The new Mercedes Benz C63S E Performance packs a 680hp hybrid punch
The new C63S AMG marks the departure for the V8 from Mercedes’ compact sedans
E performance – a term Mercedes fanboys must get acquainted with for the coming years as electrification takes over. The latest model to join the foray is the all-new Mercedes-Benz C63S AMG E Performance. For the first time ever in the C63 AMG, Mercedes drops the famed 6.3 V8 in favour of a four-pot engine. Though, being an AMG, it still manages to package the most powerful four-cylinder engine in a production car ever.
The frowning faces on hearing the cylinder count on an AMG might not help as brands look to eliminate carbon emissions from their fleet. But that doesn’t stop Mercedes’ performance division from holding back on power output as the new C63 AMG puts out a ballistic 680hp and 1020Nm torques, making it the most powerful C-Class to date. 476 out of 680hp gets extracted from the four-pot turbocharged unit, coupled with a two-speed electric motor setup placed on the rear axle to provide the remaining horses.
The engine is the same unit as the CLA45 and GLA45 but gets tweaked for higher output and an F1-inspired electrically assisted turbocharger to eradicate turbo lag. The power gets sent to all four wheels as standard via AMG’s nine-speed MCT transmission. The nought to 100kph sprint takes 3.4seconds, and the top speed is electronically governed up to 174mph.
The V8 exhaust note was an aural paradise for enthusiasts, but Mercedes has tried to compensate with artificial sound effects transmitted through external speakers. Plus, as many as eight driving modes and four modes for regenerative braking should further keep the keen driver busy with its tweaked driving dynamics. Rear wheel steering gets equipped as standard, a boon when the car weighs almost as much as the luxury barge S-Class.
The bodywork on the new C63S is where AMG attempts to work its magic and aid the car in managing the additional power. The front end has been made longer and wider than its civilised cousin, and a slim air inlet positioned on the hood serves as the visual identifier between the two. A rear lip spoiler gets equipped but still looks subtle, as per AMG’s usual additions. The interior follows the typical AMG tradition with blacked-out treatment for the cabin and sporty performance seats placed up front.
On stacking the new C63S AMG against its rivals (read BMW M3, Audi RS5 and Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing), the Mercedes compact sedan is the only car in the segment to be powered by a four-cylinder engine. And yet, it manages to possess significantly more power than the rest of the lot.
The Mercedes-Benz C63S AMG can be had in sedan and station wagon styles, with the latter available in select markets only.
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