Mercedes AMG E63 S Saloon review

The Mercedes-AMG E63 S is an astonishing car in so many ways – not only is it a great family car with all sorts of convenient and hi-tech features, it’s also one of the fastest cars on the road. Imagine a fighter jet with an in-flight trolley service and you’re close. 

A thumping 4.0-litre V8 engine under the bonnet is the main event here, as it delivers 612hp through all four wheels. This means it’ll go from 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds – on a par with rivals such as the BMW M5, yet no less mind-blowing to experience.

The E63 isn’t just a normal E-Class with a massive engine, though. It features sophisticated adaptive suspension that has several settings to choose from. This means you can leave it on Comfort mode on the motorway and then change to Race mode if you go to a track day, to make the most of the tighter body control that stiffer suspension brings.

The nine-speed automatic gearbox can be altered as well, so it’s nice and smooth in Comfort mode, but very sharp and responsive in the sportier settings, as well as in manual mode where you use paddles behind the steering wheel.

The E63 AMG also gets larger wheels and tyres than a normal E-Class, plus a more aggressive-looking body kit and big exhaust pipes at the back. On the inside, there’s a similarly wide, sweeping dash to other E-Class models, but quite a few changes including AMG trim pieces, sports seats and extra buttons on the steering wheel to control the driving mode and traction control.

When it comes to engine noise, the E63 has its alternatives licked. There are few finer sounds than its V8 at full chat.

The newest version of the Mercedes-AMG E63 S features the new ‘MBUX’ infotainment set-up, which is an improvement over the previous car’s system. It has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a touchscreen display in the centre and another screen just for the dials. Both displays are 12.3 inches across and look very upmarket.

There’s even E63-specific modes on the infotainment system, including lap timers and even video recording to improve your lines. The Driving Assistance Plus pack is standard too, so you get some autonomous driving functions to make the motorway trip home from a track day more relaxed.

Where the E63 doesn’t change too much from the normal E-Class is exactly where it didn’t need to. There’s still loads of space inside, with room in the back seat for two adults to sit comfortably. There’s lots of storage space inside too, as with the normal models.

You get a 540-litre boot, the same as any other E-Class, which is excellent – and with three-way (40:20:40) folding rear seats as standard, you can even fit bikes or buggies in the saloon. There’s a large Estate model with even more room in the back, too.

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