Next Mercedes-AMG C 63 could ditch the V8 for a hybrid four-cylinder

Tuesday, 2 February 2021

This might rark some of you up. Rumour has it, Mercedes-AMG is going to ditch the V8 for its next C 63 sports coupe, in favour of a four-cylinder hybrid.

The news comes from Car magazine in the UK, which reckons AMG can extract more than 400kW of power and 800Nm of torque from a worked version of its unruly turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder in the A 45 S.

How is that possible? By working smarter, not harder. According to Car, AMG will add three new electrified components to the powertrain: a 150kW rear electric motor (operated independently of the gearbox), a starter-generator mild-hybrid system and an electrically-driven turbocharger.

The thunderous days of a V8-powered C-Class could be coming to an end.

All in, the electrifed four-pot makes 35kW and 100Nm more than the outgoing C 63 S and 35kW/200Nm over the forthcoming BMW M3 Competition.

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Mercedes-AMG is reportedly about to ditch the twin-turbo V8 in favour of a two-litre, electrified four-cylinder.

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As is the norm, drive will be sent to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic to the 4Matic+ all-wheel drive system (which will also have a drift mode, probably). Expect 0-100kmh times around the 3.5 second mark.

As for economy, we should see an electric-only range of about 64km with a projected fuel consumption rate of 3.0L/100km.

It’s unclear if these figures are coming from the base C 63 or the spicier C 63 S. Presumably the latter but regardless, it’s an incredible feat of engineering.

The only obvious downside with adding the extra electrical gubbins is more weight. Car reckons the hybrid C 63 will weigh in at the two-tonne mark, around 150kg more than the current model.

We should see the new C 63 by the end of 2021, after the cooking C-Class launches. Before the 63 will be the C 53, taking the place of the previous C 43.

In keeping with AMG’s nomenclature, the C 53 will get a mild-hybrid-ified version of the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (instead of the plug-in architecture of the 63) making around 300kW.