First-ever plug-in hybrid car from Mercedes-AMG is simply the latest and greatest from Affalterbach
AMG is embracing electrification, and the first evidence of this was provided by the recently unveiled Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+. However, AMG has broader ambitions in this sphere than merely giving the Affalterbach treatment to vehicles that sit on the EQ platform. The focus of this story is the newly released AMG GT 63 S E Performance, which is the first plug-in hybrid to wear AMG badges. Unlike conventional PHEVs, the focus here is not to provide a meaningful electric-only range or significantly lower fuel consumption. The real USP of the newcomer is an innovative high-performance battery pack and a raft of clever software that enables electrical energy to be rapidly harnessed and deployed in much the same way that Formula 1 cars do with their KERS systems. The newbie is also the most powerful AMG to date, kicking out a mountainous 620kW and 1470Nm from its petrol-electric powertrain, comfortably out-grunting even the thundering GT Black Series
First timer
The 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance is an intriguing newcomer given that it’s the first PHEV to wear AMG badges, but Australian buyers will have to wait until late this year to get their hands on one.
Needless to say, it won’t be cheap, as Mercedes-Benz Australia suggests the car will be priced from circa-$400,000 (plus on-road costs) in our market.
This outlay will get buyers into a coupe-style sedan that comfortably thumps all four-door rivals in terms of raw numbers. It’s pretty hard to argue with outputs of 620kW and 1470Nm, and the GT 63 S E Performance comes with all the chassis hardware and software to make the most of its titanic straight-line performance.
Among the tech that keeps the E Performance’s mighty grunt in check is AMG RIDE CONTROL+ suspension, which is based on multi-chamber air suspension with automatic level control, combined with adaptive, electronically-controlled adjustable damping.
Rear-wheel steer is standard, as is an electronic limited-slip differential and 4MATIC+ with variable torque distribution that channels drive from petrol and electric powertrains optimally among the four wheels.
The GT 63 S E Performance also gets larger ceramic composite brakes than the standard GT 63 S, measuring 420mm at the front and 380mm at the rear. Bronze-coloured six-piston fixed callipers are used at the front and one-piston floating callipers at the rear.
Design changes over the standard car are low-key, with the main tweaks being a new front bumper modelled on the two-door GT, bespoke badging highlighted in red, new exhaust outlets and exclusive 20- and 21-inch wheel designs.
The rear bumper is also unique to the S E Performance, as it incorporates the flap that conceals the plug-in recharging socket.
Other than this – plus the aforementioned tweaks – the PHEV is almost visually identical to the recently facelifted standard GT 4-Door Coupe.
In addition, there are seven new paint finishes from the extended customisation range. The exterior design can be further accentuated with the new AMG Night Package II or a combination of the Night Package and Carbon Package, for example.
It’s a similar theme of subtle upgrades inside, but, as with other Mercedes-Benz PHEV models, there are a number of hybrid-specific displays for the MBUX infotainment system, including an EV range indicator, real-time power consumption data and an electric motor power gauge.
Priorities straight
Obviously, the big story with the 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance is its plug-in hybrid powertrain, specifically, the electrical component of it.
Rather than being a diluted offering, AMG chief technical officer Jochen Hermann says the S E Performance needed to remain true to the ethos of Merc’s high-performance division: “For AMG it’s very important to go electric, but performance and dynamics have to remain the most important criteria.”
We’ll delve into more of the electric powertrain’s nitty-gritty shortly, but the key ingredient is a 6.1kWh battery pack that sits more or less in unison with the electric motor.
Both of these units are housed along with the rear axle, which makes for ideal weight distribution.
Where the standard GT 63 S carries its weight in a 54:46 split over front and rear axles, in the S E Performance it’s a perfectly balanced 50:50.
The high-performance battery is claimed to have twice the energy density of conventional battery packs, and an assortment of clever hardware and software enables it to recuperate and deploy this energy with lightning speed.
Core values
The core part of the powertrain in the 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance remains the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which thrashes out 470kW and 900Nm on its own.
Mated to the brawny V8 is the equally familiar 9G-TRONIC auto with wet start-up clutch.
However, the real point of interest is the hybrid system, which is similar in principle to the KERS systems used by F1 cars to rapidly harvest and deploy electrical energy.
Despite the extremely high energy density of the battery pack, its overall capacity is relatively modest at 6.1kWh.
The reason for this is that the battery isn’t there to provide a meaningful EV-only range (you’ll be lucky to cover 10km on battery power alone), but rather to provide short, sharp bursts of energy (up to 150kW and 320Nm for up to 10sec) that enable the GT 63 S E Performance to slingshot out of corners on the racetrack or perform safe, rapid overtakes on public roads.
The battery pack and the electric motor are compact, and they’re neatly packaged in unison with the rear axle. The battery pack has its own liquid cooling system (with 14 litres of coolant) to keep temperatures in the optimum zone below 45 degrees.
Unlike the Ferrari 296 GTB, where the electric motor sits between the V6 and the gearbox, here the electric motor sends drive to the rear wheels via its own two-speed transmission.
The petrol-electric powertrain delivers eye-watering total outputs of 620kW and 1400Nm-plus, which are almost unimaginable figures for a civilised family sedan that’s well suited to daily driver duties.
The hybrid system comes at a cost (apart from the financial one) as it adds 240kg of mass, taking the S E Performance’s girth up to a sumo-like 2380kg.
Even so, it hides its weight well, dispatching the 0-100km/h dash in a neck-snapping 2.9sec. It can also hit a hypercar-rivalling 316km/h flat out, given a long enough straight on a racetrack.
There are various strategies for the manner in which the battery pack harnesses and deploys energy, and if you select Race mode via the twist knob on the steering wheel, you get full electric boost under hard acceleration.
Quiet beast
The first thing to get your head around when you fire up the 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance (at least in Comfort mode) is that there’s no sound, even as you gently pull away from the kerb, as it relies purely on electric power at low speeds.
It seems most un-AMG-like.
Try running it in pure-electric mode and it’s not long before the battery is drained and the petrol engine kicks in. Even then, the twin-turbo V8 isn’t as raucous as it is in the regular GT 63 S, as AMG’s engineers have dialled back the decibels in line with ever-stricter noise regulations.
For the most part, the S E Performance drives like its conventional combustion counterpart, but it’s a more refined chariot as, apart from being quieter, the adaptive dampers provide more ride compliancy in Comfort mode as there’s now a greater spread between the various drive modes.
You need to keep a watchful eye on the speedo, as the GT 63 S E racks up high three-digit speeds with such deceptive ease and rapidity that your driver’s licence could end up as confetti if you don’t exercise self-control.
A subsequent track session proved equally enlightening, and our playground for the day was the 4.43km Circuito Monteblanco, comprising a couple of corners with heavy braking points, as well as a few fast, flowing bends.
Given that the S E Performance weighs almost 2.4 tonnes, our expectations weren’t high, but it proved to be a (rather large) surprise packet.
With Race mode selected, the plan of attack was as follows: the first couple of laps would be relatively sane sighters to help replenish the battery pack (which at the start of the session was at 57 per cent capacity) and get a general idea of the track layout.
Within a couple of laps, battery level had escalated to almost 90 per cent, as the regenerative braking and combustion engine did their bit to top up charge.
With an almost fully replenished battery, it was then full attack, with five-times DTM champion Bernd Schneider leading the way in an identical car.
Aided by its 50:50 weight balance, plus its raft of clever chassis management electronics and four-wheel steer, the S E Performance is a surprisingly nimble device. The steering doesn’t serve up a huge amount of feedback, but it’s accurate and well-weighted.
You wouldn’t think a chariot as heavy as this would enjoy being manhandled on a track, yet it does. There’s a good degree of adjustability through corners, and the fact it’s not nose-heavy means turn-in is decently sharp.
It’s not likely too many prospective owners of this car will be track-day regulars, but it’s still good to know the S E Performance isn’t out of its depth on a circuit.
For what it’s worth, AMG engineers say the car is around two seconds a lap quicker around the Hockenheim circuit than the standard GT 63 S four-door.
Latest and greatest
There’s no doubt the 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance debuts some very interesting tech, and it’s a good pointer to one of the directions where AMG’s electrification strategy is heading.
Apart from PHEVs and EQ-based offerings, AMG also plans to develop its own EVs from the ground up.
One may question whether the newbie’s added complexity and price premium over the regular GT 63 S is justifiable, given that it’s not dramatically faster or more rewarding to drive in most conditions.
However, if you simply must have the latest and greatest, the GT 63 S E Performance doesn’t disappoint.
It’s an impressive and highly cohesive piece of engineering.
How much does the 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance cost?Price: $400,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)Available: Second half of 2022Powertrain: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol-electricOutput: 470kW/900Nm (electric motor: 150kW/320Nm)Combined output: 620kW/1470NmTransmission: Nine-speed automatic (combustion); two-speed auto (electric)Battery: 6.1kWh lithium-ionRange: 12km (WLTP)Energy consumption: 10.3kWh/100km (WLTP)Fuel: 7.9L/100km (WLTP)CO2: 180g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance 2022 Review