Mercedes’ 603hp E63 S Wagon equally at home on Autobahn, at Home Depot

By Ronan Glon February 1, 2017

Mercedes-AMG is returning to the superwagon segment with the 2018 E63 S.

The E63 S is based on the E400 station wagon that broke cover last summer. Visually, its tire-slaying performance credentials are announced by a deep, jet-wing-inspired front bumper that incorporates large air dams and a strip of gloss black trim, flared fenders, model-specific emblems on both fenders, and four exhaust tips built into a wide air diffuser. Designers intentionally gave the E63 S a low-key look.

Recommended Videos

AMG offers two distinct variants of the E63 sedan, but the wagon model is only available in the top-spec S trim. It’s equipped with a hand-built, 4.0-liter V8 engine that uses a pair of turbochargers to produce 603 horsepower from 5,750 to 6,500 rpm and 627 pound-feet of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. A nine-speed automatic transmission transfers the eight-cylinder’s grunt to all four wheels via a sport-tuned 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

The E63 S wagon is equally at home on the Nürburgring, on the Autobahn, and at Home Depot. It hits 60 mph from a stop in 3.4 seconds, and its top speed is electronically limited to 180 mph. When hauling cargo is the task of the day, the long-roof offers 35 cubic feet of trunk space with five occupants on board.

No well-rounded performance car would be complete without comprehensive chassis upgrades. The E63 S wagon benefits from an adjustable air suspension system, bigger brakes, a limited-slip rear differential, and speed-sensitive power steering. A built-in drift mode channels 100 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels to let enthusiasts put the sport seat’s lumbar support to the test.

Five driving modes — Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race, and Individual — modify parameters such as the response of the throttle, the transmission, and the all-wheel drive system, as well as the responsiveness of the suspension and the steering. The E63 S can go from a quiet, comfortable highway cruiser to a brutal sports car at the simple push of a button; the only thing that doesn’t change with the different driving modes is the eight-cylinder’s prodigious amount of power.

Station wagons are slowly disappearing from our shores, but Mercedes remains committed to the segment. The E63 S wagon will make its public debut next month at the Geneva Auto Show, and it will arrive in U.S. showrooms in the fall. Pricing information will be released in the weeks leading up to its on-sale date.

Topics

Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Cars

Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says

Blue Tesla Model 3 Highland on the road

Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.

Cars

Stellantis’ 2027 Dodge Charger Daytona might feature solid-state battery tech

Front three quarter view of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan.

The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.