Mercedes India has finally introduced its performance-oriented two new products in the form of AMG E 53 4Matic+ and E 63 S 4Matic+ for a price of Rs. 1.02 crore and Rs. 1.70 (ex-showroom), respectively. Mercedes’ AMG Indian catalogue now has a total count of 11 vehicles with these two lunches, out of which the AMG E 53 has been brought to India for the first time. The E53 will serve as the entry-level AMG model of the new E-Class facelift that sits above the standard range. Other members of the family include models like GLA 35, A 35, GLC 43 Coupe, C 63 Coupe, GT R and more.
The new Mercs carries the brand’s famous smart yet sophisticated look. The distinctive restyled AMG-specific front facia has a large black grille with vertical slats with the big three-pointed star. It is flanked by flat LED headlamps. Below the grille is the sharp-looking bumper housing the large central cooling air inlet giving the vehicles a sporty stance.
On the rear, both cars come with wraparound LED tail lamps and quad exhausts. The exhaust pipes on the E 53 are round while the ones on the E 63 S are more rectangular. The updated taillights now look flatter and extend into the boot lid, where they are visually linked with a trim strip in high-gloss chrome on the top. Both new sedans feature 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels that are aerodynamically optimised. The E 53 rides on 19-inchers while the E 63 S sits on bigger 20-inch ones, painted in a choice of matt black or high-gloss tantalum grey.
Entering the cabin, there’s a familiar-looking interior like the E-Class. The driver side has a flat-bottom steering wheel with steering mounted controls. The dash area has two 12.3-inch digital displays – one acts as the MID while the other takes care of infotainment duties. Both displays are housed in a single panel to give it a unified look. The instrument cluster gets three AMG display styles – Modern Classic, Sport and Supersport.
The sedans also come with Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system that is capable of getting OTA updates in the future. The cabin luxury is complemented with the 64-colour ambient lighting system and ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice commands feature. The who interior has three-zone climate control, moreover, the front seats come with heated and ventilated features.
The interior of the new AMG vehicles feature high-quality materials. The seats are upholstered in Nappa leather and have an AMG-specific seat upholstery layout with an “AMG” badge in the front seat backrests. Mercedes is also offering a host of customisation options for the exterior and interior of both vehicles on top of the standard paint and upholstery options.
Talking about the real deal, the E 53 is powered by a 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder, turbocharged engine that is capable of producing 435hp and 520Nm of torque. It also comes with a 48V system that aids in acceleration. Power will be sent to all four wheels via the AMG Speedshift 9G transmission. The sedan can clock 0 to 100kmph in just 4.4 seconds.
The full-blown E 63 S on the other hand gets a bigger 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engine that churns out 612hp and 850Nm. It also comes with cylinder deactivation technology that shuts off half of the cylinders when the sedan is just cruising around. This way the vehicle saves on fuel while not compromising on performance. This engine is mated to the 9G Sport transmission.
The AMG E 63S also gets the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive as standard that provides it with torque distribution on the front and rear axles and ensures optimum traction on any surface. The Drift Mode can be activated for a pure rear-wheel drive experience.
The E 63S sporty model gets up to six drive programs – Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual and RACE, while the E 53 comes with five drive programs – Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual. In terms of 0 to 100 kmph sprint capability, the E 63 S is nearly one second quicker than the E 53 at just 3.3 seconds.
Both cars ride on air suspension and get various driving modes to change the characteristics of the vehicle as and when needed.
The Mercedes-AMG E63 S competes directly with the like of the Audi RS7, while, the AMG E53 doesn’t have any direct rivals in the Indian market. The German automaker will be launching more AMG variants this year as part of its plan to launch 15 vehicles in India in 2021. The Mercedes India lineup already includes the new A-Class Limousine, E-Class LWB, GLA, S-Class and Maybach GLS.
