Mercedes-AMG defends C 63 engine downsize

Mercedes-Benz is standing firm amid hysteria on social media with its decision to downsize from a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 to a 2.0-litre single-turbo four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain for the new 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 63.

carsales’ social channels have been swamped since rumours of the four-cylinder engine for the iconic high-performance C 63 surfaced three years ago, and were subsequently confirmed last year.

Typical comments included: “It’s not a true C 63 anymore”, “C 63 has lost its heart and soul and has lost this buyer”; and “four cylinders short of greatness”.

But AMG is unrepentant.

Speaking to carsales at the international launch of the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance in Spain, Mercedes-AMG’s director of vehicle development, Steffen Jastrow, said: “Sure, there will be people that are probably disappointed that it has no more V8, but what we have in the new C 63 is not just another V8.

“It’s a revolution of the drivetrain – it’s a game changer.

“Yes, it’s a very new approach but there are very many opportunities in that, and emotion not only comes from a V8 sound: it comes from how the powertrain reacts on the driver demands.”

Jastrow said the electrification of the C 63 transforms the driving experience.

“This is a lot of fun to drive that hybrid drivetrain, and I think another factor, really, is how much propulsion you get from standstill, right? So, the characteristic of the of the electric engine is of course, that you have full torque from the very beginning,” he said.

“An electrical turbocharger helps you to have already boost pressure from the early stages and that really means no lag. And that’s one of the most impressive driving experiences you can have.”

Arriving in Australia from July next year, the circa-$200,000 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance generates a total of 500kW and 1020Nm from its hybrid powertrain.

This intense power punch enables the all-wheel drive German super-sedan to accelerate from 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.4 seconds, giving it bragging rights as not only the quickest car in its class, but one of the fastest series-production cars ever built.

While our testing at the international launch suggests it’s more like 3.6 seconds, the acceleration is nothing short of extreme.

Jastrow said he understands how much Aussies love V8s, but insisted the new hybrid configuration delivers improved gains across the dynamic spectrum, not just more power and performance.

“Things like weight distribution. Just for an example, the V8, this was always a very heavy engine in the front of the car and now we have a very, very powerful four-cylinder, the world’s most powerful four cylinder … and another 150kW [electric motor] we have on the rear axle. And that’s really, really helpful for weight distribution and for handling and driving dynamics of the car,” he said.

“The whole driving, the whole hybrid drive system gives us a lot of opportunities, and a lot of similarities to the Formula 1 car and to the AMG ONE hypercar we are also just launching.

“But yes, of course, there will be people that are very, very much connected to the V8 but this is the new era. And I think it’s a very, very good progression. We have the highest system output ever on a C-Class.”

Mercedes-AMG vehicle development manager for the C-Class, Damian Hampen, also told carsales that people criticising AMG for ditching the V8 should drive the new C 63 S E before they make sweeping assumptions.

“I think you should simply experience the car and then think about it again. Like I myself, I liked the V8 and I like the old C 63. But if I have the option, I’m gonna go for the new one because it’s a lot more car and has way better flexibility,” he said.

Hampen reckons features such as the silent start, modest EV driving range all the way up to Race mode, launch control and “all the variations in between” make the new C 63 a better all-rounder.

“So I think as soon as you get to drive it, you don’t focus on the V8 so much anymore,” he said.

Rene Szczepek, an AMG driving dynamics engineer, also pointed to the hard numbers to make the case for the new four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain.

“We have the same power outputs that we had in the 4.0-litre V8 now with the 2.0-litre inline four,” he said.

“On the one hand, from a personal perspective, we are all petrolheads. Yeah, absolutely. So no debate about that.

“What the tricky thing is, in the end, we are engineers, and we like to have challenges.”

Check out our review of the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance here.

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