2026 Mercedes -Amg E53 Wagon is much cheaper than its competition, but has similar performance – Jalopnik

Mercedes-Benz owned the high-performance car space for years with the AMG E-class car, but there was a hole in the line-up after the W213 E63 had gone out of production in 2023, making the Audi RS6 Avant and BMW M5 Tour to save its potential sales. Now Mercedes-AMG is back with the E53 plug-in-hybrid car, and it promises to bring a lot of performance for a much lower price than its predecessor.

The new E53 car starts at $ 94,500, including destination. That is of course not cheap, but if you look at the two most important competitors – the aforementioned RS6 Avant and M5 Touring – it is actually a really solid value. Those two cars start at $ 131,995 and $ 127,675 respectively. It is clear that they are both at a slightly higher performance level than the E53, but I am not so sure that those statistics will compensate for a price of $ 35,000 on average. It is even a lot cheaper than the old E63 car from past days. In 2023 that car started at around $ 122,000.

Again, it is not as if the E53 hurts for power and performance. Since this is not a full E63, it does not get a Twin-Turbo V8 or something similar, but you are still being treated to a 3.0-liter inline-six made of turbocommressor as the basis for the PHEV rowing line. When that is combined with a permanently excited synchronous electric motor fed from a 21.2 kWh battery, the system will postpone a total of 577 hp (which is raised to 604 hp with the Race Start option) and 553 pound-foot torque. The power is led by an automatic transmission with nine gears to all four wheels and it is sufficient power to push the large 0-60 car in just 4.0 seconds (or 3.8 seconds with racing start launch control). It continues with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph if you hold your foot in it; That number will bump up to 174 MPH if you choose the AMG Dynamic Plus package. Oh, and moreover it can travel an EPA rating 41 miles without having a drop of gas.

Of course, when it comes to strength, the RS6-Avant (621 hp and 627 LB-FT torque) and M5 Touring (717 hp and 738 LB-FT torque) have the Mercedes, but the delta is not as big as you can first assume. I know that you were worried that this non-top dog AMG would not have enough strength, but see, there is nothing to worry about!

There are more than 10 different exterior paint colors and three design packages to choose from: the AMG exterior carbon fiber package, AMG Night package and AMG Night package Plus. The E53 is also supplied as standard with 20-inch wheels, but it can be upgraded to 21-inch forged units if you feel spicy.

Inside, the car is supplied as standard with a Nappa learning wheel, a Burmester 4D-star system and a 14.4-inch central infotainment display. You can add the optional MBUX superscreen to get an extra 12.3-inch front passenger screen, so that the man next to you does not have to reach that far. As always, there are dozens of different interior finishes, material and color choices available to make your Mercedes all own.

There are also three equipment levels to choose from. The standard car is supplied with AMG rit control and adaptive dampers, 2.5 degrees active power steering and a panoramic sliding sun roof. From there you can add the exclusive trim, including digital light, heat and noise-insulated glass and active environmental lighting. If you are still not satisfied, get informed of the top. That brings you animated projections of the headlights, climate control with four zone, a head-up display and an MBUX interior assistant to perform as your friend.

Mercedes-AMG expects the 2026 E53 Hybrid Wagon to hit the trader floors that starts in the fall of 2025, and if you want to mark the opportunity in a special way, you can opt for the 2026-all edition of 2026. Interior finish.