The Mercedes-AMG E53 sedan is returning for the 2025 model year as a plug-in hybrid. While it yields more power than its predecessor, the new powertrain has added some weight and a higher starting MSRP.
With Mercedes having designated all two-door versions of the E-Class as part of the CLE-Class of vehicles, the AMG E53 will exclusively be sold as a sedan. Sporting wagon variants were previously sold as the “AMG E63 S Final Edition” and haven’t been issued the high-performance treatment on our market since 2023. It was the same with the AMG E53, which Mercedes abandoned after the E-Class vehicle family was updated.
While the E-Class will still see an E63 variant eventually, the current plan is to focus on the inline-six E53 and new hybridized powertrain. In the previous generation, the car utilized a supercharged, turbocharged, and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6 with a displacement of three liters. The 2025 model year will likewise stick with a 3.0-liter straight six. But it’s now turbocharged and electrified, boasting more power in its base format and the ability to operate in all-electric mode.
The EPA has certified the sedan as capable of running a maximum of 42 miles off nothing but 21.2 kWh battery, something that’s likely to be more important in Europe’s restrictive Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) which restrict vehicles based off how much exhaust gasses they’re supposed to produce. But Americans can still benefit from the hardware, as it offers excellent fuel efficiency. Mercedes stated that the AMG A53 Hybrid should be capable of 54 mpg in the city and a whopping 65 mpg on the highway.
Of course, that assumes you’re taking it easy on the throttle in the quest for fun. Combined, the hybrid-electric powertrain is supposed to yield 577 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Customers who option Race Start can even see 604, and the speed governor automakers seem so fond of lately is raised from 155 mph to 174 mph with the AMG Dynamic Plus package (which includes Race Start).
This, however, has not translated to a dramatic increase in straight-line acceleration — at least off the track. Despite offering quite a bit more power than its predecessor, Mercedes-Benz estimates that the new E53 will see 0-60 mph in roughly 3.9 seconds in its base format. That’s the same as the old model, unless you option the extra performance goodies. Race Start equipped cars are said to be capable of hitting 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
In addition to the higher top speed and extra horsepower, drivers who purchase the performance package also receive an electronic limited slip differential for the rear end, upgraded engine mounts, a AMG High Performance composite brake system (15.4-inch front discs with red six-piston calipers), and an AMG Performance steering wheel with some Nappa leather.
The 2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 starts nearly $7,000 higher than its predecessor at $88,000 — or $89,150 with delivery and fees. But it would be pretty easy to configure one into the six-figure range.
While the base AMG model does add things like rear-wheel steering, a panoramic sliding roof, AMGs adaptive suspension, and AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive system to the E-Class. The $90,450 Executive trim upgrades the sound system, exterior sound deadening, and interior lighting options. Meanwhile, the $92,150 Pinnacle trim throws in four-zone climate control, head-up display, exterior light projectors, and the MBUX “personal assistant.”
But that still leaves loads of upholstery upgrades, wheel options, and tech upgrades — including an in-cabin camera that’s supposed to help people with work conferences or just taking selfies in the car.
Anyone paying extra to have an automaker install another camera into the cabin is probably insane. But a lot of those other items are the kind of things someone who buys an AMG would presumably be interested in and they’ll have assuredly considered some of the aforementioned performance upgrades. The same could be true for some of the advanced driving aids. Despite the E53 offering automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring as standard, adaptive cruise control and lane centering (things you’d expect to find on a luxury vehicle) need to be purchased separately.
Even though we don’t yet know how much all of the above items will cost individually, they’re sure to add up and raise the MSRP. The AMG E53 Hybrid may start below $90,000. But the odds of it staying there seem rather slim. At any rate, we’ll learn more about the model and the pricing of its individual options in 2025 when it nears launch.
[Images: Mercedes-Benz]
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