India’s largest luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has introduced two new performance sedans in the market. The AMG E 53 4MATIC+ and the AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ have helped the German car maker further strengthening its AMG portfolio in the country. The former is only the second ‘AMG 53 series’ product introduced in India, and the first ever in a sedan body shape. The more powerful AMG E 63 S 4M+ on the other hand reiterates Mercedes-AMG’s renewed focus on ‘One Man One Engine’ philosophy. The company now offers 11 AMG products in India comprising the 35, 43, 53, 63 and GT series. This also makes it the largest portfolio of performance cars offered in India by any luxury carmaker. While the E 53 is priced at Rs 1.02 crore, the E 63 S is priced at Rs 1.70 crore (ex-showroom).
DESIGN
Both these cars are based on the E-class sedan that was launched in India a few months back. They are supplemented by an extensive design update where the central cooling air inlet in the completely restyled front section is significantly larger than before and now bears the AMG-specific radiator grille with twelve vertical louvres and central star, which is also larger. Two new, flatter taillights with two sections immediately catch the eye on the tail end of the car. They now extend into the boot lid, where they are visually linked with a trim strip in high-gloss chrome on the top. The reshaped rear apron emphasises the broad effect on the car and also has a positive effect on aerodynamics.
As standard the E 63 S gets new 20-inch 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels, also aerodynamically optimised and with a wider aero rim edge, painted in a choice of matt black or high-gloss tantalum grey. The E 53 gets restyled 19-inch light-alloy wheels in a 5-twin-spoke design.
INTERIORS
The interiors are enhanced with the addition of a widescreen cockpit, an AMG performance steering wheel and the MBUX infotainment system with AMG-specific functions and displays, reiterating its membership of the AMG family. The cabin comes high-quality materials with the characteristic AMG performance. The AMG seats are upholstered in nappa leather and have an AMG-specific seat upholstery layout with an AMG badge in the front seat backrests. Individually adjustable ambient lighting also comes as standard. A further highlight is the MBUX infotainment system with a touchscreen and touchpad, the intelligent voice control plus AMG-specific displays and settings.
For the instrument cluster’s display, customers can switch between the three AMG display styles of Modern Classic, Sport and Supersport. The Supersport mode comes with a central, round rev counter and horizontal displays presented in perspective to the left and right of the rev counter and creating a spatial impression of depth. The new AMG steering wheel is light and comes with a twin-spoke design and integrated buttons. In the steering wheel rim, there is also a sensor mat to detect “hands-on”. If the driver does not have their hands on the steering wheel for a certain time, a warning cascade is started, which finally activates emergency brake assist if the driver continues to be inactive.
ENGINE
The AMG E 53 4M+ comes with a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder in-line engine which offers a peak output of 435 hp and peak torque of 520 Nm at 1800 – 5800 rpm. The car does 0-100 km/h in 4.5 secs and its top speed is 250 km/h. On the other hand, the more powerful E 63 S runs on a 4.0-litre V8 that churns out 612 hp and 850 Nm at 2500-4500 rpm. This one accelerates from 0-100 km/h in just 3.4 secs and its top speed is an even faster 300 km/h. The EQ Boost also offers additional power and torque on both the cars.
The AMG SPEEDSHIFT 9G transmission can also be operated by using paddle shifts. For even more precise shift commands the paddles are now slightly bigger and positioned further down. The centre console includes an AMG-specific control unit with additional switches that are used to regulate the drive programs, the media volume, the 3-stage ESP, the manual transmission mode, the adaptive damping system, the optional AMG performance exhaust system, the ECO start/stop function and the reversing camera.
There are up to six drive programs of slippery, comfort, sport, sport+, individual and “RACE” available on the E 63. As expected, the available range extends from efficient and comfortable to very sporty. The modes modify key parameters, such as the response of the engine, transmission, suspension, and steering. The E 53 on the other hand offers five drive modes called slippery, comfort, sport, sport+ and individual.
The writer is Senior Editor at carandbike.com
