New Mercedes-AMG C 63 delayed for Australia

Mercedes-Benz Australia has revealed the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance will arrive in local showrooms “before the end of the year” – up to six months later than the initial mid-year launch estimate advised back at the new sports sedan’s global debut in September 2022.

The German car-maker wouldn’t reveal exactly when the flagship mid-size sedan would arrive Down Under, and local pricing and specifications for the new C 63 are yet to be announced.

However, interest in AMG’s first four-cylinder ‘63’ model has been running hot since its reveal, despite the lack of a snarling V8 powertrain and an expected $220,000 starting price.

Those cynical of the new C 63’s 500kW/1060Nm four-cylinder plug-in hybrid system looked like being vindicated last week when an overseas report citing a pair of anonymous Mercedes-Benz engineers claimed V8 power would return to the flagship C-Class and the upcoming E 63.

But those hopes have already been dashed by a fresh German report by Auto Motor und Sport, which quotes AMG officials as saying the return of V8 power to the C-Class is “pure nonsense”.

Our sources echo that sentiment and say the C 63 will stick with its downsized electrified powertrain for the entirety of its lifecycle, but we also have it on good authority the next E 63 won’t be powered by an electrified inline six-cylinder powertrain as widely reported.

The notion of a plug-in hybrid six for the upcoming E 63 was first floated in January by British outlet Autocar, which claimed Mercedes-AMG’s next BMW M5 fighter would develop more than 522kW of power and almost 1200Nm of torque – not all that much more than the smaller C 63 S E Performance.

carsales now understands that report is inaccurate, leaving two likely outcomes for the top-shelf version of the new E-Class revealed in April: either the retention of the M177 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 or an even hotter application of the C 63’s 2.0-litre PHEV powertrain.

Given the amount research and development that’s already been invested in the latter, we can’t imagine Mercedes-Benz will be keen to limit its deployment to just two or three mid-size models: the C-Class, the closely-related GLC medium SUV and, possibly, the new CLE sports car.

All the evidence therefore points to the new E 63 following its smaller stablemate into boosted four-cylinder territory, especially given the CLE has been developed to serve as the two-in-one replacement for both coupe and cabriolet versions of the C-Class and E-Class.

Time will tell, but in the meantime we’re looking forward to our first drive of the new C 63 S E Performance on local soil in the next few months.

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