Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance 2024 Review

At $187,900 plus on-road costs, the price of entry to the latest C 63 – now officially known as the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance – has increased by almost $30,000.

While that hasn’t appeared to impact local pre-release demand, that kind of price tag makes the new four-pot super sedan over $10,000 more expensive than the equivalent BMW M3 Competition xDrive ($177,800 plus ORCs) and almost $20,000 more than the admittedly less powerful Audi RS 5 Sportback ($169,100 plus ORCs).

The long-awaited 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance goes a long way in justifying the pricing premium with a host of new standard equipment, performance hardware, safety features and advanced technologies in this latest generation.

We’ll get to the oily (and less oily) bits and pieces below, but standard kit comprises 20-inch AMG cross-spoke forged alloy wheels, climate control, keyless entry and start, powered boot lid, panoramic sunroof, premium ambient lighting package and heated and powered front seats,

No luxury car is complete without optional packages, however, and the new C 63 is well versed on that note, available with a $6900 Performance ergonomic package comprising an AMG performance steering wheel and AMG Performance seats, a $2600 interior carbon package (carbon-fibre inserts on the steering wheel and dash) or a $9900 Carbon Aero package that adds additional carbon-fibre exterior aero features on the front and rear.

Mercedes-AMG says routine maintenance will set owners back $7085 over the first five years/100,000km of ownership, based on 12-month/20,000km service intervals.

Just like the garden-variety Mercedes-Benz C-Class on which the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is based, safety here is top-notch.

There are 10 airbags and all of the latest driver aids, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, driver attention and blind spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert and much more.

Also standard is tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and adaptive LED headlights to maximise visibility on the road at all times.

The C 63 S E Performance isn’t likely to be crash-tested, but the W206 C-Class carries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Infotainment is controlled via the latest-generation MBUX multimedia system (accessed via a 12.3-inch display with AMG- and hybrid-specific graphics), matched to a digital instrument cluster and a head-up display.

Within that, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance features MBUX augmented reality satellite-navigation, as well virtual coaching courtesy of the AMG Track Pace package.

A Burmester 3D surround sound system ensures polished, sophisticated audio quality at all times, while a wireless charging pad and USB-C ports in the first and second rows facilitates device charging.

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance controversially adopts four-cylinder power for 2024. But this isn’t your garden-variety four-banger.

Combining internal combustion with the torque of electrification, the latest C 63 is the most powerful and fuel-efficient version to date, slamming down 500kW of power and a monstrous 1020Nm of torque from its four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain, along with claimed fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km.

In performance terms, the C 63 S E Performance is claimed to hit 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, making it quicker than the model it replaces and its two most direct rivals, and top out at 280km/h.

At the heart of the high-tech powertrain is AMG’s record-breaking M139 engine from the A 45 hot hatch. It’s manufactured with the same one-man, one-engine principle that has long defined production at AMG’s Affalterbach headquarters in Germany and produces a big 350kW/545Nm all by itself.

Feeding off a 6.1kWh battery pack, the rear-mounted electric motor develops a continuous output of 70kW, or a peak output of 150kW for bursts of up to 10 seconds.

Harnessing all that power – as well as controlling the hefty 2166kg kerb weight – is the most advanced chassis set-up ever applied to a C-Class, underlined by rear-wheel steering system and fully-variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system as standard.

The former works to shorten the effective wheelbase and enhance manoeuvrability below 100km/h by counter-steering up to 2.5 degrees, then turning (up to 0.7 degrees) in the same direction as the front wheels at higher speeds to provide both more stability.

Complementing the all-paw drive is an advanced stability control system that calls upon the electric motor to do away with unnecessary wheelspin rather than employing a traditional traction by braking system.

There’s also a drift mode function, though we’ll reserve judgement on how that functions for a later date.

Finally, the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is tied together with AMG Ride Control adaptive damping system (with Comfort, Sport and Sport+ settings), along with specially-developed steering knuckles and suspension joints on the front spring control arm and the rear axle.

Other chassis goodies include a composite braking package featuring six-piston front callipers and floating single-pot rears, plus a limited-slip rear differential.

All these changes are housed in a body that increases by 84mm in overall length and rides on a 76mm wider front track and a 10mm longer wheelbase.

On paper, the 2024 the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is very efficient. Mercedes-AMG claims a combined fuel consumption average of just 6.1L/100km.

In reality, we found that number purely academic, instead averaging 12.5L/100km in a mix of driving that included a fair stint under the hammer.

Mercedes-Benz claims a total EV range of 15km, before the C 63 S E Performance reverts to petrol power.

We found that claim a tad ambitious in real-world settings, instead achieving about 11 to 12km of electric-only charge.

The most redeeming feature of the EV system is the speed with which it recuperates energy. The four-mode regenerative braking system varies from virtual coasting mode to almost one-pedal braking.

In dynamic driving, a handful of big braking moments is enough to regenerate 5km or so of extra EV range, which is quite handy.

Here’s the rub. The 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is vastly different to drive than any other C 63 model before it.

It doesn’t capture the same sense of theatre. It doesn’t offer the same X-factor. And it doesn’t come close emotionally.

But. And this is a big but. It is measurably better in terms of performance and on the right winding, undulating road it will comfortably leave its V8 predecessors in its dust – that much is assured.

Pushing the starter button doesn’t result in the usual raucous eruption of cylinders produced by traditional AMGs and instead invokes a digital sequence of sounds indicating the electric motor is awake.

As we pull away from our starting point in relative silence, the electric motor provides linear progress together with a heavily synthesised whirr through the cabin.

As with earlier C 63s, the latest generation denotes its pedigree with loads of rich feedback – even in electric mode. Individual bits of bitumen course their way through the key controls and the steering offers ample weighting and feedback.

Switching to hybrid mode invites input from the four-pot engine, and the immediate impression is that it feels dull and inert. Sure, there’s a new level of refinement and ease of use thanks to the hybrid system’s monstrous outputs, the electrically-controlled turbocharger and the quick-thinking gearbox, but in relaxed settings it could almost be mistaken for a garden-variety C-Class.

In any case, the engine spins freely through the rev range and works comfortably up to highway speeds, where the tacho sits at about 2000rpm. And then we deviate from Tassie’s main thoroughfares and onto Targa roads.

If we’re honest, in these mixed road conditions it takes you some time to truly gel with the C 63 dynamically. The throttle action feels stilted and the transmission occasionally indecisive, especially if mixing casual driving with the occasional lash without changing drive modes.

It’s also a car that feels initially under-suspended from the driver’s seat, with a ride that lacks control over drawn-out bumps and washouts, leading to excessive vertical movement and a general slowness to recover from road obstacles.

Shifting to Sport mode reduces the level of body movement and creates a more controlled experience behind the wheel. There’s more sharpness to smaller imperfections, but it somehow makes the cabin feel less frantic.

The PHEV drivetrain offers ample power and torque in these settings. There’s considerable urge from low down in the rev spectrum and the system segues nonchalantly into petrol power as you pick up the pace.

And pick up the pace we did.

Our final stint behind the wheel of the C 63 S E Performance was in Targa territory, tackling the famous Sideling leg of Targa Tasmania in reverse, and it was in this setting that the new C 63 revelled most.

To put it simply, the old V8 C 63 wouldn’t hold a candle to the new four-cylinder on these roads. The powertrain’s performance and response, coupled with the agility and bite of the four-wheel steering and all-wheel drive systems – aided by a very handy electronics suite – puts the latest C 63 on another level.

It dispatched the twisting, undulating nature of the Sideling with total ease. This C63 oozes confidence where similarly-powered cars would simply ooze.

It is the real deal and it means the Mercedes-AMG C 63 feels most comfortable at opposite extremes: in docile driving on billiard table-smooth roads or driven on the ragged edge on a challenging piece of bitumen.

Everywhere else in between, it probably falls a little bit short of the excellent mark set by BMW’s M3.

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance takes a leaf out of the regular C-Class book where interior is concerned. Indeed it more or less copies the C-Class playbook and adds some extra tinsel and carbon-fibre.

The cabin feels classy and is furnished in high-quality, comfortable materials throughout. We found the driving position low-slung enough to cultivate plenty of confidence and there are no issues with outward visibility.

Similarly, rear seat space is generous enough for the C 63 to pass muster as a family chariot. Although downsides include the chunky transmission tunnel and highset window line, there’s good air-vent access, USB-C charging points and a flip-down arm rest.

Where the new C 63 suffers the most spatial compromise is the boot area, which shrinks to 280 litres because of the batteries and rear electric motor, and also does without a spare wheel.

You can’t win ’em all.

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is a fine performance car, and one that moves the needle forward for the storied AMG brand. That much is undeniable.

However, as a car wearing the famous C 63 badge, it takes a very big step away from its time-honoured blueprint. And for many current C 63 owners and aficionados alike, it’s a step we suspect will be too big to take.

So you really need to look at this new performance sedan through a different lens – a lot like when Formula 1 switched from V8 to V6 hybrid power in 2014. Whether you’re wearing rose-tinted glasses or not, this is a move that future-proofs Mercedes-Benz’s performance hero for some time yet.

2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance at a glance:
Price: $187,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 350kW/545Nm (electric motor: 70kW or 150kW on overboost)
Combined output: 500kW/1020Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Battery: 6.1kWh lithium-ion
Range: 15km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 11.7kWh/100km (WLTP)
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 138g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested