The next-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class will include the hotter AMG variants when it launches. New spy photos show the automaker developing the lesser AMG E53 Estate wagon, which will receive a styling overhaul. The automaker could also make changes to the powertrain.
The current E53 on sale features a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine with a mild-hybrid setup. Signs indicate that Mercedes will use its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder configuration in the new C63, which makes 671 horsepower. It’ll likely make less than that if Mercedes uses it in the E53, but it should make more than the 3.0-liter engine’s current 429-hp output.
The E53 will sit below the full-fat E63 in the hierarchy, which should also receive some form of electrification in its next-generation setup that could include a plug-in powertrain. The E63 currently packs a 603-hp V8, but we expect its successor to make more power.
The newest photos show Mercedes hiding the wagon under a full-body camouflage wrap. It doesn’t look like the AMG E53 will undergo a radical redesign, with the Panamericana grille and quad exhaust pipes still quite prominent and hard to hide. However, it should receive an evolutionary styling update.
Previous spy photos captured the E-Class’s new interior that should be present throughout the new lineup. The driver will look at a fully digital instrument cluster, while a big screen located low in the dash will house infotainment duties. It looks similar to the styling in the EQE, but the automaker had the cabin draped in sheets to hide the styling.
The next-generation E-Class should debut later this year, with the first trims possibly going on sale before the end of the year. However, variants like the AMG E53 and the E63 could debut later, and Mercedes might separate the sedan and wagon launches, further complicating a possible debut schedule.
We might see the E53 break cover before 2023 ends, but we don’t expect to see the E63 until 2024. The E-Class lineup includes a high-riding All-Terrain model, which our spy photographers have already captured.
