It’s barely two months into the new year, but Mercedes has already lifted the covers off what quite possibly will be the hottest estate car of 2017: the new Mercedes-AMG E 63 Estate.
You can have it in two flavours, the regular E 63 Estate or the even faster E 63 S, but both come powered by the same 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine hooked up to a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
The standard car gets 563bhp, enough to rocket from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds, while the S version gets a maximum of 604bhp and can complete the benchmark sprint in 3.5 seconds.
Both cars are electronically limited to 155mph as standard, though if you’re really in a rush on the school run you can specify the optional AMG Driver’s Package to raise the Vmax limit to 180mph.
Incredibly, Mercedes says that both models will be able to return up to 31mpg with 214g/km of CO2, not bad figures for such an out-and-out performance machine.
Mercedes’ 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive is standard too, but it’s only the S which comes with the Drift Mode feature, which essentially uncouples the front axle from the drivetrain.
That instantly transforms the car into rear-wheel drive only for all manner of skiddy, sideways hooliganism, while the S also gets dynamic engine mounts and larger brakes.
It’s not all pyrotechnics however, as each car is just as plush as you’d expect any Mercedes-Benz to be, with black nappa leather upholstery, carbon fibre-look dials and a widescreen infotainment display.
Happily, both cars also come with the same huge 1,820-litre boot that the regular E Class estate has, making it one of the most sensible silly cars available on the market.
How much, you ask? Well, full pricing and specification hasn’t yet been released, but the car is due to go on sale this April and prices are expected to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
