Mercedes has pulled the covers off the new AMG E53 and it has just gate-crashed the fast-wagon club that Audi and BMW thought they controlled.
Long bonnet, pumped guards, quad pipes and that perfect AMG stance give the E53 Estate a presence that makes an RS4 Avant look almost sensible, the M3 Touring under-done and the RS6 slightly less untouchable. It is the first time in years that an AMG wagon feels properly desirable again.
Under the slick styling there is a very modern kind of muscle. The worked 3.0-litre straight-six is paired with a 120 kW electric motor and a battery under the boot floor. Together they deliver 430 kW and 750 Nm, or up to 450 kW in short bursts with the AMG Performance Package. Ngl, we miss the old V8s.
That matches the old E63 V8 on power and sends the sedan to 100 km/h in as little as 3.8 seconds. In Australia the sedan is listed from AUD $199,900 before on-road costs.
The plug-in side is not just for marketing. The usable ~21 kWh battery can manage up to ~100 kilometres of electric only running and will rapid charge at up to 60 kW.
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One-pedal driving in traffic, straight six and e-boost on the open road. It feels like a bridge between the old V8 thunder and whatever comes next for AMG.
Underneath, the hardware is serious. Stiffened shell, wider tracks, rear-wheel steering, adaptive dampers and big brakes build the backbone.
The Dynamic Plus pack brings larger composite rotors and an electronically controlled rear diff, giving the E53 the sort of confidence the M3 Touring and RS4 have long been praised for.
Looks are where this thing lands its biggest punch. Illuminated grille, pumped guards, side skirts and wheels up to 21-inches put it right in the same visual postcode as the RS6, which has been the undisputed poster wagon for a decade. Edition 1 cars in Europe go even harder with matte paint, stripes and yellow interior detailing.
The frustration for Australian buyers is simple. If the E53 comes here, we only get the sedan. The wagon that would actually take on the M3 Touring, RS4 Avant and RS6? Still unconfirmed. Which is a shame, because on design alone it feels like the first AMG wagon in years that could genuinely rattle Ingolstadt and Munich.
If it lands locally, expect the fast-wagon hierarchy to get very spicy. Hot stuff comin’ through.
