In the past it might have been called the 190 E 2.0-16 TURBO, but now a smooth 2-liter displacement is enough for the allusive, no less bulky model designation Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E-Performance. The “63” is a magic number that has stood for top-class eight-cylinder engines for over half a century. But that was yesterday.
The new C 63 S, as we will call it in the following text for reasons of space, generates an incredible 680 hp (500 kW) and 1020 Newton meters of torque with its four-cylinder and electric motor. At the same time, it ended the era of the compact V8 saloons from AMG, which began with the C 43 AMG of the W 202 series and culminated in the wild C 63 AMG with the 6.2-liter V8.
Why the move away from the V8? There are technical as well as political reasons for this: In the EU in particular, people want to force e-mobility, and for classic powered models – regardless of whether they are operated with fossil fuels or CO2-neutral synthetic fuels – considerable penalties will be due in the future. This is one of the reasons why only four-cylinder units are planned for the new C-Class. AMG made a virtue out of necessity and designed the C 63 S as a plug-in hybrid – with everything that is good and expensive. The car can travel up to 13 kilometers fully electrically. But that’s not the point here; the powertrain has other advantages.
For example, the immediate response and seamless acceleration that is still known from naturally aspirated and supercharged engines but has been lost with the more efficient turbo engines. The absolute driving performance of the C 63 S is impressive: from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, it is limited – if specified at the time of purchase – only at 280 km/h or 270 km/h (Estate) . A kickdown function elicits extra power from the drive; this function is not only reminiscent of current Formula One vehicles, but also of video games. According to the press release, it can be “frequently reproduced”.
The electric motor sits on the rear axle together with a two-speed gearbox and the limited-slip differential and, together with the 89 kg high-voltage battery, ensures favorable weight distribution. The standard all-wheel drive is fully variable, and the power of the electric motor can also be transmitted to the front axle via the cardan shaft. Eight driving programs should ideally meet the needs of the driver, and recuperation can also be set in four stages.
When driving the C 63 S, AMG uses its own modular system. The heart, the M139 four-cylinder, is already known from the top models of the MFA series, is installed longitudinally in the C 43 and SL 43 and is used in the C 63 S with an electrically assisted exhaust gas turbocharger to an impressive 476 hp (350 kW) brought. The electrical components of the P3 system are already familiar from the GT 63 S E-Performance. And the 9-speed automatic transmission called Speedshift MCT with a wet starting clutch takes care of the power transmission. The battery can absorb and release high levels of power in a very short time.
AMG wants to compensate for the loss of the powerful eight-cylinder with specially composed effects. The occupants can enjoy the “low-frequency and speed-modulated AMG sound” via the hi-fi system, and the outside speakers as well.
The chassis of the C 63 S is specially designed for the high performance and the high weight, as the compact sports sedan weighs an impressive 2111 kilograms (Estate: 2145 kg) and is therefore on a par with the S-Class. The front axle and rear axle elasto-kinematics are model-specific, the steel chassis can be adjusted in three stages via the electronic damper control. The standard equipment also includes rear-axle steering, which works in opposite directions up to 100 km/h for go-kart-like handling, above which it acts parallel to the front wheels to stabilize the vehicle.
In order to create space for the optimized chassis and to meet the cooling requirements of the drive, the bodyshell was extensively modified. The entire front end is longer and wider than that of the regular C-Class, and a wide air outlet on the bonnet sets an unusual stylistic accent. The star sits in the radiator, and for the first time an AMG coat of arms has been embedded on the hood. The wheel sizes: 19 or 20 inches, each with mixed tires of format 265/35 at the front and 275/35 at the rear.
The new C 63 S comes as a sedan and station wagon, with the latter being particularly attractive not least because you can load it up to the roof if necessary. Because the battery and electric drive eat up loading capacity and also ensure a step in the luggage compartment.
The step to the four-cylinder is courageous, but perhaps unavoidable. It remains to be seen how customers will react to the arguments, which are as convincing as they are weighty, with which AMG is sending this partially electrified C-Class onto the market. There is no longer much competition: Audi continues to rely on a V6 turbo for the RS4 Avant and RS5 Sportback, while BMW offers a manual transmission as a treat for the M3 with its in-line six-cylinder turbo. Two fascinating models, whose predecessors were still offered here, are only available outside of Europe: the Lexus IS 500 with its V8 high-revving naturally aspirated engine and the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing with its – optionally manual – V6 turbo.
Multiple settings, full of technology and with a certain video game appeal: purism is no longer the AMG thing. But it has a few things ahead of its competitors – not least its 680 hp system performance. (Jens Meiners/cen)