The new Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG fulfils its role as the powerful, top-of-the-line E-Class model with effortless superiority. The exterior design conveys presence, precision and typical Mercedes dynamism. Functional sportiness, top quality and consummate business class comfort combine in the interior. In short: it comes across as sporty without being showy.
Dominant, masculine, dynamic – take a look at the new E 63 AMG and you instantly get a sense of these three attributes. The distinctive wings immediately catch the eye in the front section of the high-performance saloon. They are 17 millimetres wider on each side to accommodate the new front axle with its larger track width and the 255/40 front tyres.
The striking AMG front apron is an integral part of the characteristic AMG bodystyling. A central air intake and two side apertures provide an efficient supply of fresh air to the cooling module placed behind. The side air vents in the front apron serve to expel the hot air from the oil coolers. The AMG-specific LED daytime driving lights are another eye-catching detail. In conjunction with the optional Intelligent Light System, the E 63 AMG is equipped with tinted bi-xenon main headlamps.
From the side, the eye is drawn to the 18 or 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels as well as the “6.3 AMG” lettering integrated stylishly into the wings; this lettering is testimony to the powerful eight-cylinder powerpack under the bonnet. The side sill panels pick up the sweeping line of the spoiler edges on the front apron, extending it through to the AMG rear apron – the same line also emphasises the saloon’s width: the two newly designed chrome-plated twin tailpipes of the AMG sports exhaust system, the characteristically black insert and the overlying light-catching contour provide further visual highlights on the muscular rear section.
Sporty and high-grade interior ambience
Luxurious quality, high-grade materials, consummate business class comfort combined with a noticeable degree of dynamism and sportiness – the interior of the E 63 AMG in a nutshell. Dedicated, newly developed electrically adjustable, heated AMG sports seats and AMG badges await the driver and front passenger. All the seats, armrests and door centre panels are trimmed in exquisite leather, the seat centre panels with perforated leather. Three different appointment colours are available: black, mocha brown/almond beige and reef grey/alpaca grey. The perfect finishing touch comes courtesy of the black ashwood trim.
The AMG sports steering wheel in a four-spoke design with a 385-millimetre rim is trimmed with perforated leather in the specially moulded grip areas. Gear selection can be performed manually by means of the AMG aluminium shift paddles with “up” and “down”.
AMG main menu and AMG DRIVE UNIT
Behind the steering wheel lies the equally new AMG instrument cluster with a 320 km/h speedometer scale and silver-coloured backplate. The five classic dial instruments come with a new look, red needles and all-new lettering. AMG lettering adorns the speedometer while “6.3 V8” lettering adds a special touch to the rev counter. The AMG main menu is integrated into the central display of the speedometer, which can be operated conveniently using the multifunction buttons on the AMG sports steering wheel. The three modes “Warm Up”, “Set Up” and “RACE” keep the driver well informed: “Warm Up” indicates the engine oil and coolant temperature, “Set Up” indicates the current ESP® mode, the suspension setting “Comfort”, “Sport” or “Sport Plus” and the transmission mode “C”, “S”, “S+” or “M”. In “RACE” the RACETIMER is ready; this allows the driver to record lap times on private racing circuits.
The AMG DRIVE UNIT, which is familiar from the SL 63 AMG, is angled towards the driver and enables individual settings to be selected for the MCT sports transmission, the ESP functions, the suspension set-up and the AMG drive modes. A completely new feature for the DRIVE UNIT comes in the shape of the AMG E-SELECT selector lever in the centre console. The driver can shift directly between R, N and D simply by nudging the lever, all thanks to drive-by-wire, Briefly pressing the P button is sufficient to activate the parking lock.
The wide range of standard equipment includes (selection):
- Adaptive brake lights
- AMG door entry sills in brushed stainless steel
- AMG sports pedal cluster in brushed stainless steel
- Child Safety package
- THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control
- The wide range of optional extras includes (selection):
- COMAND APS
- DAB – digital radio
- Driving Assistance package
- Rear-seat entertainment system
- Speed Limit Assist
- Intelligent Light System
- KEYLESS-GO package
- Heated steering wheel
- Media interface
- Memory package
- Night View Assist Plus
- PARKTRONIC incl. Parking Guidance
- Tyrepressure monitoring system
- Reversing camera for PARKTRONIC
- Heated/climatised seats
- Sun Protection package
- Lane Tracking package
- Surround-sound system
- TV tuner
- Even more individuality with tailor-made AMG extras
Customers requiring even more sporty individuality are catered for by the AMG Performance Studio: the E 63 AMG can be dynamically enhanced even further ex factory, with the Performance package. This includes the following:
- Lightweight, forged 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels with size 255/35 R 19 tyres at the front and 285/30 R 19 at the rear
- AMG RIDE CONTROL Performance suspension with a stiffer set-up
- AMG rear axle locking differential with 40 percent locking action
- AMG spoiler lip on the boot lid
- AMG Performance steering wheel (365 mm) in a three-spoke design
- Roller blind for rear window
- The high-quality interior ambience of the E 63 AMG can also be substantially enhanced with the AMG Exclusive package. It includes:
- Nappa leather appointments for the AMG sports seats, top section of the dashboard, the beltlines, the door armrests, the centre console and door centre panels
- Roof liner, A, B and C-pillars and sun visors in Alcantara®
- AMG floor mats
- Optional extras from the AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO are also individually available ex factory:
- Lightweight, forged 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels with size 255/35 R 19 tyres at the front and 285/30 R 19 at the rear
- AMG rear axle locking differential with 40 percent locking action
- Brake callipers, painted red (scheduled to be available from 4th quarter of 2009)
- AMG Exterior Carbon package
- AMG Performance steering wheel in a three-spoke design with Alcantara® inserts in the grip areas
- AMG carbon trim elements
- Illuminated AMG door entry sills
- AMG Driver’s Package (restriction of top speed to 300 km/h, attendance at driver training at the AMG Driving Academy, AMG spoiler lip and roller blind for rear window)
- AMG floor mats
- New designo range for the E 63 AMG
The new designo range for the E 63 AMG, which will be available from the end of the year, offers further individualisation options. The designo colour chart includes a total of ten eye-catching colours, including three new matt finishes: designo magno platinum, designo magno allanite grey and designo magno cashmere white. Nine different single-tone designo leather upholstery options and three designo trim elements are available in the interior.
Safety: “Intelligent” partner thanks to unique combination of assistance and protection systems
For more than 50 years, the E-Class Saloons and their predecessors have been the acknowledged trendsetters in the field of automotive safety. The new top-of-the-line E 63 AMG model continues this tradition with an unrivalled combination of the very latest assistance and protection systems whose concept and development are based on what actually happens during accidents.
The systems turn the E-Class into an “intelligent” partner that is able to see, feel, respond reflexively in dangerous situations and act autonomously to prevent accidents or mitigate their effects. With this concept the new E 63 AMG not only protects its own occupants, but also contributes greatly to the safety of other road users.
The new E-Class is the first car in the world to be equipped with headlamps which adapt to the traffic situation and respond automatically to provide the best possible road illumination in a given situation and avoid dazzling other road users. The optional Adaptive Highbeam Assist uses a camera on the windscreen to recognise oncoming traffic and vehicles in front and to control the headlamps so their beams do not reach the other vehicle. The range of the dipped headlamp beams can be extended from the current 65 to as much as 300 metres. If the road ahead is clear, the system performs a gentle transition to high beam. Mercedes-Benz offers this new system in a Light package that includes bi-xenon headlamps, the Intelligent Light System and LED daytime driving lights.
The Lane Tracking package for the E 63 AMG includes Blind Spot Assist familiar from the S-Class, and as a new development, Lane Keeping Assist which seeks to prevent the vehicle from leaving the road unintentionally. When the system recognises that the car is drifting from its lane, the driver is prompted to take countersteering action by three brief but unmistakable vibrations of the steering wheel. The images from the windscreen camera are also used by the new, optionally available Speed Limit Assist, which recognises speed limit signs as the car passes them, then displays the relevant speed limit in the speedometer.
Night View Assist Plus is now also available as an optional extra for the E 63 AMG. Mercedes-Benz has improved this system with a special pedestrian detection function: as soon as Night View Assist Plus recognises pedestrians ahead of the car, they are highlighted in the onboard display to provide a greatly enhanced warning effect.
Detection of drowsiness based on 70 parameters as standard
Thanks to an innovative technology, the new E 63 AMG is very sensitive to its driver’s attention level, and warns him or her of drowsiness in good time. This new ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection system, which is standard equipment, is equipped with highly sensitive sensors that continuously monitor more than 70 different parameters. Observing the driver’s steering behaviour has proved to be a particularly strong indicator: several years of practical research by Mercedes engineers have shown that drowsy drivers make minor steering errors which they often correct very rapidly in characteristic ways. These corrections are recognised by a highly sensitive steering angle sensor.
Automatic emergency braking when a collision is imminent
The well-proven, radar-based assistance systems from the S-Class are now also optionally available to E-Class customers. An enhanced long-range radar sensor now has a range of 200 metres (previously 150 metres), and is able to monitor the mid-distance so that dynamic events such as a vehicle ahead suddenly pulling out to overtake can be detected even more effectively. The two wide-angle short-range radar sensors, which have a range of around 30 metres, continue to be included in the system.
The radar-supported systems are able to assist the driver with emergency braking. Their sensors are linked to the BAS PLUS system, which automatically calculates the braking pressure to prevent a collision in critical situations. The driver is given an audible and visual warning at the same time. When the brake pedal is pressed, the system immediately provides the calculated level of braking assistance.
If the driver fails to respond to the warnings, the radar system first initiates partial braking action. As a second stage, if there is still no driver response and a collision is unavoidable, emergency braking is initiated. This can reduce the severity of an impact considerably as the system can be regarded as a kind of “electronic crumple zone”.
Seven airbags and PRE-SAFE® as standard
During the course of its development, the new E-Class was subjected to more than 150 high-speed crash tests. The crumple zone principle invented by Mercedes safety pioneer Béla Barényi has been continuously honed by the engineers in Sindelfingen. The front-end deformation zone of the E-Class acts on four independent levels, and is even more effective than before. The increased use of extra-high-strength steel alloys also helps to ensure that the bodyshell is able to withstand high impact forces. Around 72 percent of all the body panels are made from these high-tech steels – yet another unrivalled figure in passenger car development.
With seven airbags as standard, belt tensioners, belt force limiters, crash-responsive head restraints and ISOFIX child seat attachments, the E 63 AMG has even more extensive safety features than the preceding model. Another standard feature is the unrivalled anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®. In potentially hazardous situations this reflexively activates precautionary protective measures for the vehicle occupants, so that the seat belts and airbags are able to fulfil their protective function to the full during an impact.
