Rumors have been circulating in the corridors for some time that the AMG versions of the new Mercedes-Benz C-class will also get a four-cylinder. Those rumors are now being confirmed. No C-Class gets a machine with more than four burners under the hood.
All variants of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class will have a four-cylinder. That’s what the chief engineer responsible for the youngest C-class, Christian Früh, says to Car and Driver.
The upcoming C-class, according to Früh, will come on the market with plug-in hybrid petrol and diesel engines, just like the current model. They get 48v mild hybrid technology. The fact that all power sources have no more than four cylinders, is hardly surprising for the regular range. The C180, C200, C300 and C300e (plug-in) have been four cylinders for years. However, it has major consequences for the AMG versions. It not only means that the upcoming entry-level AMG C43 will exchange its V6 for a four-cylinder, but that the mighty C63 and C63 S AMG will see their mighty 4.0 V8 replaced by a smaller heart.
However, do not expect the new AMGs of the C-class family with their four-cylinder to be bland snacks. Christian Früh confirms that the new C63 will have more than 500 hp in power, no doubt thanks to electrical assistance. The current C63 and C63 S are respectively 476 hp and 510 hp strong. Incidentally, it is still the question whether the C43 and C63 AMG will be called that again, since Mercedes-Benz already uses the designation C53 on other models.