2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ First Look: Preposterous Plug-In Power
Not all of Mercedes-AMG's 53-badged cars are created equal.
It's hard enough trying to keep up with the nuances of Mercedes -AMG's burgeoning model lineup, but at least the numeric suffixes help you understand where the various models stand in terms of AMG's performance hierarchy. Or at least, that's the idea. The 35- and 43-badged cars are the entry- and mid-level models, while the 63-badged cars are the heavy hitters in the horsepower department. No more. The new Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ sedan throws a 174-mph spanner into that neatly ordered world. The badge says "53." But the horsepower and performance numbers read at a "63" level.
0:00 / 0:00
The Mercedes-AMG E53 coupe and GT53 four-door currently on sale at your friendly local Mercedes dealer are powered by the same mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine that develops a useful 429 hp, grunt enough to get them to 60 mph from standstill in a claimed 4.3 seconds and 4.4 seconds, respectively. They are slightly softer, less manic cars than their AMG 63 superiors; in fact, we reckon the GT53 four-door is one of the finest long-distance tourers you can buy for the money.
The 2024 E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ sedan also has the electrically turbocharged 3.0-liter straight six under the hood, its output boosted slightly to 443 hp from 5,800 rpm to 6,100 rpm, with peak torque of 413 lb-ft available from 2,200 rpm to 5,000 rpm. But it's also a plug-in hybrid with a 161-hp, 354-lb-ft e-motor mounted between the internal combustion engine and the nine-speed AMG Speedshift TCT transmission that's fed by a 28.6 kWh battery mounted under the floor of the trunk. And that changes everything.
AMG engineers claim the total system output of the E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is 577 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. In Race Start mode, part of the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package, power is boosted to 603 hp. That 577 hp exactly matches the peak power output of the 4.0-liter twin turbo V-8 under the hood of the 2024 AMG GT63 coupe. And 603 hp is what the same V-8 engine grunted out under the hood of the previous-generation E63 S 4Matic+ sedan made. AMG claims the E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ will therefore storm from zero to 60 mph in fewer than 4.0 seconds on the way to a top speed of 155 mph. Cars equipped with the AMG Dynamic Plus package will nail the 0-60 sprint in under 3.8 seconds and hit 174 mph.
For context, that means the E 53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is just half a second slower to 60 mph than the previous-generation E63 S (which has 13 percent more torque and whose AMG Speedshift MCT multi-clutch transmission is more efficient than the new E53's TCT torque converter automatic). And it's just 12 mph slower at the top end.
Yes, the E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ takes the 53 badge into the major leagues, a logical move, perhaps, given the next-generation Mercedes-AMG E63 sedan, which is also a plug-in hybrid (though of a very different sort) is widely expected to make a similar leap forward and boast more than 700 hp when it arrives later this year. But that doesn't mean all 53s are getting the same treatment: For example, the forthcoming AMG CLE53 coupe will make do with a mere 443 hp and 413 lb-ft, mainly because there's no room in that two-door to package the big battery that powers the E53 sedan's e-motor.
The E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ sedan isn't just the fastest and most powerful of the AMG 53 models. It's also the most versatile. The 28.6 kWh battery, which has a useable capacity of 21.2 kWh, enables it to travel up to 62 miles at speeds of up to 87 mph on pure electric power in EV mode, one of the seven drive modes drivers can select. The others, in addition to the Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Slippery modes found in internal combustion engine AMG models, are Battery Hold, which will mix and match the power flow from the ICE and e-motor to maintain the battery's state of charge, and Hybrid mode, which automatically determines the optimal use of all the energy stored in the gas tank and the battery pack.
When the E53 is driven in EV mode, the default D auto setting enables the powertrain system to automatically select the recuperation rate in response to traffic conditions. Drivers can also use the transmission shift paddles to manually toggle between three different levels of regen, the highest of which allows one-pedal driving. The 400-volt electrical architecture is capable of a peak regen rate of 120 kW, and an optional 60 kW DC fast charger (the standard on-board charger is 11 kW AC) enables the battery to be taken from a 10 percent state of charge to 80 percent in about 20 minutes.
Apart from a charge point flap on the left-hand rear quarter panel that's conspicuously larger than the fuel filler flap on the opposite side, the only clue the E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ sedan isn't quite what it seems is the red shadow on the 53 badges.
Hybrid powertrain apart, the E53 Hybrid 4Matic+, Affalterbach's first take on a performance version of the W214 E Class launched last year, follows familiar AMG practice. The body-in-white has been stiffened and reinforced, as has the rear subframe, and the suspension features AMG's Ride Control setup with two-valve adaptive shocks. The front track has been widened; the front fenders pushed out four-tenths of an inch each side to cover the tires. Standard wheels are 19 inches in diameter, with 20- and 21-inch wheels available as an option. The car shown here is on the 21s, shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires, 265/35 at the front, and 295/30 at the rear.
The standard brake setup features 14.6-inch rotors clamped by four-piston calipers up front, and 14.2-inch rotors and single piston calipers at the rear. An electromechanical brake servo system is used to blend recuperative and mechanical braking, automatically controlling the switch between the two, and reducing the braking force of the hydraulic brakes even when pedal pressure is constant so that as much energy as possible is sent back to the battery.
The optional AMG Dynamic Plus not only gets the E53 quicker to 60 mph and to a higher top speed courtesy of the Race Start function, but also helps it stop better, thanks to the 15.4-inch front rotors and six-piston calipers that are also part of the package. Other performance goodies in the package include dynamic engine mounts and an electronically controlled rear differential that gives the all-wheel drive E53 even better traction out of corners.
Exterior changes compared with the standard E-Class include an illuminated AMG grille, more aggressive front and rear bumper facias, side skirts, a lip spoiler on the trunk lid, and, of course, four bazooka-barrel exhaust outlets. The bodywork is adorned with various vents and scoops, but most aren't what they seem. The vents on the side of the front fenders and behind the rear wheels are fake. The hood scoop does have an opening under the mesh, but it's only a third the size, and air only flows through narrow vertical openings on the outer edge of the big bumper vents.
Inside, the E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ features the usual red trim highlights amid swathes of manmade leather and microfiber. AMG's electrically adjustable sports seats are standard, while the snugger Performance seats are available as an option. The standard dash comprises the Mercedes-Benz digital instrument panel and the portrait-format central touch screen swooping up over open-pore grey ash wood trim with backlighting shines the AMG logo through it. The Mercedes Hyperscreen, which stretches from pillar to pillar, is available as an option. All screens come with AMG-specific graphics as well as additional exclusive menu content for the AMG Performance and optional AMG Track Pace apps.
Yes, the upcoming E63 version will still be the horsepower hero, but on paper the Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ looks as if it might be the better all-rounder, almost as fast, but a more versatile, more useable, better value daily driver. We're looking forward to getting behind the wheel and finding out.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by cars. My father was a mechanic, and some of my earliest memories are of handing him wrenches as he worked to turn a succession of down-at-heel secondhand cars into reliable family transportation. Later, when I was about 12, I’d be allowed to back the Valiant station wagon out onto the street and drive it around to the front of the house to wash it. We had the cleanest Valiant in the world.
I got my driver’s license exactly three months after my 16th birthday in a Series II Land Rover, ex-Australian Army with no synchro on first or second and about a million miles on the clock. “Pass your test in that,” said Dad, “and you’ll be able to drive anything.” He was right. Nearly four decades later I’ve driven everything from a Bugatti Veyron to a Volvo 18-wheeler, on roads and tracks all over the world. Very few people get the opportunity to parlay their passion into a career. I’m one of those fortunate few.
I started editing my local car club magazine, partly because no-one else would do it, and partly because I’d sold my rally car to get the deposit for my first house, and wanted to stay involved in the sport. Then one day someone handed me a free local sports paper and said they might want car stuff in it. I rang the editor and to my surprise she said yes. There was no pay, but I did get press passes, which meant I got into the races for free. And meet real automotive journalists in the pressroom. And watch and learn.
It’s been a helluva ride ever since. I’ve written about everything from Formula 1 to Sprint Car racing; from new cars and trucks to wild street machines and multi-million dollar classics; from global industry trends to secondhand car dealers. I’ve done automotive TV shows and radio shows, and helped create automotive websites, iMags and mobile apps. I’ve been the editor-in-chief of leading automotive media brands in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States. And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The longer I’m in this business the more astonished I am these fiendishly complicated devices we call automobiles get made at all, and how accomplished they have become at doing what they’re designed to do. I believe all new cars should be great, and I’m disappointed when they’re not. Over the years I’ve come to realize cars are the result of a complex interaction of people, politics and process, which is why they’re all different. And why they continue to fascinate me.Read More
