It has the stonk of the old AMG E 63, but aims for fuel sipping sainthood.

AN equivalent combined power output to the outgoing E63 S V8, but from something smaller - a turbocharged six-cylinder with (surely no surprise) a fair whack of mains-fed electrical assist.

The Mercedes-AMG E53 PHEV has launched in New Zealand for $199,900, prior to adding extras.

It’s a flagship of a family of two, the other being the four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol E300 that achieved the mantle of 2024 New Zealand Car of the Year.

But it’s not THE flagship.

Another E63 is en route and it’ll as always be more belligerent, more bombastic, if not necessarily more ballistic.

The brand suggests the model that has just arrived is set to be the most powerful E-Class. Whereas the future E 63 will likely be more thrill-tastic.

What’s also being dispelled is thought that the E 53 is not a car with the BMW M5 and Audi RS 6 in its sights. There’s good reason why it’s cheaper than those hard-edged monsters.

The E 53’s role is more diplomatic; it’s proposed as being a new type of powerful, efficient and rounded E-Class that sits below its hardcore former rivals.

The drivetrain comprises a turbocharged 3-litre straight-six petrol engine mated to an electric motor and 25.4kWh battery pack.

That sort of thing mounted in a same-badged type in the previous E-Class, but that car was a mild hybrid, whereas this one is designed to not only revive with kinetic energy but also to draw mains-supplied electric energy via a plug as well.

Peak power and torque are 330kW and 560Nm, so another 10kW and 40Nm more than came out of the predecessor model. The plug-in hybrid technology brings an additional 120kW.

The edition for NZ and Australia adopts as standard an AMG Dynamic Plus package that’s optional in Europe. This ramps up the performance and delivers a Race Start mode that revises the software and enables an extra 19kW during short bursts of throttle.

But, anyway, peak combined power comes to 450kW - so, a match for the previous E63 - and the 0-100kmh time is 3.8 seconds. The last E63 claimed 3.4s.

Torque-wise? It’s well-provisioned. An extra 480Nm is able to be generated from the electric motor, but these peak figures are never produced at the same time, so it’s not a simple sum to reach a combined peak output. Benz quote the system peak as 750Nm.

So it’s mighty, but not full phat AMG mighty. The drivetrain is what Benz calls the P2 system; so labeled because the electric motor is mounted within the forward section of the gearbox.

That fundamentally differs from the 'P3' hybrid systems used by AMG's E Performance-badged models (C63, S63, GT 63), which carry their electric motor within the rear axle instead.

Either way, the oomph is routed to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission, which is actively variable depending on the available grip and selected driver mode.

Aside from Race Start, it has six driving set-ups: Individual, Battery Hold, Electric, Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus.

Due entirely to the sheer size of the battery pack on board, AMG is claiming an EV range of up to 100 kilometres. That’s using the NEDC calculation tool that is accepted in Australia, where Benz does its regional maths, but not in New Zealand.

We’ve advanced to the more accurate WLTP scale as has Germany; the factory says 93 to 101km without reliance on the petrol engine, up to a limited top speed of 140kmh. Testing by one leading automotive magazine based in Britain suggests real world electric range is around 80km.

The absolute economy figure of 1.7 litres per 100 kilometres is also regionally gauged to NEDC calculation. CO2 is down to 19-23 grams per kilometre in optimal circumstances.

The car having a 400V electrical system means it’s able to be charged on a DC fast charger at up to 60kW. Benz says this allows for a 10-80 percent fill in just 20 minutes. Kinetic energy can be recuperated in four individual stages and stored in the battery at up to 120kW.

Of course, the compromise of such a big battery is weight, so this model tips the scales at 2390kg. That’s some 290kg more than the type it succeeds, a factor reflecting its complex electrified drivetrain and larger dimensions.So it’s phat with fat.

Added features over the $134,100 Mercedes-Benz E300 include 20-inch AMG lightweight alloy wheels, an AMG exterior design with wider front fenders, larger brakes, AMG Ride Control steel-spring suspension, adaptive dampers, and rear-axle steering.

Benz has four optional enhancement packages.

With the $3000 AMG Night Package exterior elements such as the front splitter and exterior mirror housings are finished in high-gloss black. The radiator shell, the door handles and the Mercedes star at the rear are in black chrome, so too the tailpipe trims.This package includes 20-inch AMG 10-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels in matte.

For $6000 there’s a AMG Carbon Fibre Package which is pretty self-explanatory, likewise the $5000 performance seat option. The usual Energising package that is more comfort-attuned, to point of including a perfume dispenser, is $5300.