First Drive - Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+

The German performance saloon is back in the hunt for supercars in an all-new avatar

- Abhay Verma

A 600PS sedan does not sound like an alien concept anymore, thanks to manufacturers pushing performance envelopes constantly. And the newest member of the 600PS saloon club is one of the most hallowed names in the world of performance luxury sedans, the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S. More importantly, the new E 63 S moves from a single driven axle to two, gets permanent all-wheel drive as standard and switches from coil springs to an adaptive air suspension setup for the first time in its history. We got a little taste of the car at the Buddh International Circuit, and the short session has tantalized our taste buds big time.

What is it?

The 2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 S replaces the E 63 AMG as it was known and is the performance version of the E-Class. Mercedes-Benz only sells the long wheelbase version of the E-Class in India but the wheelbase of the E 63 S is shorter and identical to the standard E-Class sedan sold internationally. That said, there’s lots of design changes at both ends to ensure the fire-breathing E 63 S AMG won’t be mistaken for the regular E-Class. The front end looks angrier thanks to the more muscular hood, revised bumpers and the single slat grille. Move to the rear and a small, boot lid mounted carbon fibre spoiler, carbon fibre splitters and chrome finished quad exhausts housed in carbon fibre surrounds help you identify the E 63 S easily. The AMG runs on 20-inch alloy wheels shod with massive 265/35 R20 tyres at the front and even bigger 295/30 R20 rubber at the rear.