AMG's New E 53 Hybrid Flirts With Disaster, But One Thing Absolutely Saves It

As Mercedes-Benz continues to backtrack on EV commitments, the next in line of plug-in hybrids from AMG hits the streets this year. The E-Class sedan now receives the AMG battery assist treatment, though not bearing the "E Performance" badging of previous models that featured F1-derived electrical componentry.

The Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid therefore lacks both the sheer size and the performance of the S 63 E Performance that debuted a year and a half ago, seeming to serve as a perfect test case for whether buyers prefer all-out power or maximized range in a BHEV. The E delivers a solid amount of both, with up to 604 horsepower on tap, but probably leans more toward range with a 42-mile fully electric rating. 

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Clearly, Mercedes and AMG want to find a happy middle ground for each model across the lineup, and a more daily drivable E-Class may better slot into the increasingly minute luxury sedan market.

The E's long and svelte lines work well in the restrained Nautical Blue Metallic paint job that only shows a bit of flake in the brightest sunlight, with cross-spoke forged wheels featuring bright metal hoops. Cues of the BHEV powertrain beneath the skin include side badging and vents, plus red surrounds for the E 53 lettering on the rear. Then, of course, two fuel filler doors—though obviously, no one can see both at once.

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On the inside, the familiar Mercedes design continues to somewhat reference the nautical themes, not just of the exterior paint but that the EQ series introduced to highlight aerodynamic fluidity. An enormous central touchscreen handles climate, infotainment, and vehicle drive setting duties, as does the same steering wheel seen on other models featuring capacitive controls for most functions and configurable knobs in the lower quadrant.

At least this loaner arrived for my week of testing in Los Angeles without a passenger side screen to complete the digitalized driving experience—previous reviews of other models featuring the full suite of displays panned the excessive computerization from 'Benz, so perhaps the press fleet managers felt that discretion was the better part of valor and decided against including that option here.

Push the stop-start button to the right of the steering wheel, however, and nothing happens. The E 53 always automatically starts up in full E (for Electric) mode, and without an ICE engine barking to life, little else changes on the gauge cluster and screens that blare on as soon as the doors unlock and open. Something about silently pulling away, though, all stealthy and swaddled in luxury, truly fits perfectly into the 'Benz ethos.

Sometimes, due to so many EV manufacturers skipping over stop-start buttons altogether, I forgot to actually turn the E on... To be absolutely clear, though: I blame the others, not Mercedes, because stop-start buttons (if not key cranks) should be 100% mandatory for all cars, trucks, SUVs, and motorcycles, whether they're electric, hybrid, gasoline, hydrogen, or whatever other form of propulsion might ever exist ever in the future.

But this is an AMG! So I also easily fired up that 3.0-liter inline-six gasoline engine by stomping pedal to the metal quite regularly. The blend between fully electric and combined powertrain driving actually happens quite smoothly, upping the soundtrack just a bit in C (for Comfort) mode as the internal combustion contributes a bit more shove. The engine itself sounds slightly less than inspired, as the E prioritizes torque delivery at low RPMs to make quick maneuvers in urban environments, or passing on the highway, an absolute cinch.

In fairness, as well as the plug-in system works, the integration lacks some of the perfection of the 48-volt hybrid E 450 I drove last year. That one leans more on the gas side of the equation, using electrons to complement the engine rather than the other way around—and of course, trails about 200 horsepower versus the AMG, which peaks at 604 ponies with the optional Race Start mode. The rest of the time, 577 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque certainly get the job done.

Those figures can't match the borderline brutality of the S 63 E Performance, which puts down over 1,000 lb-ft from a twin-turbo V8 mated to an electric motor mounted in the P3 position, or essentially serving as a two-speed rear transaxle. But the E-Class' all-electric range entirely dwarfs that of the S-Class, thanks to a 21.2-kilowatt-hour battery pack nearly doubling up on the latter's performance-focused 13.1-kWh pack that prioritizes quicker discharge than efficient steady-state driving.

By contrast, the E-Class employs a 161-horsepower permanent synchronous electric motor in the more traditional P2 location, between the engine and transmission, which means the full-time all-wheel-drive system functions in a much more comprehensible fashion than the S-Class'. The nine-speed automatic shifts perfectly, as usual, and I noticed that the e-motor probably helps to prevent the over-excessive downshifting that many of these seven- (or eight- or nine)-speed gearboxes tend to demonstrate due to lack of trust in low-end torque.

And torque clearly becomes the name of the game here. That e-motor contributes a much more substantial 354 lb-ft. But almost as importantly as the get-up-and-go grunt, the E 53's suspension stands out as a star of the show—for better and for worse. Definitely on the tauter end of the spectrum, the AMG Active Ride Control Suspension with Adaptive Adjustable Damping (an egregious full official name) can split the gap from semi-smooth to rock-solid. In Comfort mode, the dampers drown out most road imperfections, if not the larger speed bumps or dips that noticeably stress the chassis.

Clunks from the wheels hitting full droop do interrupt the reverie fairly often despite the relatively tame 21-inch wheels, likely due to the E 53's stiff platform and substantial curb weight of 5,280 pounds. That's right up there with, and even more than, many full-size four-wheel-drive SUVs, thanks to luxury and performance tech features including four-wheel steering, fully massaging and ventilated seats, an extensive sunroof, and of course the hybrid system itself.

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Still, turn the drive mode dial over to S+ and the E 53 tightens up shockingly well. Body roll drops to near zero, the steering provides a surprising amount of feedback, and the low-slung center of mass creates predictable rotation around the driver. Even the power delivery to all four wheels reinforces the eminent sensation of confident control, which I attribute to that P2 e-motor location feeding into a more typical driveline as much as anything else.

Still, lacking a home charger and hoping to max out my total mileage from a tank of gas, I kept the drive mode knob of the E 53 turned mostly to B mode, for Battery Hold. In a week, I covered well over 250 miles on the highway, plus plenty of city life and some hard-charging segments splitting between all the drive modes. The typical smattering of journalistic fare, in other words, and yet I still gave the car back with about a third of a tank of gas remaining and the battery showing 25% charge, or twelve miles of EV range.

Not bad for a 604-horsepower (or 577) land yacht. And a definite pro for the ways that modern technology can improve both power and efficiency simultaneously. Especially if I did have a charger at home, and could live 95% of my life utilizing those 42 miles of full EV mode on the regular. Then, when the moment calls, the slightest effort of my right toe can unleash plenty of power to rip through traffic with ease.

Of course, some downsides to all the tech do exist. Occasionally, disconcerting lacks of refinement from the combined hybrid powertrain left me surprised. After all, Toyota's been doing hybrid stuff for decades now—obviously, at much lower power levels—yet I expect somewhat better from Mercedes, not to mention AMG. Mostly, I noticed more than a few moments when the regenerative braking continued well after I lifted my foot off the brake pedal entirely, as the car continued to draw down speed despite me dipping into throttle. Not ideal, to say the least.

And, as on the E 450, the climate controls still left me absolutely frustrated at all times. The system seems to have a mind of its own, or two minds even. Mercedes calls the system "Digital Vent Control" but I spent the whole week just wishing for a physical knob connected to metal rods and simple mechanicals. Through two menu screens, two different Auto options exist for the air flow and temperature.

Yet even after turning both of those off, then selecting a temperature, direction, and fan speed, the temperature and fan speed consistently varied wildly. At max settings for cold, sometimes I barely felt any air coming out at all—other times, the speed and noise randomly picked up enough to border on obnoxious. On a long drive after parking for a few hours in the sun on a hot day, the E took upward of an hour to actually cool the cabin down—even with the ventilated (and massaging!) seats running full blast.

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The "Hey Mercedes" function also chimes in constantly, often for no discernible reason. Most typically, the infotainment then proceeded to change either the satellite radio channel or artist playing. But one time, the heater tuned on full blast and I couldn't figure out how to get it to stop. 

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Plus, the wireless Apple CarPlay integration on such a big screen lacks a quick return button, so if I dipped out to change a drive mode or adjust my lumbar support or battle with the climate controls, I then needed to go through multiple taps to get back to Waze through my iPhone. And the Home button even goes first to the onboard navigation, rather than to the home screen, which requires a second tap.

No car is perfect, though, and in fairness, I eventually discovered a way in deeper menus to turn off some of the AI assistant interruptions. A few other nits to pick include the fact that no matter how many Benzes or Cadillacs or Rolls-Royces or Aston Martins I drive, I will never enjoy the seat controls existing anywhere but the lower side of the bottom cushion. More functionally, the E 53's large battery pack also results in a much shallower trunk floor than expected from such a big sedan.

And specifically to this car, the yacht spec—which for whatever reason seems to be de rigueur from automakers these days—of white and black contrasting leather with carbon trim lacks some of the understated class that an E 53 AMG should embody. Perhaps with summer coming up, and a climate control system that often barely functions, white seats will make more sense. But I believe in 'Benz serving best with an all-black interior, to better match the stately and restrained nature, yet deep wellspring of power, that the newly hybridized E 53 now delivers with unprecedented ease.