The task is not easy, but we have to start: the German premium, which quickly adopted and integrated electrification into its models (classic hybridization, rechargeable hybridization and 100% electric), is still looking for a solution to make these new technologies acceptable. to a clientele that is often very conservative and attached to beautiful thermal engines.
If electric sports models begin to appeal to the public (Tesla Performance/Plaid, Porsche Taycan or the Mercedes EQS AMG53), the integration of hybridization, technology used in Formula 1 and resistance, is more difficult to consolidate.
Most major manufacturers have used it perfectly in high-end and luxury models, particularly to reduce carbon emissions levels, but the sports car segment remains a difficult market to convert.
Some, like Peugeot, tried it with the famous 508 PSE (Peugeot Sport Engineered) with 360 horsepower… A confidential experience and unfortunately without a future. BMW has also tried it, with the i8 supercar or the very baroque XM SUV, but without a well-identified unitary initiative for the moment. Porsche responded with its e-Hybrid technology, which equips the Panamera sedan and the Macan and Cayenne SUVs. But the dilemma is also obvious at Mercedes-AMG, where some customers are more likely to look for a particular engine than a specific model. So much so, for example, that an “AMG63” becomes a kind of brand within the brand, whatever the model, a guarantee of power and sensations. And necessarily thermal.
E-Performance: a unique label to seduce better
Therefore, Mercedes-AMG has decided to react taking this factor into account and create the “E-Performance” label. It consists of using an engine of reasonable displacement and adding an electric motor, powered by a rechargeable battery.
In the C-Class segment, this gives us a C63 powered by the lower-class A45’s 2-liter 4-cylinder engine, but combined with its PHEV powertrain, its total output rises to 680 horsepower. The cavernous roar of the old V8 disappears, but in favor of an extremely responsive powertrain that is just as capable, being a little more economical on fuel and emissions, and allowing all-electric driving on certain short trips. A sacrilege for some, but a true technical feat with the progress that this represents, both in terms of savings and performance.
For this reason, Mercedes decided to progressively extend this new technology to all its sports models, as is the case with its S-Class limousine. AMG was on familiar ground, since the most sophisticated version, the S580e, is already powered by a Drive chain. PHEV.
But for the S63 E-Performance, the cocktail will be of a different caliber. The tuner decided to keep a biturbo V8, the one that powers the SL63 roadster… and also attach an electric motor with a power of almost 200 horsepower.
All of this develops the colossal power of 802 horsepower. The S63 E-Performance is, therefore, the fourth most powerful Mercedes in history. And this is necessary to dynamically move a real limousine with very luxurious equipment, which weighs 2.5 tons on the scale and measures 5.34 meters long.
We like it: a riot of luxury and technology.
And the term limousine is not misused. Beyond its classic and usual appearance, highlighted by some discreet sporty details, specific inscriptions and a grille with symbolic AMG beards, this S-Class remains an S-Class. A very spacious interior and highlighted by careful ambient lighting, upholstery extremely elegant, a dashboard that combines digital instruments, a large central tablet and physical controls with impeccable ergonomics, from the ceiling to the thick carpets at your feet. The front seats even inflate and deflate from the sides depending on speed and cornering angle, to ensure you have the perfect driving position and support in any circumstance.
The S63 E-Performance is enjoyed with pleasure in the arrières places, with imperial comfort, adjustable in a semi-couched position, and you can pour it into the faire masser in regard to the television on YouTube with 2 large screens on it. you. All of this can also be adjusted using a touchscreen tablet located in the armrest. There’s even headphones in the door storage if you want to isolate yourself from ambient noise and make the most of a concert hall-worthy Burmester audio system, and some of the speakers literally light up and pop out of the doors when in operation. .
Autonomous driving? It is also possible without worries, it is even raised to level 3 thanks to the LIDAR system. A level of luxury and technology that will not have many equivalents, unless you look at the realm of the exceptional, like a Maybach or Rolls Royce.
We also like: a totally versatile Mercedes
Behind the wheel, the Mercedes S63 AMG E-Performance delivers on all its promises. Because above all it is a machine of quite unusual versatility. The different driving modes (accessible through the steering wheel controls) allow access to highly contrasting sensations and performance levels.
First of all, by default we have in our hands a flexible and silent hybrid limousine, dynamic enough, with the help of a 4Matic+ transmission that remains equally efficient (4-wheel drive AND steering) but above all an Olympic calm, optimal. Padded, perfect for daily trips. In this case, the propulsion is available and generous, but the electric one takes over as frequently as possible, guaranteeing contained levels of consumption and emissions. However, don’t expect to often drop below 10 liters per 100 kilometers in urban driving…
In zero emissions mode, you will be able to drive with the same level of comfort in fully electric mode with the battery well recharged (just 1h30 on a 3.7 kW WallBox) for a distance of about thirty kilometers, a blessing to sum up. trips.
But, of course, this strange bipolar limousine can also be enjoyed in Sport and Sport+ modes, which will transform it into a true supercar. With this total available power of 800 horsepower and an unprecedented torque of 1,430 Nm, this S63 literally rips off the asphalt and catapults you as fast as a Porsche or Ferrari.
0 to 100 km/h is completed in 3.3 seconds, and the limousine doesn’t mind being rushed at all, with the quality of its braking, its active damping that recalculates data 500 times per second and its impeccable traction. Hybridization demonstrates its full contribution here in terms of performance, since it acts as a pair of additional turbos. You could almost see yourself taking it for a spin, as the power and technology this car contains practically annihilates the mass effect. Awesome.
We like it less: few details… and a stratospheric price!
So yes, we would have liked a little more sound. This ferocious powertrain could have deserved a slightly more expressive exhaust note. Of course, the trunk is smaller than that of the classic S, with only 305 liters, due to the space occupied by the hybrid drive chain and the battery. Yes, honestly the price at which this Mercedes S63 AMG E-Performance is offered is stratospheric, and is equivalent to a small second home (243,000 euros), but no car can combine so many qualities of real comfort, technology and authentic sportiness at the same time. this price. level.
Certainly, the gains in consumption are not really obvious, but we believe that electrification is really there to accentuate sportiness, and no other car available on the market will offer you so many different palettes of emotions, from the fully electric car to the hybrid sedan, or from limousine to supercar, simply by turning a dial. All this without paying any penalty, since the S63 AMG E-Performance, according to WLTP standards, is only limited to 100 g of CO2 per kilometer! Few cars of this level of performance can boast of this.
Once again Mercedes seeks to impact and create clear references in a rapidly evolving automobile market, including its premium and luxury segment, and it is evident that this “E-Performance” label is packing a big punch. This atypical and highly successful S63, electrified for profit, is the perfect example.
Tested model: Mercedes-AMG S63 E-Performance – Price for all options: 243,000 euros, zero penalty
Source: BFM TV
