A couple years back, word circulated that Mercedes-AMG's smallest V8 sedan, the C63, would lose its burly engine with an upcoming redesign. It wasn't entirely surprising in the wake of AMG launching a new hybrid inline-six, but what was startling was the suggestion the new C63 would miss out on it in favor of a hybridized four-cylinder. Some stuck their heads in the sand, insisting the rumor to be fake news, but the time to face the music has apparently come. According to Car & Driver, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class' head engineer has confirmed it all to be true.
Mercedes' Christian Früh apparently revealed the change during a ride-along in a prototype 2022 C-Class, disclosing the redesigned model will be powered purely by four-cylinders. This goes for the AMG C63, too, which Früh reportedly stated will still be a 500-plus-horsepower car. If 2019's rumors are to be believed, it'll make precisely 503 horse, the same as the outgoing V8 model, but 553 pound-feet of torque, or 37 more despite losing half its cylinders. This torque bump allegedly comes from a 48-volt mild hybrid system, one pioneered on the AMG inline-six in cars like the E53.
In addition to besting the V8's power output, the new four-banger is said to be 107 pounds lighter and capable of sitting lower in the chassis, improving its balance. Handling will be further improved by four-wheel steering, which enhances stability at high speeds and reduces turning radii in cities. Not everything's coming up roses, though, as the AMG C-Class is said to be switching exclusively to Mercedes's nine-speed automatic and ditching the manual available on the current car in some markets.
Word also has it this powertrain is coming to the C-Class' crossover and coupe-over equivalent, the GLC. With some details of this rumor all but confirmed, it would seem the four-cylinder AMG GLC's announcement is but a formality at this point.
C&D reports sales of the redesigned 2022 C-Class could commence in the United States by the end of this year. We've contacted Mercedes for confirmation and will update this space once we've heard back.
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