A fresh report out of the United Kingdom claims the next-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 will ditch the V8 petrol engine in favour of a hybrid four-cylinder arrangement.
According to Autocar, the next C63 will also move from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive when it hits the market in 2022.
The publication claims the third-generation C63 will employ an electrified version of Affalterbach’s new turbocharged 2,0-litre four-pot – the M139 unit that debuted in the A45 and CLA45 – before the powertrain rolls out to other AMG-badged models.
Autocar reports the M139 engine has “already been engineered for longitudinal mounting as well as mild-hybrid electric boosting”, adding it is expected to employ a 48 V integrated starter motor, the brand’s EQ Boost system and a nine-speed automatic transmission.
So, what sort of power output are we looking at here? Well, the publication suggests the four-cylinder hybrid powertrain will match the current V8’s peak figure of 375 kW, with the electric boost function pushing maximum torque to around 750 N.m.
