Published on July 6th, 2018 | by Subhash Nair

Say Goodbye to the E350e. Meet the E300 AMG Line.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia have replaced their E350e plug-in hybrid sedan with a petrol-powered E300 AMG Line as the top-of-the-line W213 E-Class. This move was announced at their 1st Half 2018 Media Briefing event. (We will update with better pictures once they’re made available)

Due to local regulations, only a limited number of E350e units were allowed with the current tax incentive system. And during the 0% GST period, all of these were taken up. But not to worry, the E300 AMG Line that replaces it is still pretty juicy.

Well, it’s not QUITE as juicy as the E350e. Besides losing the batteries and electric motor in the PHEV system, you also lose the AIRMATIC suspension and Pre-Entry Climate Control system. But those losses also translate to a reduction in weight. Plus, the 2-litre inline 4 turbo has an upgrade in terms of power output. We go up to 245hp @ 5500rpm and 370Nm @ 1200-4000rpm, which is as potent as this 2-litre gets in the W213. This allows it a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 6.2 seconds (exactly the same as the E350e). Not bad at all for a 4-door sedan.

Aesthetically, it’s a LOT different. We prefer this aesthetic over the E350e’s. The blue calipers were never really the W213’s best look. The 20” Multi-spoke AMG alloy wheels on this model also look a lot more elegant and sporty than the ones on the E350e did. Plus they’re a WHOLE INCH larger.

You still get a 12.3” infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple Carplay and COMAND online.

You also get Nappa leather, Burmester Surround Sound System (13 speakers, 9-channel DSP amp, 640 watts. E350e’s was 590W), Intelligent Multibeam (or as they like to call it MULTIBEAM) LED headlights and of course the AMG-Line body styling. Parking Pilot with a 360-degree camera too is present. Basically, it’s still a very high-spec car.