2024 Mercedes-AMG S63 First Drive: Marvel at This Hybrid Super Sedan’s Immense Power

As high-displacement engines fade into antiquity, AMG's old modus operandi of stuffing a bigger mill under the hood no longer suffices. Thankfully, Mercedes' high-performance division hasn't yet forsaken combustion.

Central to the new AMG S63's brawn is the venerated M177, a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that develops 603 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. Remember when that would've been more enough for a sporty sedan? Those days are gone: Electrification is now key to achieving higher output while meeting emissions standards.

Similar to how AMG enhances engines, it now tunes motors and batteries for higher performance—to the extent enthusiasts should revere internal codes for those as they do engines like the M177. One to laud here is HPB 150, which denotes a 13.1-kWh battery containing 1,200 cylindrical cells mounted beneath the trunk.

AMG's engineers insist the HPB 150 is designed for power more than efficiency or range. Its chemistry is formulated for rapid discharging and recharging, letting it boost acceleration before regenerating efficiently under braking. This strategy is said to be inspired by Mercedes' hybrid-powertrain Formula 1 race cars.

Battery temperature is critical for such performance, so each cell in the HPB 150 is immersed in a cooling liquid cycled through a direct-mounted heat exchanger. This allows for preservation of a steady temperature, and thus consistent power output in demanding driving conditions.

Even if the HPB 150 isn't intended for range, it still gives the new S63 the ability to travel approximately 17 miles on electricity alone. It can recharge at up to 3.7 kW when plugged in, for a stated 20 to 100 percent charging time of about 3.5 hours.

The HPB 150 supplies energy to a permanently excited synchronous (read: always on) motor integrated with the electronically controlled rear differential. Spinning at up to 13,500 rpm, this motor typically makes 94 hp but can produce 188 hp in 10-second intervals for launches and other dynamic scenarios.

Thanks to this electrification, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S63 is much stronger than it'd be if it had a V-8 engine alone—it's more powerful than any V-12, pure EV, or Black Series model AMG has ever created. Total powertrain output measures 791 hp and 1,055 lb-ft, numbers lower only than the GT63 S E Performance and One hypercar in the marque's lineup.

A pair of transmissions channel that output to 4Matic all-wheel drive. Behind the engine is AMG's nine-speed wet-clutch takeoff automatic, while the electric motor uses an independent two-speed.

This electric transmission allows for power delivery all the way up to the S63's (governed) 155-mph terminal velocity, but its shift point is based on multiple factors including ground speed. Only the nine automatic transmission gears are selectable by the paddle shifters, but since any of those could be paired with the electric transmission's two speeds, 18 ratios are technically possible.

To experience the new 2024 Mercedes-AMG S63, the company invited us to west Los Angeles and up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, full of twisting, satisfying mountain roads we know well.

We held some skepticism leading up to the drive. Malibu's undulating, technical roads are more suited to lithe sports cars than muscular barges; straightaways are few on this drive. Having recently spent time in a 2023 S580e hybrid—and adoring its plush demeanor while lamenting its unwieldy road manners—we knew the S63 would need to be transformed to handle Malibu and justify its estimated $160,000 price tag.

Like the S580e, the S63 AMG starts in all-electric mode, but a short distance sufficed to show that's about where the cars' driving similarities end. The S63's electric motor responds with immediate, linear responses akin to sporty EVs. Maneuvering through traffic, the S63's steering felt significantly more direct and accurate than lesser S-Class models'.

But our cruise up the coast proved that, whatever happened next, the S63 is still very much an S-Class. Each of the four seats offers massaging, ventilation, and heating; the steering wheel and armrests are heated, too. Materials and appointments are exceptional; absent headrest pillows for the front seats is our only complaint. Technology verges on overbearing: Beyond the dual-display dashboard, a massive head-up display projects a vast array of reconfigurable information. Everything inside is drenched by sound waves emitting from the Burmester audio system.

Even though the S63's air suspension doesn't erase road textures like its lineup counterparts, the ride remains smooth and settled. Appropriate for an AMG like this, it provides sufficient information about the surface beneath while insulating against uncomfortable impacts.

Although the electric motor can accelerate the S63 to highway speeds, it seems to soften as it nears those. Pushing through a digital kick-down point fires the engine and sets the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S63 into Hybrid mode. As it does, a faint V-8 rumble disturbs the quietude—but nothing like our profane exclamations when we booted the accelerator.

Certain subtleties hint at how disparate power sources work together to move the S63. The powertrain is more reactive than makes sense for a turbocharged engine, yet it has a rev range quite unlike the motors of a full EV. It's just slightly odd.

In the moment, though, the countless calculations between software and hardware within the S63 are invisible. Steering deeper into Malibu's hills, all we could sense is how tremendously powerful the car is. All-wheel drive, broad Michelin tires, and traction control seemed barely sufficient to contain its four-figure torque peak. Instead, the S63 engaged us to be judicious in how much to press its accelerator—too far, and the tires might've vaporized.

The S63's Race Start function delivers a stupendous launch, slamming the car's body down on the rear tires and lightening the front end as all tires scratch for grip. Only after reaching 60 mph in a claimed 3.2 seconds could we gather our thoughts to appreciate how effectively the S63 accelerates despite its weight.

Indeed, the S63's abilities are impressive considering its heft: AMG estimates it presses more than 5,700 pounds into the ground. Through Malibu corners, rear-wheel steering and active roll stabilization worked mightily to make the sizable S63 feel smaller and more controlled, such that it felt in its element on these challenging roads.

Nevertheless, carefully stabilizing that heft was a constant exercise. There's plenty of tire grip, but only so much can contain the S63's inertia before it starts to push wide. Applying power early in a corner unloads the nose, but substantial battery mass perpetually hangs above the rear axle.

Likewise, the carbon-ceramic brakes seem taxed in decelerating the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S63 despite their 15-plus-inch diameter. In AMG fashion, stopping power builds in a feelsome and intuitive way. These brakes avoid fade and the abrupt changeovers from regenerative to friction braking endemic among hybrids. Thankfully, AMG decided against the self-moving brake pedal that confounds in the EQS.

More brake bite and immediacy would add confidence, but the system's linearity makes smooth stops easy. It's an engineered feel that balances the S63's need to excel in around-town cruising and high-performance scenarios.

Excel, it does. The electrified 2024 Mercedes-AMG S63 delivers more luxury and sport than any AMG S-Class before. Its hybrid powertrain bestows it with broad capabilities ranging from silent all-electric commuting to thrilling, physics-defying back-road blasts.

AMG's past combustion vehicles have been fantastic, and its future EVs should be the same. As the 2024 S63 E Performance bridges these two eras, it could be remembered as a significant model in AMG's history—to say nothing of its epic power.