The Mercedes S63 E Performance Is Fast but Flawed: Review

Performance plug-in hybrids are all the rage these days. As many automakers pull back on their overly ambitious EV initiatives, they’re starting to flood the market with PHEV performance cars instead. We’ve seen it most recently from BMW and Porsche, but Mercedes-Benz was one of the first brands to get its AMG-ified plug-ins onto the market.

The first so-called “S E Performance Hybrid” debuted in 2021. The GT63 4-Door featured Benz’s first battery-assisted V-8 with a whopping 831 horsepower and an earth-moving 1,000 lb-ft of torque. Soon, the C-Class, G-Class, GLC, and S-Class would follow, each with ridiculous amounts of battery-assisted power and a few miles of EV-only range to boot.

But there’s a problem. In the four years since the first S E Performance model rolled off the factory floor in Stuttgart, other automakers have had time to catch up. The new BMW M5 is outrageously fast, the Panamera S E-Hybrid is unbelievably refined, and the Bentley Flying Spur Speed is damn near perfect.

The Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance, unfortunately, doesn’t stack up well against them.

Don’t get me wrong, there is still lots to like about the S63 E Performance. It’s a big, fast, floaty sedan with a ton of power for straight-line bombing. What’s not to like? Blending AMG’s buttery smooth twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with a 13.1-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a motor mounted to the rear axle results in 791 horsepower and 1,055 pound-feet of torque. That sends this super saloon to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155.

The S63 is a riot at speed. It rockets off the line in Sport+ mode with immediate thrust from the electric motor and gobs of extra power higher in the rev range from the gas-powered V-8. It’s stupid quick, and the nine-speed automatic cogs through each gear with a rifle-like recoil that is oh-so-satisfying when moving quickly.

The handling is no less impressive. For such a hilariously big sedan—tipping the scales at over 5,700 pounds—the S63 performs admirably when you flick it into a turn. There’s body roll, sure, but not nearly as much as you’d expect. Much credit to the highly adaptive air suspension. The power steering is perfectly weighted and the response times are immediate; Getting the S63’s nose to go exactly where you want it is no problem courtesy of the rear-axle steering.

Pros: Looks Beautiful, Fast As Hell, Comfortable As Hell, Still An S-Class

But unless your commute includes a lap of the Nurburgring, the S63—surprisingly—doesn’t fare as well as a daily.

This car, interestingly, has two gearboxes. The nine-speed automatic is paired to the gas engine and sends power to all four wheels, while the electric motor has a two-speed automatic that sends power exclusively to the back tires. The end result is a powertrain that’s clunky at low speeds, thudding its way around town as it tries to decide between gas and electric. Even the regenerative braking is too aggressive in its gentlest setting. Everything just feels harsh—hugely disappointing for a car otherwise so synonymous with comfort.

The good news is, there’s a quick fix: Just skip the battery.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Tick over to Battery Hold on the steering-wheel-mounted drive mode selector and the S63 S E Performance sheds most of its clunky electrons for smooth, sultry V-8 power. In this case, the car uses V-8 power almost exclusively and focuses on charging the battery instead. Sure, it sort of defeats the purpose of the S E Performance powertrain—but it makes for a much better experience around town.

The V-8 is sumptuous. Acceleration is silky smooth and there’s still enough power to get you going in a straight line quickly. There’s no fumbling with electric-to-gas transitions at low speed, and thankfully, no regenerative braking. It’s almost as if… the S63 is better without a battery. Who knew?

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Cons: Unrefined At Low Speeds, Too Many Pricey Options

Or you can take the opposite approach and use electricity exclusively—but only for a few miles. The S63 E Performance can drive 16 miles on battery power alone, and it’s a nice experience. The S63 feels just as natural in complete silence as it does bombing down a straight. The single permanently excited synchronous motor produces up to 188 hp in 10-second intervals—for quick bursts of acceleration—or 94 hp consistently. That’s plenty for puttering around town.

The air suspension is refined no matter the drive mode. Even in Sport+, it smooths out harsh pavement with no problem. In Comfort, it does a phenomenal job of floating over even the most jagged asphalt. Passengers should have no problem staying comfy over long distances.

Every S-Class is stylish, and the S63 E Performance is no exception. It gets a huge trapezoidal AMG grille with vertical Panamericana slats, special 21-inch forged wheels, and in this case, an absolutely stunning Manufaktur Kalahari Gold paint job—a cool $1,750 option.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The lavish cabin is no less impressive. Cosseted black Nappa leather covers the seats ($3,110) and a healthy heaping of carbon fiber trim coats the dash ($3,700)—you know, because performance. Piano black trim coats the center console and surrounds the tablet-style infotainment screen, and it’s prone to fingerprints. But it’s the only material that feels out of place in an otherwise excellent cabin.

The center screen measures 12.8 inches, and the digital instrument cluster is a sizable 12.3 inches. The MBUX infotainment system is easy to use but starting to feel dated; the graphics look a decade old and the on-screen controls are cluttered. There are still very few hard buttons for basic functions, and the touch-capacitive controls on the steering wheel and for the seats are unnecessarily complicated. Just give us actual buttons.

So what’s the asking price for all this complicated performance? $183,400 with destination included. Yeah, not exactly a bargain. What’s more annoying is that there are still so many expensive options to add to this already top-of-the-line S-Class. This special Manufaktur paint is $1,750, the 21-inch black wheels are $3,300, the fancier rear seats are $4,150, and the premium Burmester 4D audio system is—wait for it—a whopping $6,800.

All told, this tester comes out to $206,960. And frankly, it just doesn’t feel worth it.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

The new BMW M5 is a deal by comparison at $120,675. Spend a bit more and you can get into the excellent Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid for $228,000. Go a bit further still and you can hop into the phenomenal Bentley Flying Spur speed for $276,450.

Sure, this S63 is bonkers fast in a straight line, pretty nice in the corners, and comfortable as hell. But adding battery power to what was already the excellent S63—though gaining more power—essentially makes the performance sedan less likable as a whole. It’s a shame.

58

Jeff Perez / Motor1