In the title and the description, you may have read some AMG worldplay. Even if it was not up to the mark, I cannot help it when I am stirred. This car had me stirred… well, to a fair extent, that is. If you did not pay attention to the title and jumped right to the good bits, let me tell you what I am talking about here. 

There’s the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, a really nice luxury saloon that one likes to be chauffeured around in. This one is for the ones who ditch the suit for a jeans & T-shirt a little too often. It is called the Mercedes-AMG E53 HYBRID 4MATIC+. The name’s a mouthful, the car’s a handful, I drove it around for a bit, and I have some thoughts. 

Before I talk about the car, I think you should know a bit about me and my taste in automotive. I have been an automotive journalist for a while now, although that term is used way too loosely nowadays. So, let us say I am an automotive experiencer. And if you have been following xBhp for a while, you know that my taste is biased towards the performance side, be it cars or motorcycles. 

I like a bit of madness, machines that demand every ounce of my attention, and it is even better if it is wrapped in a design that speaks to me. My garage is a testament to that. Since this is about a car, let me stick to those. I have got a BMW M340i, a Ford Mustang GT, a Mahindra BE 6 Pack 3, and a Mahindra Thar ROXX. You get the idea: performance, personality, and a touch of crazy… in no particular order. 

Now, let us talk about the Mercedes-AMG E53 HYBRID 4MATIC+. For my sanity’s sake, I will just refer to it as the E 53 going forward. Also, this is not a “review”. These are just my thoughts about a car from the point of view of someone who likes performance cars. Enough introduction; let’s get down to business. 

As always, we start with the looks. It looks like an E-Class, alright, but you can tell there’s more going on. The front bumper is beefier and sportier. The hood has some speed lines, pretty good. The wheel arches are flared to show off some AMG-ness. There are 20” wheels. From the rear, it is even more AMG with the ducktail spoiler and the quad-exit exhaust pipes. It looks pretty muscular, but I believe that this particular colour, and a fair few others, hide the car’s real personality. I checked out the web page for this car to see which colours make the sportier character pop out. White was one. But I liked the Verde Silver the best. That is the colour that makes it look like a proper AMG car. So, personality? Delivered… somewhat. 

Now, the interior. I am not a big fan of discussing the interior. The reason is simple: most cars that I drive are luxury/performance cars, so, of course, the interior looks fancy. In fact, I saw an advert the other day where Mercedes showed only a steering wheel. That was enough to stir people. These are aspirational vehicles, and that Mercedes Star is statement enough. I only like to discuss the interior when there is something amiss. Here, everything is fine and dandy. My only complaint, and this is something I have with a whole lot of modern cars, is the lack of physical buttons. Bring them back, people. No matter how crisp or responsive the screen is, there is no replacing the feel of a nice and tactile button! 

I am glad that is out of the way, and now we can talk about the real deal: performance. I know the description so far has been a little drab, but let me spruce things up a bit. 585 bhp. 750 Nm. With Race Start, the output goes up to 612 bhp, which allows this car to dispatch 0-100 in 4 seconds. I have got your attention now, don’t I? 

Under the hood, there’s a 3L turbocharged straight-six engine. Along with that, there’s additional grunt from the electric motor powered by a 21.2 kWh battery. Hence, the crazy total output. In addition to that, there’s a 9-speed automatic transmission, an electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential, and real-axle steering. The last notable feature I talk about before the experience is that this car is a plug-in hybrid offering around 100 km of electric-only range. Moreover, there’s regen braking, so the battery gets charged as you coast around. 

On the road, the E53 can haul, and I am serious. Though I could not floor it on public roads, I half-opened the taps on empty stretches, and it is insane how deceptively quick this rather understated sedan can be. It is even more fun to put it in manual, and the magic is in your hands. Hold a gear as long as you like if you want to hear the ICE sing away. That is also where my first real criticism of this car sprang up. The sound. 

I know a V8 would have been a bit much because this car already weighs nearly 2,400 kilos. But still, an AMG without the guttural roar feels a little tame. Again, there are norms to adhere to, so I understand. Also, it does not sound too bad. Even though the sound is augmented through the speakers, it is still the sound of the engine. In Sport+, at least, the sound does tell you that you are in a serious car. 

Now, a few of you might have felt that 2,400 kilos is a bit much for a sporty car. I agree. I want the world to go back to lightweight ICE sports cars that are willing to wrap you around a tree if disrespected. But alas, the world has changed. And despite the limitations of this new world, the E53 still delivers a more than decent experience. What truly stirred me, though, is the handling. With that much weight, this car has no business handling as it does. 

There is so much grip, so, so much. With that chunky steering, you can just throw it into a corner, and it just grips. The differential does its job, and so does the rear-axle steering. And yet, there’s something very analogue about the way it holds its line. I had a short run on a fairly winding road, and the handling had me mesmerised. The adaptive suspension is also very quick to adjust. In Comfort mode, it is fairly supple. It is no magic carpet, but still fairly comfortable. In Sport, it is a taut sports car. And I do not throw the term sports car around. But this one feels like that. 

This is one of those cars that I regretted driving on the road. I wish I could drive it on a racetrack like the Buddh International Circuit. Not this particular variant, as it is electronically limited to 250 kays an hour. I would have liked the unlocked version that can go up to 280. This car has that sort of potential. And as I said, not a lot of cars stir me, but this one did! And if I owned this car and paid nearly 1.5 crores, it better stir me, or I would have been disappointed… and broke. 

So, this is a really good car: the amount of tech it has, the sheer performance, and the utterly brilliant dynamics. My biggest complaint is not with the car, though. It is with the times. If it were the old days, it would have felt like the Mercedes-AMG CLS 63 that I tore through the US in. Still, though, in line with the times, I think it is AMG enough.