Four-cylinder Mercedes-AMG C63 here in '24

DESPITE copping “push back” from potential customers over the demise of V8 ICE power in the Mercedes-AMG C63, the ‘Benz performance arm is about to launch a turbo four-cylinder AMG C63 SE Performance hybrid sedan, potentially here in January next year priced from $187,900 excluding on roads.

Mercedes-AMG says the 2.0-litre newcomer is a “game changer” which is something of an understatement when you think this particular model has been a V8 for years, through a few generations, and was responsible for lifting the AMG name to new heights.

Just how a four banger C63 will go sales-wise remains to be seen but when you drill down and look at the specs, it could be all good especially given the model’s prodigious output from a PHEV powertrain combo that teams ICE with a 400V mild hybrid Electric Drive Unit (EDU) on the rear axle.

Mercedes-AMG bills the C63 SE Performance as the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production engine that delivers “a completely new driving experience”.

Adding veracity to the statement is the car’s 500kW of power and 1020Nm of torque that has technical links transferred from Mercedes-AMG’s involvement in Formula 1. The new C63 is said to be capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in a scant 3.4 seconds and still offer full electric drive capability for up to 15km.

It features as standard, active rear-axle steering for the first time in a C63 model, along with a selectable Drift Mode. This is in addition to fully variable AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive.

Already adept at producing high output 2.0-litre combustion four-cylinder engines, the new C63 SE Performance ratchets everything up to deliver an astonishing 176kW per litre specific output… in a (handmade) production engine.

Mounted longitudinally in the engine bay, it is said to team seamlessly with the powerful two-speed electric motor down the back for a 50:50 front-rear balance.

An on-board battery can store recuperated energy and draw electric power from an external charger via an on-board charging port providing an extra level of convenience. The high-performance battery weighs a mere 89kg and can contribute a continuous output of 70kW and peak output of 150kW for up to 10 seconds.

AMG developed the battery for fast power delivery and draw, rather than the longest possible electric driving range but as already mentioned, it can propel the car as an EV for up to 15km.

Digging a little deeper into the F1 tech applied to the car we find in its development phase, there was a lively exchange of expert knowledge between the High Performance Powertrains (HPP) engine shop of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team in Brixworth, UK, and Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach, Germany.

The collaboration yields power delivery and torque build-up in the new C63 that occur spontaneously and without delay. As in the F1 race car, the electric support of an exhaust gas turbocharger eliminates turbo lag from the combustion engine, while the EDU pushes powerfully from a standstill.

Also from F1, maximum propulsion is always available when the driver demands it by kick down – for punching out of bends or when overtaking. The electric power can always be called up and frequently reproduced, via high recuperation performance and needs-based recharging.

A battery concept specifically developed for the model allows optimal compromise between maximum driving dynamics and efficiency.

The automated two-speed transmission operating on the EDU at the rear axle has a specially calibrated gear ratio to ensure high wheel torque can be applied for agile starting, while safe continuous output can also be achieved at higher speeds. An electric actuator engages second gear at around 140km/h at the latest, which corresponds to the electric motor’s maximum speed of approximately 13,500rpm.

The electric exhaust gas turbo charger was specially developed by Mercedes-AMG and insignificantly improves the responsiveness of the combustion engine directly from idle speed, and across the entire rev range, with spontaneous response to accelerator pedal input and a significantly more dynamic driving feel.

The electrified turbocharger allows higher torque at low revs, increasing “agility” and optimising acceleration from a standstill. The system maintains boost pressure even when the driver takes their foot off the accelerator or brakes.

The 400V on-board electric system enables the turbo to spin at up to 150,000rpm while the battery utilises an innovative battery cooling system with direct cooling of the cells. A high-tech coolant based on an electrically non-conductive liquid flows around all 560 cells and cools them individually. To achieve this, AMG specialists developed new cooling modules that are mere millimetres thin.

It results in a consistent, optimum battery operating temperature averaging 45°C, no matter how often it is charged or discharged. The system allows cells with a very high power density, as well as making the battery system itself to be particularly light and compact.

The “stability” of the battery system helps to optimise energy recuperation during deceleration, which is selectable in four stages ranging from minimal intervention with low-level recuperation, to maximum energy recovery with the option of “one-pedal driving”, during which as much as 100kW of power can be fed back into the battery.

Technical managing director at Mercedes-AMG GmbH Jochen Hermann said the new C63 SE Performance is “a technological masterpiece” with its innovative approach.

“The electrified powertrain offers a whole new driving experience,” he said.

“The immediate response of the electric drive at the rear axle, the rapid torque build-up as well as the fast power output and also draw of our battery, are very special features. Add to this the standard-fit rear-axle steering and fully variable all-wheel drive, and the new C63 illustrates the high level of technical expertise that AMG possesses.”

And in relation to the hallmark C63 exhaust note, Mercedes-AMG has created an “authentic” AMG sound experience for vehicle inhabitants, using the actual sound of the combustion engine recorded via a pressure sensor in the exhaust system and enriched before it is piped to the interior via the entertainment sound system.

The sound signature is also modulated via exterior loudspeakers.

GoAuto will provide more information and drive impressions at the models launch next year.