Usually, car enthusiasts get excited by the allure of yet another new generation flagship Mercedes AMG performance model. On paper, the new Mercedes AMG E53 PHEV, which is available in saloon and estate body styles, disembowels 603bhp from its 443bhp 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine which is combined with a 161bhp electric motor to unleash over 750Nm of torque to deliver the headline-grabbing figures. But it’s a plugin-hybrid powertrain and these dual powertrains are complicated to engineer and often serve as nothing more than a tax break for those already adept at legally avoiding tax.
PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) utilize a large battery pack; in the case of the Mercedes E53 AMG PHEV, it utilizes a 21.22 kWh battery pack. As a comparison, the E53’s battery pack has a larger capacity than a Tesla Powerwall, the latter has enough capacity to power your house for 3 days. The AMG E53’s battery provides a pure electric range of 40 miles before the engine takes over.
Car manufacturers often state that the average car journey per day is around 30 miles, so why not invest in an electric car? So clearly the focus on the AMG E53 is purely to exploit performance with very little concern for the environment. Once a PHEV runs out of electric power, it reverts to the combustion engine which means you are carrying over 200kg of EV powertrain weight, which reduces efficiency.
But anyway, let’s keep to the details. The Mercedes AMG E53 has a much more aggressive stance/body styling and rides on a set of standard 19-inch alloy wheels which can be upgraded to 20-inch – 21-inch alloys. The 0-62 mph performance is rated at 3.8 seconds (the estate takes 3.9 seconds) and the top speed is electronically limited to 174 mph for the saloon and 171 mph for the estate.
The AMG E53 has plenty of standard kit on offer, plenty of passive and active safety technology, more than enough digital technology. Mercedes has revised the Chassis settings to make for a more perky ride and handling set up. The dash features a massive infotainment system packed with far too many software features and is complimented by a digital driver’s binnacle. We’re not a dealer so visit your nearest showroom to get more info.
Personally, my default preference is for an estate, however, I have never liked the styling of the E Class estates so I would choose the saloon. No word on pricing, at this stage it’s another press cycle away. Mercedes will confirm price details over the next few months. However, we estimate pricing will start from at least £90,000 for entry-level trim models here in the UK.
