Road Test Figures: 2025 Mercedes-AMG E53
Posted September 19, 2025
By: Marius Boonzaier
We strap our test equipment to the Mercedes-AMG E53 to see how the German marque’s performance-focused E-Class fares on our test strip.
With no official word yet on the introduction of a new E63, the E53 currently spearheads Mercedes-AMG’s E-Class lineup. The E53 employs the Affalterbach automaker’s 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, which pairs the latter, 330 kW/560 N.m internal combustion engine (ICE) with a 120 kW/480 N.m electric motor for a combined system output of 430 kW and 750 N.m of torque.
According to the German marque, these figures allow the all-paw executive sedan to complete the obligatory 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.0 seconds. Though, checking the right option box shaves two-tenths of a second off the claimed time thanks to the accompanied 20 kW increase in power. (It is worth noting that the E53 Edition 1, which is limited to just 12 units in our market, has this option ticked as standard.) The top speed is electronically governed to 250 km/h, with 280 km/h available as an option (standard in the Edition 1).
In August 2025, we bested the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance’s 2.8-second 0-100 km/h claim. So, when the E53 arrived at the CAR garage, we were curious to see if we can best this model’s claimed time, too.
2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 Acceleration Times
On our test strip, the 2 436 kg (tested; 2 315 kg, claimed) E53 press car hunkered down before accelerating to 100 km/h from a standstill in 3.8 seconds, before breaching the 200 km/h marker 8.95 seconds later, at 12.75 seconds. The E53 covered the quarter mile in 11.87 seconds at a speed of 192 km/h. In the overtaking acceleration stakes, the all-paw sedan proved equally impressive; recording 80-100, 100-120 and 120-140 km/h times of 0.98, 1.19 and 1.38 seconds, respectively.
2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 Braking Times
In our stringent emergency braking regimen, the E53 managed a best 100-0 km/h time of 2.67 seconds, with the worst time being 3.1 seconds. Over the 10-stop test, we recorded an average stopping time of 2.85 seconds, garnering the E53 an ‘excellent’ rating by our standards, over a distance of 41.58 metres.
2025 Mercedes-AMG E53 Specifications
- Price: R2 514 203
- Powertrain: 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, turbopetrol + electric motor
- Transmission: 9-speed dual-clutch
- Driven wheels: all
- Power: 430 kW (450 kW opt.) @ 5 800-6 100 r/min
- Torque: 750 N.m @ 2 200-5 000 r/min
- 0-100 km/h: 3.8 seconds (tested)
- Top speed: 250 km/h (280 km/h opt.)
