Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 2021 Review – Australia

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ continues a long tradition of full-size V8 sports sedans from the German kilowatt krazies.

This mid-life update of the W213 E 63 S we first saw in 2017 doesn’t change the fundamentals of the design; it’s still a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 mated to a nine-speed automatic and variable all-wheel drive system.

There have been some changes that we’ll get into, but nothing that rocks the battleship. Hence the price only goes up a couple of thousand bucks to $250,400 plus on-road costs.

Sheesh, it’s a bargain. Not.

Among key rivals it is undercut significantly by the new Audi RS 6 (it’s a wagon so motoring journalists automatically love it), undercut slightly by the BMW M5 Competition and undercut not at all by any relevant member of the Porsche Panamera family.

The most obvious change to the E 63 S is the look. The front-end adopts the more aggressive AMG corporate ‘Panamericana’ grille that separates it from the mainstream E-Class. Looks good to me.

Inside, there’s a new twin-spar steering wheel and a touch pad for the COMAND system rather than a rotating dial.

Other new equipment includes the MBUX interactive infotainment system incorporated into the spectacular widescreen cockpit (which actually debuted with W213). It will do things like set the radio station and roll back the sunroof cover by voice control.

There’s also a new augmented reality package for the satellite-navigation system that shows live pictures from the forward-facing camera as well as graphic assistants such as arrows as a turn/obstacle is approached.

Other bits and bobs include an ‘energizing coach’ that uses functions such as air-con and audio to pamper the driver, an ionising tri-zone air-con system, and sports front seats that independently adjust bolstering support in corners. They also heat and cool occupants, as does the front armrest and rear outboard seats.

More prosaic but expected items include the aforementioned sunroof, Nappa leather trim, a Burmester sound system, ambient interior lighting with 64 colour choices, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration and wireless charging.

The E 63 S rolls on staggered 20-inch alloys – shod with Pirelli P Zero tyres in the case of the test car – but has no spare tyre. Instead, it makes do with a tyre pressure monitoring system and an electric pump.

The E 63 S comes protected by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Service intervals are every 20,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. A five-year service plan costs $7050.

It’s steady as she goes for safety equipment when it comes to the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S.

An already comprehensive driver assist system (DAS) is supplemented by one brand-new feature: active stop and go assist. At speeds up to 60km/h, this feature can maintain a pre-set distance even in traffic that comes to a stop and is stationary for up to 60 seconds.

The existing DAS package has had its calibrations updated and the active brake assist (autonomous emergency braking) now has turning manoeuvre function to reduce the risk of collision with oncoming traffic when cornering (into a side street, for example). That’s in addition to its existing cross traffic detection function.

Other current systems include active lane change assist, active blind spot assist, evasive steering assist and route-based speed adaptation.

That all adds up to semi-autonomous driving capability in certain conditions such as freeways.

The E 63 S also comes with nine airbags, pre-safe crash preparation for front, rear and side impacts, a head-up display, multi-beam LED headlights and a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2016.

Much stays technically familiar when it comes to the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S.

It’s still based on the Benz corporate rear/all-wheel drive MRA architecture. And it’s still powered by the M177 ‘hot-vee’ biturbo 4.0-litre V8 engine that makes 450kW at 5750-6500rpm and 850Nm between 2500-4500rpm.

Overseas, this engine has had a petrol particulate filter added, but that hasn’t come to Australia.

The MCT 9 Speedshift transmission is an AMG-modified version of the nine-speed Benz auto with the torque converter replaced by a start-off wet clutch.

It delivers power via an on-demand all-wheel drive system dubbed 4MATIC+. It can pay homage to past E 63s and be set up as rear-wheel drive only with a drift mode. But without a racetrack available we didn’t test it.

An electronically-controlled limited-slip diff helps corner turn-in, while the chassis package is completed by active engine mounts, three-stage air-sprung multi-link suspension, a widened track, 390mm/360mm composite brakes with six- and four-piston callipers (ceramics are optional on the front) and forged alloy 20-inch wheels.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an AMG if there wasn’t a significant amount of adjustability of drivetrain, chassis and other bits and bobs such as the exhaust. You can even tailor what combination you want through the ‘Individual’ mode.

While not detailed by Benz in its rundown of changes to the E 63, we reported from the global launch that there had been a concerted effort to improve ride in the default Comfort mode. This was definitely an issue for the E 63 S and something that was important in its 2017 comparo loss to the more expensive Porsche Panamera Turbo.

The E 63 S measures up at 4984mm long, 1868mm wide, 1463mm high and has a 2939mm wheelbase. It weighs in at 2094kg. In other words, this is a solid car.

And yet, with the aid of the Race Start function, a 3.4sec 0-100km/h time is readily and repeatedly achievable.

By contrast, cylinder shut-off and engine stop-start is supposed to help achieve a 12.3L/100km fuel consumption average on 98 RON fuel. That’s less achievable. We managed a 15L/100km average.

Straight up we can confirm the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S does ride better in Comfort mode. It’s still not a feather bed, but it’s not as jarring as it was.

That’s great news considering the vast majority of E 63s will spend the vast majority of their time commuting and cruising.

The other change that seems pretty clear is a reduction in volume from the engine and exhaust. Whether this is because of better sound deadening or a retune of the audio is unclear. Mercedes-Benz Australia isn’t aware of any changes, but it just sounds less brutal than previously, especially at low throttle openings.

Hit the throttle hard and there is a reassuring bellow, as well as rapidly blurring scenery. There is a meaty growl down-changing and a hooligan crackle and bang on the over-run in some drive modes, although that too seems less overt.

Nor does the E63 S feel as crazy as it once did in a straight line. Maybe it’s because the soundtrack is that little bit muted. Or maybe it’s because there are simply more cars around that accelerate with incredible intensity.

Hey, it’s amazingly strong and there are no complaints, it’s just my eyeballs aren’t out on stalks these days.

The character does change as the Dynamic Select lever is cycled through Sport, Sport+ and Race. The suspension becomes more focused and less suitable for bumpy Australian roads.

The transmission is more aggressive in its changes. If you want to change manually, that’s only completed by flappy paddles as the gear selector is on the steering column.

But get the combination of talents right – I liked Comfort suspension most of the time and Sport+ engine – and the E63 S is a potent, aggressive, confident cross-country mile muncher.

It helps that you can happily accommodate four adults in this car, and their luggage too, courtesy of the 540-litre boot (but no split-fold).

A big shout-out to the multi-contour front seats for their comfort and self-adjusting support.

However, the twin-spar steering wheel feels a step back from the flat-faced standard item. The touch pads are harder to operate and therefore more distracting. The new wheel is more sensitive to the placement of your hands on the fat rim. So resting them lightly is less likely to prompt a warning that semi-autonomous driving aids are about to be shut down.

And what of MBUX? Well yes, the sunroof opens and closes on request, phone numbers are called and the weather is provided. But the assistant also sometimes chimes in and has a chat uninvited.

It’s another layer of complexity in a car that already offers deep wells of information and adjustability.

In an era where car companies are splurging tens of billions on electric vehicles, it’s understandable a petrol-sucking beast like the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S remains little changed at its mid-life update.

Much of what has been updated – the MBUX functionality and navigation graphics – are window dressing for a car of this magnitude of performance.

Thankfully, that performance remains fundamentally unadulterated.

Sure, the E 63 S is a little quieter and comfier when cruising, but delve a little deeper and that immense capability quickly and memorably emerges.

How much does the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ cost?
Price: $250,400 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 turbo-petrol
Output: 450kW/850Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 280g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2016)

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