Mercedes AMG Unveils the New E63 S Station Wagon

Mercedes AMG announced today the return of the Mercedes AMG E63 S Wagon, a car that will certainly be one of the least sold cars AMG will bring to America this year. Why? Because Americans are fools, convinced that the crossover is the car they want.

The new AMG E63 S will be powered by the 4.0-liter V8 biturbo workhorse we’ve loved so much in the Mercedes AMG E63 S, Mercedes AMG C63 S and the divine AMG GT. The E63 S Wagon will generate a blinding 603-horsepower atop a fully variable 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive platform.

We applaud the AMG E63 S Wagon. Strenuously. It has published 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds, making it the new record-holder in its class. It’s also a serious Autobahn cruiser, with a chipped top speed of 180 mph.

Station wagons have everything an American needs: seats for the whole family, a tailgate, enough storage space for everyone but hoarders and the over-fertile. We grew up rolling around in the way back of a 1980 Pontiac Parisienne. The Mercedes E-Class wagon may be the best in class today. Three years ago, I camped out in the back of an AMG E63 Wagon in the Imperial Sand Dunes for two days. But I’ve also held an unhealthy obsession with the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, and presume the Volvo V90 to be sufficiently Volvo-esque.

The styling may take some getting used to. In profile, car seems to suffer a bit from the AMG-specific “power dome” contours on the hood, combining with the lengthened wheelbase to make it appear somewhat less athletic than it actually performs. But viewed from most angles, it’s exactly what we want from an AMG station wagon: sleek, speedy, and aggressive.  

The transmission is AMG’s SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9-speed tuned to the requirements of the E63 S Wagon, and, according to the press release, “features re-engineered hardware and software … that enables extremely short shift times and fast multiple downshifts, while the double-clutching function makes for an emotional gearshifting experience.”

The way back of this wagon is also big: 35 cubic-feet of capacity with the second row of seats upright. Knock ’em down, and you’re set for three days of camping in the desert.

This may not be the most anticipated car this year for most, but It gives us a serious case of the feels. Call you dealer, put your name on a list. The E63 S Wagon arrives in in the fall of 2017.