New Mercedes-AMG E 53 performance sedan launched in South Africa – Pricing and features

Mercedes-Benz is on a roll in South Africa, launching four new AMG models in the span of a week.

Things kicked off with the new AMG GT 63 S E Performance, which was quickly followed up with the release of the AMG SL 63 and the AMG CLE 53 Coupe.

This clearly wasn’t enough for the German carmaker, which has released another sporty model in the form of the new AMG E 53 Hybrid 4Matic+.

The new E 53 has a starting price of R2,499,596, which includes a 5-year/100,000km PremiumDrive Comfort Care Service and Maintenance Plan.

Performance

The beating heart of the new Mercedes is a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which isi assisted by a permanently excited E-synchronous electric motor.

The result is a combined output of 430kW and 750Nm, letting the AMG rocket to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds.

It also has an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h, which can be optionally lifted to 280km/h with the AMG Driver’s package.

Gear changes are handles by the AMG Speedshift TCT 9G automatic transmission, which is integrated with the electric motor.

The e-motor, which can produce 120kW and 480Nm all on its own, connects to a 28.6kWh battery installed under the boot floor.

This allows the E 53 to travel for 100km on just the battery, greatly lowering its average fuel consumption.

The sports car supports both 11kW AC and 60kW DC charging speeds, the latter of which can top up the battery from 10% to 80% in around 20 minutes.

The Mercedes features regenerative brakes, which can recover energy from braking to feed into the battery.

It also allows for a one-pedal driving model, where the car gently decelerates whenever the driver takes their foot off the accelerator.

Other fittings include the 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, and AMG Ride Control suspension with adaptive damping that responds to the driving settings for Comfort, Sport, or Sport+.

Furthermore, the E 53 comes with active rear-axle steering, which allows the back wheels to turn in the opposite direction to the front, greatly improving the car’s turning circle.

Features

As you’d expect, the AMG has an athletic body with a model-specific radiator grille with illuminated vertical slats.

The front fender has been widened to make room for the larger track width on the front axle, and there are new outer air inlets with vertical fins.

It also has a new “A-wing” design for the front apron and a lower central inlet that funnels air to the front cooler.

The profile is further enhanced with AMG side skirts, LED headlights, an AMG lip spoiler, and a set of 19-inch alloy wheels.

Larger 21-inch alloy rims are available on request.

The interior has a unique hybrid aesthetic with grey open-pore ash wood trim with AMG logos.

The MBUX dual display once again makes an appearance, and this can be upgraded even further to a Superscreen covering the entire dashboard with a third passenger monitor.

The instrument cluster features data specific to the car’s AMG and hybrid modes, including the battery charge level and race track performance logs.

There’s also a pair of electronically adjustable AMG Sports seats covered in Artico man-made leather and microfibre with red contrast stitching, and an AMG Performance steering wheel in Nappa leather with customizable race buttons.

Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid 4Matic+