With 671 horsepower on tap, the current Mercedes-AMG C63 is far more powerful than its V-8-powered predecessor. And yet, it hasn’t been as well received. Critics argue that the plug-in hybrid system, which is built around a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, adds too much weight and robs the car of its character. If you’re among the critics, AMG hears you, and it’s planning on adding more cylinders to the next C63.
“Technically, the four-cylinder is one of the most advanced drivetrains available in a production car. It’s also right up there on performance. But despite this, it failed to resonate with our traditional customers. We’ve recognized that,” an AMG source told British magazine Autocar. Damn, how’s that for a mea culpa?
So, what’s next? Electrification in various forms is here to stay: It’s becoming a must-have in markets such as Europe due to strict regulations, but AMG’s next C- and GLC-based models will upsize rather than downsize. They’re set to get either a hybrid system built around an updated version of the straight-six that’s currently available in bigger AMG models or built around a new V-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft, according to the publication.
There’s no word on when we’ll see these models. And, while the turbo-four-based plug-in hybrid system is on its way out, we don’t know precisely when it will move into the pantheon of automotive history. We have a strong hint, however. AMG added that phasing out the four-cylinder isn’t exclusively a response to weak customer demand: “The investment to make it EU7-compliant is very high,” a source told Autocar.
“EU7” refers to the Euro 7 round of emissions regulations that’s scheduled to come into effect across the European Union in November 2026. Put another way, the current-gen C63 won’t be emissions-compliant in Europe in approximately a year and a half, so we could see its successor make its debut in about a year.
“AMG will continue with a dual strategy — two pillars. The electric pillar will grow significantly. But, the second pillar — hybridized internal-combustion engines — will also remain,” Mercedes-Benz CTO Markus Schäfer told Autocar. The news comes as several carmakers are scaling back or completely canceling their much-hyped plans to shift toward a mostly electric or electric-only portfolio in the next decade or so.
Earlier in 2025, Alfa Romeo confirmed that the plan to drop the internal-combustion engine by 2027 had been dropped. Fiat is putting a hybrid system in the 500 that it developed exclusively with electric power in mind, Volvo “adjusted” its electrification ambitions, and Lotus scrapped its EV-only plan in late 2024.
Looking for an SUV from Mercedes..all hybrid. No thanks. Glad BMW stiil offers models that have an engine only.
Facebook Conversations