Marko Hanželic
Mercedes introduced the first performance version class E W214, which was developed at AMG. E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is available as a sedan and van with more aggressive looks, sharper chassis setup and power up to 450 kW (612 HP), optionally with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Although the E53 is still positioned below the upcoming powerful parade horses E63, represents a big step up from its predecessor in terms of power and performance.
The plug-in hybrid system consists of two 3,0-liter six-cylinder engine with 330 kW (449 hp) and a 120 kW (163 hp) electric motor connected to a gearbox AMG Speedshift TCT 9G. The total power is 430 kW (585 hp) and 750 Nm of torque, which is variable system 4Matic+ transfers to all four wheels. With optional package AMG DynamicPlus however, when the Race Start mode is activated in the launch control system, a more impressive output of 450 kW (612 hp) is triggered.
So the sedan accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h 3,8 seconds (3,9 seconds for the wagon version), which is 0,7 seconds faster than the old E53 (W213) model and 0,6 seconds slower than E63 S model with a V8 engine. With optional package AMG Driver's Package the top speed is electronically limited to 280 km/h for the sedan and 275 km/h for the station wagon version.
Because it is E53 designed as PHEV, it can be driven purely on electric power, although as a result the top speed is limited to 140 km/h. It has a battery pack usable capacity 21,22 kWh and in the WLTP cycle it enables a range without emissions between 90-101 km.
It's predictable E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ equipped with all the goodies associated with AMG, including a rigid chassis, a sports suspension setup with adaptive and adjustable damping, a high-performance braking system with larger brakes and standard rear axle steering.
