For Mercedes, You Will Eventually Get Used To The 4-Cylinder Hybrids Than V8s

It was a real earthquake that had struck the world of lovers of beautiful mechanics. At the end of 2022, Mercedes unveiled the new generation of its famous C-Class 63 S AMG, which adopted the name E Performance in passing. The super-powerful sedan is therefore going hybrid; it’s in keeping with the times, but there is a catch. In operation, this fifth generation is amputated with four cylinders, thus abandoning the twin-turbo V8. Which had already stolen the place of the fantastic naturally aspirated V8 6.3.

A transformation was strongly shunned by buyers, so much so that rumours last August suggested a return of the old engine. Rumors were quickly denied. And here are new statements that support the new electrified “four-legged” from the manufacturer with the star.

In an interview with our Australian colleagues at Carsales, Jaime Cohen, the boss of Mercedes Australia, explained that the acceptance of this change was only a matter of time, like the democratization of automatic gearboxes. “I don’t think there is a problem; it is a transition, and transitions always take time and always require a bit of conviction and experience. When we made the move [to automatic gearboxes, editor’s note], not everyone was convinced by our automatic transmissions. But finally, today, everyone has one.”

The boss also puts forward the performance argument: “It would be a problem if we couldn’t offer the same performance with the plug-in hybrid powertrain, but once you’ve driven it, you see that the performance is there.” And it’s true that thanks to its 680 hp, the new C63 SE Performance goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 s, compared to 3.9 s for the previous generation with the 510 hp V8. However, if the sportiness is there, what remains of the character and emotions provided by the mechanics? Because that’s the sore point here. To get some, you have to turn to more high-end models like the sulphurous AMG GT, but they are not the same price.

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