AMG charges up the inline six

Friday, 26 October 2018

Don't want the full-noise V8 madness of an E 63? Well sir, Mercedes has just the thing for you; the E 53.

**MERCEDES-AMG E 53

Price range:** $175,500 - $187,500

With 320kW and 520Nm on hand the E 53 does performance rather well.

Powertrains: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol inline six (320kW/520Nm). Nine-speed automatic, AWD.

Body styles: Sedan, coupe and cabriolet.

On sale: Now.

Mercedes-Benz was always famous for its silky inline sixes and AMG's first official model developed in partnership with the German manufacturer was the inline six-powered C36 from 1995. And now an inline six is back under the bonnet of an AMG courtesy of the all-new 3.0-litre turbo unit in the equally new E 53, but this time it brings a whole bunch of high-tech boost courtesy of Mercedes' new 48-volt EQ Boost system.

Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?

Let's imagine for a moment that, for some strange reason, you don't think a fully-mad 4.0-litre turbo V8 AMG is quite the car for you. I dunno, maybe you're weird or something.

Lunch at a motorbike-themed cafe in rural Melbourne. You can't quite see the BMW logo on the bike in the window...

* It's okay to get emotional about the Mercedes-Benz E 400 coupe

* The E 43 is the Mercedes-AMG with Q-ship quality**

But you still want serious performance and want something a bit more special than an ordinary E-class. Oh, and you still want that AMG badge.

Aren't you a picky one? Well, as it turns out, Mercedes are rather keen to appeal to you, hence the introduction of the turbo V6 powered 43 series cars (not to be confused with the inline turbo four-powered 45 series cars) in 2016, of which the E 43 was the first.

And it is also the first to go, as it has just been replaced by the all-new E 53 that packs Mercedes' all-new inline six hooked up to that fascinating 48-volt EQ Boost system.

The Mercedes-AMG E 53 is even more elegantly handsome than it looks in photos. You can't hear the great noise it makes in photos either.

In Mercedes' 'ordinary' cars, the 48-volt system provides mild-hybrid assistance to the inline six, allowing it to 'sail' (ie; automatically coast with the engine off at open road speeds) for far longer, while also providing an extra 16kW and 200Nm of torque when needed. With the EQ Boost system being tucked compactly in between the engine and transmission, it also eliminates the need for power-wasting ancillaries like a starter motor or alternator.

However, in AMG form, the system takes things up a notch by offering 50Nm more torque (the tiny power boost remains the same), while the straight six engine produces a thickly muscular 320kW and 520Nm.

The AMG version also adds an electric compressor into the mix, meaning that below 2500rpm you get instant punch from the electric EQ Boost system, then after that the electric turbine (also powered by the 48-volt system) takes over to provide boost up to 3000rpm, by which time the conventional exhaust gas-driven turbo has spooled up to speed to continue the smooth and utterly relentless acceleration that will see you hit 100km/h in just 4.4 seconds.

Ultra-luxury and high tech, the E 53 does the whole comfort thing rather well too.

Where did you drive it?

We headed over the Melbourne for the launch of the E 53 and spent the day tooling around the pleasantly rural outskirts of the city, eventually ending up at a brilliant motorbike-themed cafe in Malmsbury for lunch.

The 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine gets a boost from an electric motor, then an electric turbine and then a turbo kicks in. That means it is rather fast.

The roads were very representative of your typical New Zealand B-road, so a number of valid comparisons could be drawn. Mainly, the E 53 is a superbly capable and impressively comfortable high-speed tourer that can effortlessly turn its hand to a savage corner-carver, despite its size and luxury bent.

Road surface conditions meant very little to the E 53, with even badly broken-up chip seal (ie: a lot of NZ roads…) failing to break its serenity.

And it is capable of being very serene, even when you are punching it along. While the E 53 lacks the E 63's violent V8 punch and belligerent roar, it makes up for it with a far more refined, but only fractionally less dramatic lunge towards the horizon when you nail the throttle.

Pop the exhaust in Sport mode and it will crank up the brilliant tearing-silk inline six soundtrack and compliment it with a barrel-cheseted bellow from the exhaust. It is never as earth-shattering as the E 63, but it is still a very intoxicating, far more civilised, noise.

What's the pick of the range?

The E 53 is coming to New Zealand in sedan, coupe and cabriolet forms, each with the same powertrain (including Mercedes' excellent 4matic AWD system) and each largely identical inside, at least from the B-pillar forward, that is, so it will really come down to your needs, tastes and possibly wallet as to which is the best.

Personally, I would go for the $175,500 sedan, as it is far more of a Q-ship in terms of looks, but if they would give us an E 53 Estate, I would be all over that…

That said, the $180,200 coupe is a startlingly good looking thing in the metal (photos don't do it justice) and if you are a fan of the whole 'large coupe' thing (I'm not) , then there is little better available.

Why would I buy it?

Because you want a big, fast AMG without the hard, angry edge of the E 63. Or the associated horrific fuel usage.

Or you're coming from the other direction and simply want a quick, comfortable luxury saloon that effortlessly devours distances and is packed with high-tech fun.

Why wouldn't I buy it?

Despite all common sense positively screaming that the E 53 makes eminently more sense, is demonstrably better value for money and more than fast enough, you still want the V8, even though it costs quite a lot more money. And as good as the E 53 is, I can't (and won't) argue with you there.