► CAR drives the latest AMG S-Class
► Plug-in hybrid V8, stonking power
► Not a complete barge to drive, either
As it turns out, one of the most exciting and interesting AMGs of the moment is one of its longest and heaviest. Yes, the AMG S63 is back – now with hybrid power and available in the UK.
The S-Class has a deep and rich history, with this new AMG model also taking part in a recent CAR magazine feature. But how does the hottest, most expensive model work in the UK?
At a glance
Pros: Fiercely fast, responsive plug-in powertrain, athletic for a big car, imperious long-distance capability
Cons: Small e-range, sometimes-fiddly tech, ride isn’t ‘S-Class’ enough, does anyone actually buy an AMG S-Class?
What’s new?
As the name suggests, the Mercedes-AMG S63 E-Performance is a plug-in hybrid. But fear not as, if your coffers are deep enough for it, this AMG-flavoured PHEV still features a V8. To make sure the hottest S-Class available can handle the power, every AMG S63 features an active anti-roll system and rear-wheel steering.
AMG models also naturally benefit from a (if only slightly) more aggressive body kit and unique wheel designs – as well as four fat tailpipes for allowing that V8 to bark on command.
What are the specs?
It’s an absolute thumper of a powertrain – shared with the GT S E-Performance and the SL 63 S E-Performance – which happens to make this S63 AMG the most powerful S-Class in history. The power is handled by an AMG nine-speed auto and includes a two-speed transmission just for the e-motor that only drives the rear wheels, as well as mechanical all-wheel drive for the combustion engine. Total output is a blistering 791bhp and 1055lb ft, good for a 3.3sec 0-62mph sprint – handy for captains of industry in a serious hurry.
The electrified part of the S63’s powertrain is designed more for performance than a long range, mind you, differentiating it from the conventional S-Class PHEV. The car’s e-range is relatively piddly e-range at a claimed 19 miles, which is more like 10 in real-world AMG-spec driving. Charging is also slow, too – just 3.7kW AC charging is available here, unlike the 11kW AC/60kW DC capabilities of the S450e and S580e.
The hottest S also features AMG’s range of drive modes and a detailed level of customisation on how it can be driven. Comfort prioritises engine-off propulsion, Sport and Sport+ keeps the engine on for full bore performance. You can customise the handling characteristics via the AMG Dynamics software (which controls details like the traction control) from Basic to Master, and an adaptive engine noise includes digital noises being pumped into the cabin (even when you’re running on e-power) and allows the V8 to really be heard.
Other than that, you have two available trims: Touring, or Night Edition. Both are loaded with tech, with the only real differences being visual ones; Touring sticks with chrome and silver details, with wood veneers on the dashboard to make it look like more of a conventional S-Class. Night Edition darkens all the car’s trinketry, including much sportier AMG-spec wheels and carbonfibre replacing the wood inside. We tested the latter in the UK.
Both will set you back at £188,820 in the UK, with the only option being a performance pack that includes carbon ceramic stoppers and a higher top speed (up from the governed 155mph to 190mph). If you already wealthy enough to splash the cash on one of these, the additional £8995 will be child’s play and does come in handy.
A rear-seat entertainment package is also available, which fits screens for each outer rear passenger and an Android-based tablet in the centre armrest. For this generation of S-Class in the UK, though, you can’t go full business jet with a four-seat layout (complete with tray tables and proper recliners) like you can in Europe.
What’s it like to drive?
It’s still a little odd to start up an AMG model with a digital whooshing noise and not a snarling V8 barking, even as Affalterbach has been electrifying for a couple of years now. As you slink through town at low speeds, the AMG S-Class still does its best to be a, er… S-Class. Its efforts are a little flawed, mind, which is a result of all that AMG seasoning. The large wheels and performance tyres add an edge to the ride you wouldn’t get from a regular Sonderklasse, and there’s some unwelcome tyre noise thrown in for good measure. It’s still an easy and smooth thing to waft around in (helped by that rear-wheel steering), however, and doesn’t feel as large as its dimensions imply.
Twist the steering wheel dial to Sport and the engine wakes up via the integrated starter motor. What impresses pretty quickly is how smoothly integrated the rather complicated powertrain works together; there’s very little lag and fast response times under acceleration, as the e-motor fills in gaps while the nine-speed transmission selects the right gear.
And boy, oh boy, is the S63 fast. As it should be, of course, but that instant response from the e-motor is a real boon for getting a lick on – you can believe that supercar-baiting sprint time. It’s also enhanced by that glorious V8 snarl; it’s not raucous or in-your-face like older AMGs or old-school muscle cars, but it sure does sound fantastic – and the digital enhancements work rather well, too.
Then you get to a corner, and brace for what this 2.6-tonne barge can (or perhaps can’t) do. But after a few turns, those predispositions disappear – the handling engineering that’s gone into the S63 can really be used without it feeling overly synthetic. The steering is light, yes, but there’s a real alertness to the wheel that feels fantastic on a back road, coupled with a rear-wheel steering system that’s intuitive and finely calibrated. It seems AMG can do this system better than Merc’s own engineers can, when comparing this tech to the overly twitchy setup on an EQS. Roll is minimal, too, allowing just enough communication for you to tweak your steering angle without it being synthetic.
What impresses, then, is just how cohesive the S63 is when you’re out for some fun. Yes, it’s still a large car out on the road, but the dynamism on hand implies it can be something smaller and more athletic.
What’s the interior like?
Clean and tech-filled from the off. There aren’t many surprises here as Mercedes and AMG aims to unify all of its tech and touch points across as many of its cars as possible, which is both a benefit and a disadvantage for one of the brand’s most expensive cars.
MBUX is still one of the more intuitive infotainment systems to use, but that’s damning it with faint praise – it’s still heavily reliant on massive touchscreens and plenty of menus, even if there are some physical shortcuts for functions and quick-access AMG-spec toggles for some of the car’s performance characteristics.
The seats are thickly padded and supportive and feature active side bolstering while you’re cornering hard to keep you in your place. Rear space is suitably palatial, with plenty of legroom and supportive seating, too.
But some of the materials could be improved – there’s so much black gloss in here it cheapens the experience and sharing some of those controls with other Mercs mean you still have to suffer a bizarrely complicated, touch-sensitive steering wheel and some cheap plasticky buttons in places. Again, this is endemic of all Mercedes models at the moment, not just the S-Class.
Before you buy
Up at this altitude, there are few cars that can closely compare. The closest to the AMG’s orbit is the new Bentley Flying Spur Speed, which comes with a similar amount of power and performance, but feels like more of a luxury car than this does.
There’s no M7, with the all-electric i7 M70 coming closest to the S63 AMG’s performance from Munich. Over at Ingolstadt, the Audi S8 with its V8 power and active suspension is still a sweet mix, but can’t keep up with the AMG and isn’t long for this world.
Verdict: Mercedes-AMG S63
As always with Mercedes-Benz and AMG, more is more. Oodles of power, more tech on it than the International Space Station and a road presence afforded to very few other cars are all very tasty characteristics. This is a fiercely fast car, with alert acceleration and a real athleticism to how it handles for a car of this size.
But there’s a reason an AMG-powered S-Class is a rarity beyond just its lofty price tag: it goes against the core pillars of Merc’s ultimate saloon: refinement, calm and ultimate comfort.
It’s a hoot to drive and a technological tour-de-force. But what’s the point?