S63 E
s63 E front
S63 E interior
S63 E
S63 E
► Mercedes S-Class gets the AMG treatment► E-performance hybrid power for 791bhp
► Gets all ride control and handling options as standard
Want luxury at warp speed? Look no further than the new Mercedes S63 E, the latest Affalterbach’d version of the brand’s flagship saloon. In addition to all the usual S-Class toys inside, the new S63 also leans on Mercedes’ hybrid powertrain know-how, delivering some 791bhp in total.
‘With E performance we are now opening a new chapter: Never before has a luxury saloon so perfectly combined best-in-class performance with superior comfort and virtually silent electric driving,’ said Philipp Schiemer, AMG’s chairman of the board. ‘In this way, we are also opening up to highly discerning target groups who see Mercedes-AMG as the performance luxury brand of the 21st century.’
E is for…
The S63 E gets a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 the front, but combines it with a high-performance 13.1kWh battery, and an 190hp electric motor at the rear. The result is 791bhp with both axles combined, 1055ft lbs of torque and a 0-60 dash of 3.3 seconds. The V8 is connected to a 9-speed multi-clutch box, though the electric motor also has its own two-speed transmission which shifts automatically. The battery can also deliver 70Kw of constant power but is able to double that to 140kWh for ten seconds when needed.
Not so bad for a car with massage functions, monitors and Dolby Atmos at the rear. All-electric electric range is 21 miles, but this is more about brute power than sipping fuel. Still, there are four levels of regeneration on tap, with the final level three essentially giving one-pedal driving. Up to 90Kw can be fed back into the battery with the maximum recovery mode enabled.
With that in mind, top speed is 180mph when unlocked, so you’ll be able to chug down the autobahn at pace, too.
‘With our unique E PERFORMANCE in the AMG S-Class, we are also setting another technological milestone in electrification in this segment. Our exclusive high-performance battery is used in the S 63 with a significantly higher capacity than previously known, which increases the electric range,’ said Jochen Hermann, technical general manager of Mercedes-AMG.
‘The performance hybrid layout with a combustion engine at the front and an electric drive unit at the rear axle not only offers a superior driving experience, but also significantly increases efficiency. The optimised weight distribution, best possible utilisation of torque and the very responsive power delivery promise driving dynamics and driving refinement at the highest level’
How will it handle?
It’ll be heavy, but AMG has packed its S-Class with tricks that should do their best to ignore physics: AMG ride control, active ride control, roll stabilisation and rear-wheel steering all come ticked as standard.
What does it look like?
Essentially, an angry S-Class – which is exactly what you’d expect from these AMG models. Everything has had a little pump, but the biggest change comes at the front. For the first time the hot S-Class has the vertical slats of other AMG models, better aligning it with the rest of the high-performance range. AMG is doing its best to form its own identity.
What else?
We’ll update this article when we know more.
Keyword: AMG S63 E-performance