New AMG C63 S is a four-cylinder PHEV

Even though the new Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance is a plug-in hybrid with a turbo 2.0-litre four, it’s a guaranteed V8-crusher. Officially unveiled in Germany overnight and due to arrive in Australia in the middle of 2023, it will be much more powerful and accelerate harder, while burning less fuel.

Judged by the numbers – we’ll get to them in a moment – the all-new PHEV-powered version of AMG’s medium-size super-sedan is vastly superior to the model it replaces. But there’s no way to objectively measure how much aural appeal it loses because its tailpipes no longer blow a bellowing V8 tune.

“It might be possible some people will say ‘Er, it’s not my car any more’,” admits AMG chief technical officer Jochen Hermann. For decades V8s have powered AMG’s top C-Class models, making them popular in muscle-car markets like Australia and the USA.

But Hermann points out that the company’s European customers “love the idea of being more efficient”. The hybrid technology of the new C63 S E Performance borrows from Formula 1 and this will attract younger and more tech-savvy customers, he also believes.

After considering global trends in customer preference and government regulation, the choice for AMG was clear. “We couldn’t stick to a regular V8,” he says.      

“With this new E Performance technology we are preparing ourselves, our customers, to the future.” While developing new models like the C63 S E Performance, AMG is accumulating electric know-how, he says. Future high-performance EVs the company is working on will benefit from this growing expertise.

Crushing numbers

Here are the key stats on the C63 S E Performance…

Maximum combined power 500kW.

Maximum combined torque 1000Nm-plus.

Acceleration 0-100km/h 3.4 seconds

Fuel consumption 6.9L/100km (provisional WLTP Combined)

Compared to the existing C63 S, the new PHEV drivetrain delivers 33 percent more power and almost 50 percent more torque, while cutting 17 percent from its 0-100km/h time and reducing fuel consumption by around 20 percent.

It simply crushes the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 powered C63 S.

Drivetrain tech

The C63 S E Performance combines components already seen in recent new models from AMG.

Its electrified rear axle and battery pack are identical to those in the big and very expensive GT63 S E Performance, due to reach Australia late this year. The 13,500rpm motor, its two-speed transmission and a limited-slip differential are housed in the same compact casting.

Another cast case above the rear axle contains the battery pack. The cylindrical cells inside were chosen for their power density and are directly cooled by a special non-conductive fluid that’s pumped around them.

While the small capacity – only 6.1 kWh gross – of the pack restricts the electric-only range of the C63 S E Performance to around 13km, it can put out and suck up a lot of power. Maximum output is 150kW and it can take a maximum input from regenerative braking of 120kW.

The battery can only deliver maximum effort – 150kW and 320Nm – for 10 seconds, but high-performance cars are hardly ever driven pedal-to-the-metal for longer than this. It’s only delivered when the driver pushes the accelerator through a detent near the end of the pedal’s travel, into what AMG calls the Boost zone.  

Up front, the engine of the C63 S E Performance is a lot like that in the new C43, a car scheduled to show around March or April next year.

The basics of the two turbo 2.0-litre fours are very similar, but the new C63 has an even larger electrically assisted turbo; think massive instead of just huge. The compact electric motor in the new turbo is a 400-volt unit, while the the C43’s turbo makes do with a 48-volt power supply.

As well as ensuring snappy responsiveness at low engine revs, the high-voltage turbo also boosts power at the very top of the rev range. The maximum power of the new C63’s engine is 350kW, an amazing number from a 2.0-litre four, and the 545Nm torque maximum isn’t bad either.

The engine drives through a nine-speed automatic into the AMG’s intelligent all-wheel-drive system, designed to blend ICE and electrical power.

With the electrical components all in the rear of the car, AMG’s chassis engineers were able to achieve perfect 50:50 weight distribution between the front and rear axles of the C63 S E Performance.

And they didn’t stop there. The front axle was moved forward, and both front and rear tracks were widened. Increasing the car’s footprint like this should improve handling.

Rear-wheel steering and adaptive dampers are standard in the C63 S E Performance, which should benefit both agility and ride comfort.

Bound for glory?

Only driving the new C63 S E Performance will reveal whether it really is as good as its numbers look, but AMG do seem to be well on the way to becoming masters of the high-performance PHEV universe…