Mercedes-AMG C 53 inline-six to replace four-cylinder C 63 hybrid

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Mercedes-AMG is ending its unusual experiment with the four-cylinder C 63. The current C 63 S E Performance with 680 PS will gradually leave the range, while the performance C-Class is set to receive a new C 53 with a 3.0-liter inline-six.

German specialist publication MBPassion reports the move. AMG boss Michael Schiebe had already pointed in the same direction: in February he told journalists that keeping the C 63’s four-cylinder powertrain would be difficult under future Euro 7 emissions requirements and that a six-cylinder engine would come to the C-Class.

The outgoing model was one of the most unusual AMG cars of recent years. Instead of the previous V8, the C 63 adopted a 2.0-liter turbo engine and an electric motor on the rear axle. The system produces 680 PS and 1020 Nm, while 0–100 km/h takes 3.4 seconds. The complex hybrid hardware also added substantial weight: at launch Mercedes-Benz quoted 2111 kg for the sedan and 2145 kg for the wagon.

The future C 53 is expected to drop the C 63’s traction motor in favor of a 3.0-liter M256 inline-six. Exact specifications for the C-Class version have not yet been announced. For reference, the CLE 53 uses an engine rated at 449 PS and 560 Nm, temporarily rising to 600 Nm, while its 48-volt starter-generator can add another 23 PS. In the newer GLC 53, the same basic layout delivers 449 PS and 600 Nm, so it would be premature to transfer either model’s figures directly to the future C 53.

This creates an unusual situation: at least by name, the successor will sit below the C 63 and will probably have significantly less quoted system power. In return, the heavy layout with a separate traction motor and a small high-performance battery will disappear.

It would be wrong to explain the change of course only by weak demand. AMG representatives have previously acknowledged that the four-cylinder concept did not win the expected response from the brand’s traditional audience, but Schiebe has also pointed to the difficulty of adapting the powertrain to Euro 7.