Next Mercedes-AMG C 63 to receive four-cylinder hybrid power

Following months of speculation, Mercedes-AMG has revealed all about what lies under the bonnet of its next-generation C63. Set to be revealed within the next year, the model will join the upcoming GT73 4-door and Project One hypercar as part of AMG’s new E Performance range.

There was a time when a compact performance saloon wouldn’t be caught dead without a V8, but in 2021 things are a little different. Both Audi and BMW have returned to six-cylinder powertrains, leaving just the AMG with a V8, but that’s about to change with the next Mercedes-AMG C 63.

Confirmed in an official technical deep dive of the brand’s new electrified powertrains, the next C63 will drop the 4-litre twin-turbo V8 in favour of an all-wheel drive hybrid setup, combining an upgraded version of the A45’s M139 turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder with a rear-mounted electric motor.

Mounted longitudinally as opposed to transversely as found in the current 45 models, the power plant will receive an electrically-assisted turbocharger powered by the 400-volt hybrid system alongside a remap and other modifications, lifting output to 443bhp.

On the rear axle will be the same electric drive unit found in the GT73 4-door, pairing a 93bhp permanently excited motor with a two-speed transmission, capable of 203bhp in 10 second bursts. Though peak combined output is yet to be revealed, around 600bhp is likely, giving it a substantial bump over the outgoing model.

The latest test mule sightings haven’t revealed much in terms of design, but cooling appears to be a high priority, with functional intakes across the typical AMG panamericana grille, and full-width lower intakes. The rest of the package doesn’t appear out of the ordinary for a C63, the car riding on a set of 19-inch wheels with standard cast-iron brakes behind, a pair of pumped-up front wheelarches above, and quad exhaust outlets with a small, but functional-looking diffuser out back.

With the new BMW M3 picking up an all-wheel-drive variant and an estate, rivals seem to be closing in on the AMG’s turf too, meaning it’ll have an awful lot to prove in its next generation if it does indeed switch to four-cylinder power. It’ll be late 2021 or even early 2022 before we see the new C63 in finished form.