Affalterbach, Germany - Just a day after BMW pulled the covers off its facelifted M5, its German arch-rival Mercedes-AMG is showing off its updated E63.
As with the Beemer, there are no performance upgrades to speak of here - and quite frankly, aren’t these sedans powerful enough already? What the refreshed E63 does receive is refreshed front and rear styling, as well as new cabin tech and improved ride comfort.
The first thing you’ll notice from a design perspective is that the E63 now wears a ‘Panamericana’ style grille, and a much larger one at that, featuring vertical louvres and a larger central star. The all-LED headlights and bumper get a new design too, while the rear of the vehicle has been completely redesigned, with the previous vertical taillights making way for a horizontal layout, as per the rest of the recently facelifted E-Class sedan range.
The E63 S model gains new five-spoke, 20-inch alloy wheels, available in matt black or high-gloss grey, and the styling changes are rounded off by three new body colours: Brilliant Blue Magno, Graphite Grey Metallic and High-Tech Silver Metallic.
While the cockpit retains a familiar look, there is a new AMG Performance steering wheel and the ‘widescreen’ cockpit has been updated with the latest MBUX infotainment system with various AMG-specific functions and displays.
Same engine, but cushier suspension
As mentioned, the engine remains unaltered, with the 4-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 450kW and 850Nm in the E63 S version, which is the only one sold in South Africa. Certain other world markets also get a ‘standard’ E63 variant, with 420kW. According to Mercedes, the E63 S can sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds.
The engine is paired with a nine-speed MCT Speedshift transmission and 4Matic+ fully-variable all-wheel drive with a rear-wheel drive ‘Drift Mode’.
While the powertrain remains unchanged, engineers have tinkered with the multi-chamber air suspension system, with extensive retuning and revised elastokinematics said to have “tangibly” improved comfort levels.
The new Mercedes E-Class models are expected to reach South Africa later in 2020.