Now that Mercedes has introduced the new E-Class Sedan and Estate, it’s only a matter of time before AMG will show the performance chops of the two midsize luxury cars. The “53” flavor will be the first to break cover, but in the meantime, there’s still some testing that needs to be covered before the official premiere. Prototypes of the sedan and wagon have been spotted near the Nürburgring with less disguise while undergoing final evaluations.
While the E53 Sedan is a bit shy since it’s hiding the generously sized air intakes, they’re exposed on its wagon counterpart. The four-door model also has a camouflaged trunk lid spoiler as a subtle way of differentiating the hot version from the mundane E-Class models. Less discreet is the quad exhaust system, which will continue to feature round tips instead of the rectangular shape used for the fully fledged E63.
In typical Affalterbach fashion, the prototypes are riding closer to the road courtesy of a stiffer suspension setup and have bigger wheels with enlarged brakes. At the front, the dynamic duo hides the “Panamericana” grille we’ve been seeing on AMG models for several years now as a visual nod to the 1952 300SL race car. Of the two body styles, we wouldn’t hesitate to take the more practical wagon but the sedan remains the traditional choice.
As to what powers the new E53, logic tells us it’s an inline-six considering the recently launched CLE already has a 3.0-liter engine in the Benz-branded 450 4Matic flavor. The two-door CLE Coupe and CLE Convertible are also expected to get the AMG treatment with more than 375 horsepower available in the CLE 450. We’ll remind you that the outgoing E53 Sedan packs 429 hp.
A closer look at the sedan reveals there’s a fuel cap on the driver’s side, presumably for the charging port. Yes, it would seem the next E53 will be a plug-in hybrid, possibly by borrowing the hardware from the S580e with its combined output of 510 hp. As for the range-topping E63, it’s highly unlikely to keep the V8 and will instead become a PHEV as well with over 700 hp by adapating the setup used by the AMG GT63 S E Performance.
