New Mercedes-AMG E 63 is no faster, but did it need to be?

First came the leak. Now the flood of information.

Mercedes-AMG has released all the details of its updated E 63, which it says has been a "central model" for the performance brand since the iconic "Hammer" of 1986. Translation: it's big and angry.

There have been some striking styling changes at the front, including the now-signature AMG "Panamericana" grille with 12 vertical bars, flatter LED headlamps, larger front wheel arch flares and a reshaped front apron in a "jet wing" design.

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It looks pretty leery, although Mercedes-AMG insists that it's all for functional reasons; feel free to insert a "yeah right" here. The new grille improves airflow to the biturbo V8 engine, while the outer intakes in the apron guide air in a more targeted way thanks to two transverse louvres.

There's also a new splitter that reduces front axle lift.

Under the bonnet, the 4.0l biturbo V8 still makes 420kW/750Nm in "standard" form and 450kW/850Nm in the S, driving all four wheels through a nine-speed AMG Speedshift gearbox with wet start-off clutch.

So no change there and no sign of the 48-volt mild-hybrid technology already confirmed for the forthcoming GLE 63 S SUV (which is the crossover equivalent of the E Class, remember). 

Read more: F1-inspired turbo tech for next Mercedes-AMG C 63

But with Dynamic Engine Mounts and 0-100km/h in 3.4/3.5 seconds for the E 63, there's probably little reason to be dissatisfied with the powertrain package.

If you don't want to go the full S version, you can now option the AMG Dynamic Plus Package into the standard E 63, which brings Race programme including Drift Mode, the bigger brakes and the AMG steering wheel from the S.

Inside, the E 63 has moved to the new-generation MBUX interior layout and technology, including the "Hey Mercedes" intelligent voice assistant. The old-style rotary controller has gone, in favour of a simple touchpad on the centre console.

The revised E 63 is expected in New Zealand at the end of this year, with pricing yet to be announced. The current model is $206,100-$236,700.

To view all Mercedes-Benz E 63 models listed on Driven, click here