• Published On: 9 May 2018
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This car is the most powerful version of the E-class and it is now on sale in India.

The Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic + is what this car is called, and the AMG in the name gives you a preview of what to expect. The car is powered by AMG's stonking 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that takes power up to 612hp and 850Nm. The 4Matic in the name stands for all-wheel drive. You can also switch it to full rear-wheel-drive mode when you want, and Mercedes calls it 'Drift mode'. There are five drive modes and other settings for the ESP to play with. Launch control is standard on this car as well.

The E63 is based on the standard wheelbase E-class sold abroad – in India, the standard E-class is the extended wheelbase version. So, naturally, this E looks tighter and lither than the E we are used to seeing. The car comes with sportier bumpers, a two-slat design for the grille, 20-inch rims and a lip spoiler and quad exhausts at the back. It basically looks like an E-class on steroids.

On the inside, the overall design is like the standard E-class we get in India, but there are some differences. The instruments cluster is all digital here and you get front-seat ventilation and heating. At the back, there’s a lot less space than the long-wheelbase E-class, but it’s still quite spacious. The seatback is a bit upright and can’t recline like it can in the long wheelbase car.

A quick hot lap at the BIC gave us only a glimpse of its abilities. The E63 sounds rather special -  there’s a deep bass at low revs and the rumble just builds as you push the car harder. Also, calling this car quick is an understatement at best. AMG claims a 0-100kph time of 3.4sec! Mid-range is strong, and the car feels energetic across the entire rev band. The nine-speed gearbox is always eager to shift to give you access to more power. The steering also felt nicely weighted and the car feels planted through corners too. The brakes (steel discs are standard) worked well too.

Our first impressions of this car are great – it’s a proper beast. But question is, how will the Rs 1.5 crore E63 S compare with the BMW M5, which costs Rs 1.43 crore?