Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance 2022 Shotgun Review

Mercedes-Benz says it's too premature to talk pricing for the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance, but when it lands in Australia in the first half of 2023 it will not only raise the bar for performance.

Indeed it’s likely the 500kW German super sedan will be considerably costlier than both its popular predecessor and direct rivals like the BMW M3 Competition, both of which top $160,000.

How close its price tag comes to $200,000 remains to be seen, but at least the flagship version of the new C 63 sedan is set to come with a long list of standard equipment – not to mention an advanced electrified powertrain – to help bridge the gap between itself and its cheaper rivals.

Standard kit for the top-shelf 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance variant includes 19-inch alloy wheels (20-inch rims are an option in Europe), the full AMG styling kit, sports seats covered by Nappa leather and a D-shape steering wheel featuring capacitive buttons providing shortcuts to the driving modes, damping modes and sports exhaust.

Like the cheaper C 43, we expect an 11.9-inch infotainment touch-screen that 'cascades' from the air-vents to the lower console.

The portrait-style unit is angled towards the driver and will offer both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, plus the 'Hey Mercedes' voice-controlled assistant.

Ahead of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel supported by a similarly large head-up display.

New AMG Performance bucket seats will be optional. Both save weight and feature better ventilation compared with the standard sport seats.

The new C 63 will be covered by Mercedes-Benz’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia and requires servicing every 12 months or 25,000km – whichever comes first.

Capped-price servicing plans should also be available and they’re likely to be more expensive than those of the non-AMG C-Class models, which cost $2650 for three years, $3600 for four years and $5200 for five years of routine maintenance.

Since the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is based on the new W206 C-Class it benefits from being based on the same MRA2 architecture that underpins the advanced S-Class limousine.

That bodes well for both safety and technology, and it's no surprise that the mid-size premium sedan has already been awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

As standard, expect 10 airbags and advanced driver aids including autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot assist, driver attention assist and active parking assist.

Beneath its wide muscular body, the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is nothing short of a technological tour-de-force, ditching the V8 that powered several generations and instead adopting a ferocious AMG-developed 'P3' plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Instead of the M177 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 used to great effect in the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance super-coupe, the P3 system is based around the heroic little M139 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-pot that debuted as the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production engine in the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S hot hatch.

We'll get to how much power it produces later, but to cope with deploying such huge urge through all four wheels engineers increased the car’s track width at the front axle by a significant 73mm, while designers widened the body by no less than 83mm and included a pair of broader wheel-arches.

The wheelbase has been elongated too (by 10mm), but not for handling reasons. Instead, the front axle has been moved forward to accommodate the optional new arch-filling 20-inch wheels.

The snout has also been stretched by 50mm, while the new C 63 gets a fresh take on the outgoing performance sedan's trademark power domes. New for this generation is an extra bonnet vent, although it's more for show than actual under-bonnet cooling, say engineers.

With so much performance on tap, the all-new plug-in BMW M3 rival also spent countless hours in a wind tunnel honing its aerodynamics, with an imposing rear diffuser and new side skirts also introduced to improve.

If you're looking for the jewel in the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance crown, you've found it. The new C-Class flagship's powertrain is state-of-the-art, from its battery to its turbocharger, and features technology lifted from the German car-maker's Formula 1 car.

In fact, some of the engineers involved also helped develop the pioneering Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar and claim the C 63 was no less complex in its gestation.

According to AMG, the result of all this labour is that the new C 63 can launch itself from standstill to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds – half a second sooner than the model it replaces, despite having half the number of cylinders – and top out at a speed-limited 280km/h.

Almost a masterpiece itself, the small four-cylinder engine employs an electrically-assisted exhaust-driven turbocharger that integrates an electric motor on the shaft between the exhaust turbine and the compressor wheel.

The result is a turbo that spins up more quickly at low revs to eliminate lag. Lift off and the same system keeps the turbo spooling to deliver maximum boost and therefore response as soon as you step on the throttle again.

On its own it pumps out an incredible 350kW/545Nm – more than the circa-300kW A 45, CLA 45 and GLA 45, and not far off the 375kW peak power output of the twin-turbo V8 in the old C 63 produced, although maximum torque is well down on that car's 700Nm.

A belt-driven starter-generator is also employed as part of a 400-volt electrical system, which is not only responsible for helping the combustion engine fire up but also supplying current for ancillaries like the air-con and lights.

Channelling all its might to the rear wheels is the AMG Speedshift MCT 9G nine-speed automatic transmission, which uses clutch packs instead of a traditional torque converter for lower weight and faster changes.

Aiding the combusting power on the rear axle is a punchy 150kW/320Nm electric motor that lives within a casing that includes a two-speed transmission. The compact motor assists in moving off and accelerating, and thanks to a mechanical connection to the front axle it can fire all its shove forwards to the front wheels when rear-end slip is detected.

Powering it is an AMG high-performance 6.1kWh battery, which is relatively light at 89kg but can deliver 70kW continuously – and its 150kW peak output for up to 10 seconds at a time.

Designed to deliver ultra-fast deployment of its charge rather than providing the longest possible range, the next-gen AMG battery pack claws back its energy exceedingly quickly on the move and still manages to offer 13km of pure-electric range on a full charge.

Despite its monumental performance, the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is claimed to average just 6.9L/100km and emit only 156g/km of CO2 under the strict WLTP test regime, but Benz says both those figures re easily beatable on an average commute thanks to that 13km EV range.

And of course the new C 63’s efficiency figures blow out of the water not only the model it replaces, but the BMW M3 Competition (10.2L/100km and 234g/km of CO2).

Sadly, we were relegated to the passenger seat for our first experience of the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance, but even there it was hard not be blown away by the epic performance offered by the wildest factory C-Class ever.

Rightly so, Mercedes-AMG has taken a lot of flak from enthusiasts for the C 63's goliath 2111kg kerb weight – which makes it an incredible 350kg heavier than the car it replaces – but the engineers we spoke to said that’s the cost of prolonging the life of the super sedan and pointed out that an all-electric version would weight at least 200kg more.

Managing all that mass is a highly modified front strut and rear five-link suspension arrangement attached to a highly rigid structure that benefits from chassis stiffening measures including using the undertray as a structural component, plus numerous cross-links from the subframe to the sills and strut tower braces at both ends.

Air springs weren't considered as they would have added yet more weight, but the C 63 does get trick adaptive dampers that were developed using AMG's experience in GT3 racing.

Easing off the line in electric mode is an eerie experience in AMG's mid-size sports sedan, which looks more like a muscle car than ever before.

The electric mode addresses the outgoing model’s borderline anti-social bark on start-up, so you’ll no longer make enemies in a quiet urban environment every morning.

In quiet mode we learn that engineers worked hard to isolate noise such as suspension clonks and road hum. Indeed from the front seats at least the new C63 appears to offer a level of refinement that approached the S-Class.

All-wheel drive was apparently also a requirement of past C 63 owners, with many prospective buyers said to be frightened away by the rear-drive V8’s wayward potential.

And any lament over the loss of the V8 is quickly forgotten after a short, sharp prod of the throttle, which is greeted by a burst of activity from the turbo/electric powertrain and the ability to throw you down the road with enough force to silence any doubter.

Helping pre-arm the responses of the new hybrid system to suit various conditions are up to eight different driving modes – Electric, Comfort, Battery Hold, Sport, Sport +, Race, Slippery and Individual.

In Comfort the electric motor is used in low-speed urban environments and the combustion engine kicks in only as required such as on country or highway roads.

In Sport, up to 65 per cent of the rear electric motor’s torque is deployed and it’s accompanied by brisker gear changes and sharper throttle response. The electric motor's torque is boosted to 80 per cent in Sport+ mode.

In Race mode, the electric motor’s output remains pegged at 80 per cent but is joined by stronger battery recharging. A Boost Mode is also available, delivering 100 per cent of rear motor torque for short bursts.

Finally, Slippery mode locks out both the electric-only function and turns off brake regeneration for smoother torque deployment.

Speaking of regen, there are five pre-determined maps for energy recovery, from zero (Level 0) to Level 3, which allows for one-pedal driving and for up to 100kW to be clawed back. The latter is also said to be useful on Alpine roads as a more efficient substitute for engine braking.

After a brutal demonstration of the C 63's 0-100km/h Race Start function, my development driver begins to demonstrate the Boost Mode around the small test circuit.

From the passenger seat there is some body roll evident in corners, which is no surprise given the mass involved, and the same goes for pitch under braking and body movement during changes of direction. But none of it was excessive and certainly not enough to make you think you were in a two-tonne sedan – even one with a near-perfect 50:50 weight balance.

Interestingly, in Boost Mode mid-corner the electric motor doesn't deploy anywhere near its 70kW constant peak power. For fears of overwhelming the rear tyres, its output is wound back to around 50kW.

Speaking of sideways action, it would have been rude not to enjoy a quick demonstration of the new C 63’s ability to hang it all out in Drift Mode, and the hybrid super sedan was only too happy to oblige.

So, what's missing? The new C 63 sounds pretty good when it’s working hard for its living, but its punchy four-pot will never, ever match the induction or exhaust note of a snarling V8.

Some will also miss the slightly ragged nature of the old model, but the speed, precision and racetrack pace of its replacement will probably make up for that.

On the way back to base our driver was careful to hit every lump and bump, including the kind of pot holes that would shatter your spine in the current C 63.

Perhaps more remarkably, the advanced AMG battery had clawed back three-quarters of a full charge by the time we returned – without plugging it in – lending weight to claims that many of the engineers developing it never bothered charging it overnight.

The latest 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S benefits from the same class-leading cabin as the rest of the C-Class range, which leads the mid-size luxury car segment for quality, technology and design.

But AMG’s enhancements raise the bar even further, especially with the super-supportive (but sadly optional) AMG Performance bucket seats fitted.

It's hard not to be impressed by the way the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance demolishes a piece of road or fast-flowing circuit – even from the passenger seat.

Its advanced powertrain and trick chassis tech sets a new benchmark in its class and allows the new C 63 to shrug off its excess baggage and deliver a level of pace that was once the preserve of supercars.

Perhaps even more reassuring is that the latest C 63's depth of engineering means it feels like a proper AMG product – and one that gives us hope for the electrified age.

We just hope pricing remains in sight of its more conventional rivals.

2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance at a glance:
Price: $200,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: First quarter 2023
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 350kW/545Nm (electric motor: 150kW/320Nm)
Combined output: 500kW/1020Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Battery: 6.1kWh lithium-ion
Range: 13km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 11.7Wh/100km (WLTP)
Fuel: 6.9L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 156g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)