First Drive: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG 4MATIC
BARCELONA, Spain — It looks like the folks at Mercedes-Benz have
deemed smoky burnouts, lurid donuts and oversteering drifts are now verboten.
Because while the refreshed 2014 E 63 AMG sedans and wagons can now
sport up to a supercar-like 585 horsepower, all that extra oomph is
being reined in via a new, AMG-designed version of Mercedes’ 4MATIC
all-wheel-drive system.
All-wheel-drive isn’t new to the German automaker’s high-performance
AMG portfolio, but only on SUVs such as the ML 63 AMG. Yet more and more
luxury sedan customers are demanding the potential safety of traction
at all four wheels, especially when there’s gobs of power on hand. So,
as part of a mid-cycle refresh that sees the entire lineup get new
exterior and interior styling and a host of other upgrades, the only
rear-wheel-drive model left in the 2014 E-Class range is the E 400
Hybrid.
Just like AMG’s first try at combining
nuclear-grade power with a mundane Mercedes mid-sized car, the 1986
Hammer, the new AMG E-Class continues its predecessors Jekyll and Hyde
impersonations.
But we’re not driving hybrids today. Nope. We’re in sunny Spain,
northeast of Barcelona. Where the idea of having to deal with snow or
ice on roads is as foreign as toques and long underwear. Funnily enough,
this is where AMG decided to launch its first-ever AWD car. (In truth,
the new E 63 AMG will still be available in some foreign markets as a
rear driver.)
HandoutA redesigned cockpit simplifies some of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG's controls.
When they go on sale in Canada this September, the 2014
five-passenger, four-door E 63 AMG 4MATIC sedan and wagon will be
available in two levels of tune. The “regular” model gets 557 hp and 531
pound-feet of torque (gains of 39 and 15, respectively). There’s also
the new E 63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC, with its outrageous 585 hp and 590
lb-ft rating. Both models continue using a twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre
eight-cylinder. As before, AMG’s seven-speed MCT (multi-clutch
transmission) is the lone gearbox choice.
Even with the additional 70 kilograms, AMG says the new AWD gear adds
to the E 63 AMG, zero to 100 kilometres per hour acceleration times
have been shaved by about half a second. At 3.6 seconds, the quickest
model is the E 63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC sedan. The relatively slowest is
the E 63 AMG 4MATIC Wagon, but only 0.2 seconds behind. For comparison,
an $82,300 Audi S6 4.0 TFSI Quattro sedan (with 420 hp) takes 4.7
seconds, while a RWD, $101,500 BMW M5 sedan (560 hp) takes 4.4 seconds.
Base prices for the 2014 models haven’t been announced yet, but we
don’t expect any huge gains over last year’s $99,700/$102,300 for the
rear-drive E 63 AMG sedan/wagon, with perhaps a $12,000 to $15,000
premium for the S-Models.
Just like AMG’s first try at combining nuclear-grade power with a
mundane Mercedes mid-sized car, the 1986 Hammer, the new AMG E-Class
continues its predecessors Jekyll and Hyde
impersonations.
When cruising, the Mercedes is a roomy, gadget-laden, comfortable,
luxury sedan, capable of handling both a long drive with the family and a
daily commute. Employing the standard AMG Ride Control’s least
aggressive of four selectable driving modes, Controlled Efficiency, the
fuel-saving ECO start/stop function is active and the auto box’s
gearshifts are soft, smooth and early in the rev range.
Knowing what lies underneath your right foot in the E 63 AMG, though,
is like holding a grenade. Before you pull the pin, you’ll want to
dial-up the tauter Sport and Sport+ modes. Suddenly, the AMG-tuned
Mercedes grows fangs, the exhaust barks like a Gatling gun and the big
sedan rockets ahead like a car half its size. And now with traction at
all four wheels, drivers without racing licenses have more confidence,
too.
To prevent said burnouts, spinning donuts, etc., AMG split the torque
33:67 front-to-rear (instead of varying the split between 30:70 and
70:30 as the road conditions dictate in the original, 4MATIC system) and
added a three-stage electric stability program to its Torque Vectoring
Brake system that can brake individual wheels when the ESP’s more
lenient Sport Handling mode is selected.
Despite its gaudy power ratings, it was quite easy to access all the
mojo from the topline, E 63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC sedan I drove. A revised
suspension blesses the 2014 version with a more direct and communicative
feel. Turn-in seems sharper than the old RWD version (I’m assuming that
the front wheels are helping out here, but the AWD was transparent on
the dry, Spanish roads). And you can now apply the throttle earlier and
with more thrust, with less fear you’re going to spin your $100,000-plus
super sedan/wagon into the woods.
Hoon artists won’t be happy. And back in Canada, you’ll need a
racetrack to get the full measure of the E 63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC’s
supercar-like performance. However, now knowing AWD is now along for the
ride should only tempt drivers to exploit the AMG sedan’s outrageous
power on a more regular basis on public roads all year round.
Click Here to Download full Songs!
0 comments:
Post a Comment