Last August, we heard rumors that Mercedes was planning a V8 comeback for the AMG C 63 and E 63 models. Two weeks later, Mercedes-AMG’s CEO personally denied the rumors. However, the AMG CLE 63, the love child of the two sedans, will receive a V8. Autocar reports that it received the information from “high officials at the division’s Mercedes-Benz parent company.”
First, AMG owners worldwide voted with their wallets, refusing to buy the new C 63 and E 63 models. According to Autocar, sales of the latest top-tier AMG C and AMG E models must catch up to their V8 counterparts. Second, dealers allegedly advised Mercedes that while the CLE 53 is powered by an inline-six mild hybrid with 443 horsepower and 413 lb-ft, customers may be misled if the more powerful, more expensive version has a four-cylinder. Mercedes allegedly believes that the six-cylinder in the AMG CLE 53 helps justify installing a V8 in the AMG CLE 63.
According to Autocar, the mild hybrid V8 option will deliver 585 horsepower, a significant reduction from the 670-hp four-cylinder PHEV powertrain. AMG wants the CLE to compete with the BMW M4 in customers’ eyes; a 585-hp V8 would be a more appropriate AM-branded complement to the M4’s 542-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six.
Beyond the CLE, Mercedes’ position on the AMG C 63 and AMG E 63 appears to be weakening.
