Musclebound mid-size wagons like the AMG-tweaked E-Class and BMW M-tuned 5-Series make some of the best daily drivers. You get most of the comfort and refinement of a luxury car, enough passenger and cargo space to handle a road trip, or just a trip to the DIY store, and you also have the performance and handling that’ll have you wanting to take the long way home from work at least a couple of times a week.
For 2025 the E53 will become even more versatile thanks to the addition of hybrid power. The old model’s 429 hp (435 PS) twin-turbo V6 is rumored to be making way for a new electrically-assisted inline six that features a single motor integrated with the automatic transmission.
Apparently derived from the powertrain in the S580e PHEV, it could deliver a total system output of around 503 hp (510 PS) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) for a low-four-second zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) time. But what we don’t yet know is how far it will go on a full charge of its battery.
The latest C63 S E Performance swapped its V8 for a PHEV inline four, but the hybrid system is so performance-biased and the battery so small (6.1 kWh) that it can only cover 8 miles (13 km) on electric power. The S580e, on the other hand, has a large 28.6 kWh battery and can deliver a genuine 70 miles (113 km) of zero emissions driving.
Related: Mercedes-AMG E53 Plug-In Hybrid Spied In Sedan And Wagon Form
But while we don’t yet know those powertrain details we do at least have a fair idea how the rest of the package will stack up thanks to a combination of information already available about the non-AMG E-Class and these images of a prototype wearing minimal disguise.
Like the regular Mercedes-badged E-Class, the E53 will come as a sedan and a wagon, and it’ll share many of the same features, including the star motif in the taillights, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14.4-inch infotainment system and an available 12.3-inch passenger display. But an AMG-specific steering wheel and seats will lift the interior, and the E53 will show its performance colors on the outside via a classic AMG Panamericana grille, large alloys covering big brakes and quartet of round tailpipes.
We’re expecting the AMG E53 to make its debut either late this year or early next, with sales starting in mid 2024. But it’s likely that only the sedan will be available in North America, where it will inevitably cost more than the $81,300 currently being charged for the 2023 sedan.
Images: SH Proshots