It hasn’t been a great few weeks for positive news, so here’s some that’s going to get wagon enthusiasts going: The Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid Wagon is officially coming to America. No cladding, no raised suspension, just plug-in hybrid wagon goodness.
Under the hood, you’ll find a three-liter turbocharged inline-six, a silky smooth engine making 443 horsepower and 413 lb.-ft. of torque on its own. That’s pretty good, but here it’s augmented by a plug-in hybrid system with a 21.2 kWh battery pack and an electric motor inside the nine-speed automatic transmission. The result is a combined output of 577 horsepower, unless you use launch control, in which case that figure jumps to 604 ponies.
Activate launch control, light the fuse, and Mercedes-AMG claims a zero-to-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds. Okay, that’s not quite as quick as the BMW M5 Touring, but its enough to keep most performance SUVs in its sights, all while promising the joy of a lower seating position and wagon sensibility. Granted, launch control only comes bundled with the AMG Dynamic Plus package, but considering that option box also includes a limited-slip rear differential, upgraded brakes, a top speed of 174 MPH, active engine mounts, and a few minor cosmetic sundries, it’s certainly one worth ticking.
Alright, so what about the stuff you’ll use every day? Well, unlike most plug-in hybrids, the AMG E 53 Hybrid Wagon can DC fast charge at 60 kW, meaning you should be able to juice up in a jiffy given the relatively small battery pack. While Mercedes-AMG hasn’t said how far this plug-in wagon can go on electric power alone, its sedan equivalent claims to do an estimated 42 miles before the gasoline engine kicks in.
As for toys, this thing comes standard with a 17-speaker Burmester sound system and 20-inch wheels, and the options list includes sport seats, a screen for the front passenger, a variety of leathers and sueded finishes, and up to 21-inch wheels. I’d probably skip the passenger screen and roll on the standard 20-inch alloys for ride comfort, but knowing that you get some gizmos as standard sounds nicer than having everything be an option.
Although the Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid wagon isn’t M5 Competition or RS6 Performance fast, it probably won’t be that sort of money. While Mercedes-AMG hasn’t released pricing on the wagon yet, the sedan stickers for $89,150 including freight, so we can expect that the long-roofed variant should likely start under $100,000. More importantly, it means Hamptonites and New Englanders can soon buy a proper E-Class wagon again, which means there will eventually be used examples for enthusiasts on more modest budgets to enjoy.
Top graphic image: Mercedes-Benz
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