Mercedes-AMG turns new E53 into plug-in hybrid
Up to 612hp, with up to 62 miles of electrical range...
It takes years of work to create a new car and fresh models don’t get knocked up according to the short-term vagaries of the news cycle. Even knowing that the announcement of the new Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid seems a remarkably neat bit of timing, news dropping as car makers big and small start to admit the move to full electrification is likely to be slower and more gradual than previously suggested. As a plug-in hybrid capable of delivering both 612hp and up to 62 miles of pure electric range, the E53 Hybrid suddenly seems to be answering a lot of questions.
While AMG versions of the recently introduced W214 E-Class were inevitable, the output of what will be the junior version still comes as a surprise. The last generation E53 had a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol straight-six that made an entirely respectable 429hp. The new one has a very similar six-pot that makes 443hp by itself, but which works in conjunction with a 161hp electric motor.
The two peaks don’t exactly add together, though AMG quotes 576hp as an everyday max, and up to 612hp with the ‘Race Start’ mode that will come as part of the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package. By a happy non coincidence, that is exactly the same maximum output that the previous generation E63 S made from its monstrous V8. AMG quotes a 0-62mph time for the E53 Hybrid saloon of 3.8 seconds in Race Start and 4.0 seconds without it; the corresponding numbers for the estate are just a tenth quicker.
But the E53 Hybrid is also a plug-in which will boast a serious electric range. Yes, you can certainly take the official 18g/km CO2 rating with a pound of salt. But a sizeable 21.2kWh battery pack mounted under the rear floor is big enough to allow for the headline range figure, with AMG chasing the 100km/62-mile WLTP figure that will unlock EV tax benefits in some countries. Even if that turns out to be a very best-case scenario, the E53 will still be able to cover substantial distances without using its petrol engine. When running as an EV it can drive at up to 87mph and, as with other hybrid Mercs, it will have a haptic accelerator pedal that will stiffen to indicate the point at which maximum electrical power is being delivered, pushing beyond that firing the engine.
The E53 Hybrid is also going to be easier to recharge than most EVs tend to be, certainly for buyers taking the option of a 60kW DC fast charger. Make full use of this and it will be possible to take the pack from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in as little as 20 minutes, even without specifying that there will be a 11kW onboard AC charger. This definitely isn’t intended to be one of those tax-cheating plug-ins which get part-exed with an unused charging lead in the boot.
Compared to the impressive potency of its powertrain, the E53 Hybrid is a bit visually timid. Its position above the regular E-Class is indicated by a radiator grille that now features AMG’s trademark vertical slats, and which is now surrounded by illuminated elements that show its shape at night. Yes, that is now a thing. But it also features a disappointing number of fake vents; closer inspection of the ones on the front wings show they are cosmetic blanks, also the pseudo-outlets set into the rear bumper. One detail for the eagle-eyed is the red surround for the E53 badge, this being Merc’s way of showing that the car is hybridized (as there will continue to be non-hybrid 53 models.)
The E53’s interior is similarly close to that of the regular E-Class, with sports seats and some subtle AMG branding but with unchanged cabin architecture - the days of AMG models getting their own chunky gear shifters seem far off. There will be the option of a ‘Superscreen’ configuration that adds a passenger side monitor to the vast centre screen, this in place of a standard configuration of an open-pore wood which actually looks a fair bit classier. The gearchange paddles on the steering wheel now have a dual function, selecting ratios in the normal way when the engine is running, but also varying levels of regenerative braking when the car is running electrically. The most aggressive of these will function as a one-pedal mode.
The E53 Hybrid will have double-valve adaptive dampers and rear-wheel steering as standard. It has also been given some additional body reinforcement including a crossbrace at the front and beefier rear axle mounts. Standard brakes will have four-pot front calipers biting on 14.5-inch diameter vented discs, but the Dynamic Plus pack will upgrade those to six-pot calipers and bigger 15.3-inch rotors. Given an EU kerbweight (with driver) of 2,315kg for the saloon - a 345kg increase on the last E53 - more brakes sound like a good idea.
Then there’s the other obvious question - given the E53 Hybrid’s dramatically increased power output, what is the forthcoming E63 going to be making? Place your bets…
I guess those batteries are making their weight felt ?
NA engines are dead.
It's even got TURBO written on the side of it.
NA engines are dead.
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