Skip to main content

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

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.

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
The Lucid Gravity has more range than any other electric SUV
A Lucid Gravity electric SUV on the road.

The Lucid Air is a marvelous electric car. It offers more range than any EV currently on sale, plus impressive performance and tech. However, it’s also a sedan, and therefore will always have limited reach in a marketplace dominated by SUVs. Enter the Lucid Gravity, a seven-passenger, three-row SUV launching in 2024 that will allow Lucid to reach a wider audience.

The Gravity is a sensible follow-up to the Air. Having introduced itself to the world with that sedan, Lucid can now channel some of the buzz into a vehicle aimed at a larger patch of the market. But it also presents a challenge. In order to create a true SUV, Lucid had to make the Gravity heavier and less aerodynamic than the Air, cutting into the efficiency that was a hallmark of the sedan’s design.

Read more
Amazon and Hyundai partner on online car sales, in-car services
A 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe in front of a giant Amazon box.

At the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, Amazon and Hyundai announced a partnership that will bring Amazon Alexa Built-in apps to future Hyundai vehicles and will make Hyundai the first brand in Amazon's planned foray into online car sales.

Starting in 2025, "next-generation" Hyundai vehicles will offer the same Alexa experience users get at home, the automaker's announcement said. Drivers will be able to ask Alexa to play music podcasts or audiobooks, set reminders, update to-do lists, and check calendars, as well as control smart-home functions. The built-in Alexa functionality will also include real-time traffic and weather information, as well as voice control for navigation systems. "Certain" features will be available even when internet access is limited.

Read more
Volvo EM90 electric minivan: price, release date, range, and more
Volvo EM90 Driving

If you want an electric SUV, crossover, or sedan, you're spoiled for choices right now. Kia EV6? Rivian R1S? Volvo EX30? All great picks.

But what if you want ... a minivan?

Read more