A fresh report out of Australia suggests that Mercedes-AMG will unveil a new family of 53-badged powertrains later this year, with the hybrid-performance unit set to make its debut in the next-generation CLS in 2018.
According to motoring.com.au, the Daimler-backed brand’s performance arm will reveal more details at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November.
The publication says “an internal source” suggests that the upcoming “53” powertrain will comprise the Stuttgart automaker’s new 3,0-litre inline six-cylinder M256 petrol engine (which already makes use of a 48 V electrical system) and a 50 kW electric motor, with total system output standing at approximately 370 kW.
The report goes on to say that the third-generation CLS will be the first to receive the new hybrid technology (debuting the CLS53 badge), before it is migrated to other models sharing the MRA modular platform (such as the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLC, GLE and GLS).
Interestingly, motoring.com.au suggests that Mercedes-AMG’s new “53” family will eventually replace the “43” range (the latter using a 3,0-litre V6 and sitting below the full-fat, V8-powered “63” family), which has come in for criticism from some quarters.
