Mercedes took the wraps off the facelifted E-Class sedan and wagon at the beginning of the month by showing nearly all versions up to the AMG E53. Saving the best for last, the range-topping E63 should be out later this year with the same significant styling changes, varying from new lights to the Panamericana grille. A prototype has now been caught on camera by our spies in Affalterbach near AMG's headquarters and it shows nearly all of the exterior tweaks.
With camouflage only on the front bumper, the test vehicle riding on 19-inch wheels with Michelin Alpin winter tires offers our best look yet at the flagship E-Class model in the wagon body style. It not only has the redesigned headlights and taillights completely exposed, but also a blacked-out version of the Panamericana grille. While the prominent three-pointed star remains hidden underneath camo at the front, Mercedes didn't bother to cover the rear logo. It did conceal the corporate badge on the wheels and also the "AMG" lettering on the grille, while the "V8 BITURBO 4MATIC+" logo was missing from the front fender where you can see the slightly revised piece of trim.
Despite the mascara applied on the front fascia, the redesigned bumper reveals its updated shape with giant air intakes and a different configuration for the lower grille. Together with the Panamericana grille, the revised styling lends the AMG E63 a meaner look. We could say the same thing about the derrière as the redesigned quad exhaust tips flanking a new diffuser give the high-performance wagon a more aggressive appearance.
The interior cabin should be essentially carried over from the lesser versions of the 2021 E-Class lineup, but with the obvious upgrades reserved to the full-fat AMG model. The only real piece of the E63 puzzle that's missing is whether the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine will get a power bump. It pumps out 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet (850 Newton-meters) in the E63 S, but the same engine is tuned to 630 hp and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) in the AMG GT 63 S 4-Door Coupe.
We wouldn't count on the E63 matching its sleeker sibling since Mercedes doesn't want the more affordable model to cannibalize sales of what it describes as being its "four-door supercar." After all, the difference in output is one of the reasons why the price gap between the two is a rather massive $53,850 or the equivalent of a new CLA 45.
With Mercedes only applying camouflage on the front bumper, it likely means an official reveal of the updated E63 is right around the corner. The wagon seen here will have more competition to worry about in the United States where Audi is finally bringing the RS6 Avant.
