 553lb ft.

Top speed for saloons equipped with the AMG Dynamic Plus package is capped at 174mph (171mph for estates), and 155mph for those without. We’d probably tick it in that case - we wouldn’t want to be passed on the autobahn by another E53 owner who did.

When you’re feeling a little more economical, Mercedes says you’ll be able to cover up to 63 miles of electric-only driving thanks to a 21.2kWh usable battery.

Helping to cope with the E53’s new-found power are a few chassis tweaks, namely a new strut brace over the front suspension mounts and additional struts at the rear side members. It rides on AMG-tuned steel springs and adaptive dampers with three modes - Comfort, Sport and Sport+.

On that point, the hybrid setup itself has a plethora of modes - including its own Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ as well as ‘Smoothness’ (although there are no extra details on this as of yet) and ‘Battery Hold’. An individual mode, letting you pick your own settings, also features.

AMG-specific brakes measuring 370mm with four-piston callipers feature at the front, and 360mm with single-piston callipers at the rear. Rear-axle steering is also standard, turning opposite to the front wheels by up to 2.5 degrees at speeds under 62mph, and in tandem up to 0.7 degrees over it.

You’ll spot a Mercedes-AMG E53 from the rest of the range by its model-specific body kit, quad-exit exhaust setup and the typical AMG horizontal slat grille.

No word yet on pricing, but it’s almost guaranteed the Mercedes-AMG E53 will be the most expensive version yet - a title currently held by the £86,325 E450d AMG Line Premium Plus. Expect it to go on sale in the UK in summer.