Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E-Performance
The new Mercedes-AMG C 63 halves its engine in capacity and cylinder count, but it’s a far better car than the old one, writes Nile Bijoux.
Possibly the most sacrilegious of new cars has arrived on New Zealand shores. Mercedes-AMG has yanked the mighty, bellowing V8 from the C 63, put it on the shelf with a fond little pat, and dropped a teeny little two-litre, fourcylinder in its place.
To quote a small, indie sci-fi film, it was as though millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. But while it is a massive downsizing, it’s certainly not any less powerful.
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
This is perhaps AMG’s biggest launch in the past few years. It’s had the electric stuff like the EQS and EQE 53 models, but swapping the C 63’s V8 for an electrified inline four has resulted in more angry internet comments than that time Toyota said it was building a Supra with the help of BMW.
But leave it to AMG to really do it right. The new C 63 S E-Performance might have an annoyingly long name, but it also boasts a prodigious amount of power.
The turbo four is lifted from the A 45
S and massaged to produce even more power – 350kW along with 545Nm of torque – which is on par with the old C 63’s V8 in non-S trim. That makes it the most powerful four-cylinder in series production right now.
Then, because obviously that’s not enough, AMG added the plug-in hybrid system from the GT 63 S E-Performance, which consists of a rear-mounted electric motor, 6.1kWh battery and two-speed transmission, bumping the system output to 500kW and 1020Nm.
All in, that’s enough to sling the fourdoor to 100kph in 3.4 seconds, helped also by 4Matic all-wheel drive providing plenty of grip. That sprint time is even more impressive when you consider that the car weighs more than 2.1 tonnes ...
The engine benefits from an electric turbocharger derived from the MercedesAMG Formula 1 team, which also helps recharge the battery. Electric-only range is minimal, about 13km, but the system is designed for performance, not economy. However, it recharges quickly while on the move so you are rarely entirely out of juice.
Also new is standard rear-axle steering, which helps low-speed manoeuvring while maintaining stability at high speed, an AMGified interior with special new (optional) seats, a large portrait touch screen, quality stereo ... Basically every options box available to the C-Class ticked.
What’s it like to drive?
Mercedes launched the C 63 in Auckland, marking a departure from the usual trip to Melbourne. Sampling the car on local roads is great for seeing how it performs without any environmental caveats, but it also meant we were let loose on roads we knew.
Driving north from Auckland to Matakana took us around some windy backroads, revealing the amount of effort AMG’s engineers went to in order to make this a properly capable sports car. The rearmounted motor gives a decidedly reardriven feel to the car in its sportier drive modes, offering plenty of thrust from the back, while the front wheels are devoted mainly to maintaining grip at the nose.
The steering is beautifully sharp with fantastic turn-in, the chassis well-tuned for negating body roll without introducing a rock-hard ride. This new C 63 easily runs rings around the old one, with more grip than you expect resulting in almost sickening levels of corner speeds.
And that inline four? When you really boot it and the full powertrain works in concert, it’s seriously fast. You’ll blast past the 100kph mark alarmingly quickly, the power delivery never feeling like it lets up.
Combustion-only and electric-only cars often feel like they run out of puff at certain points, but not this best-of-bothworlds C 63, likely a result of the two-speed transmission for the electric motor.
But, unfortunately, it does still sound like a boosted four-cylinder. It’s still snarly and poppy in its most aggressive settings but it’s just not quite there. We knew nothing would be able to replicate the old V8 but I was quietly hoping this would have some ridiculous blow-off valve or at least make a cacophony of crackles on the overrun ...
To be fair, sound emission regulations are just as strict as fuel consumption, so it probably wasn’t entirely AMG’s choice to muffle the engine that little bit more.
We took the motorway back from lunch and the C 63 S E-Performance became a lovely four-door cruiser. It’ll switch between electric and petrol power as needed, while the adaptive suspension is set to maximum comfort. That means a quiet drive and a plush (ish, it’s still an AMG) ride.
Why would I buy it?
You don’t mind swapping a V8 roar for massively improved driving dynamics, you like the baby S-Class looks, and you like the idea of some electric-only driving.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
The loss of the V8 is still stinging, or that pesky BMW M3 is calling your name, along with its extra two cylinders.