Mercedes is allegedly planning drastic changes for the C-Class facelift. Both AMG versions are purportedly on their way out, with the C43 and C63 to be retired once the mid-cycle update is released. The luxury sedan apparently won’t be left without a performance version tuned in Affalterbach, though. A new C53 is claimed to be in the works.
The unverified report published by the long-running Mercedes-Benz Passion Blog cites undisclosed sources familiar with the matter. We’ve reached out to Mercedes, but the company refused to comment. That’s how things typically go in the car industry, as automakers are generally reluctant to talk about future products.
Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1
Last month, a company official told us the V-8 engine is certainly not going to return. The AMG C-Class could still have more cylinders than originally planned, however. That C53 we mentioned will reportedly have a six-cylinder engine. The new flavor will apparently use a variation of the M256M engine with mild-hybrid technology.
The C53 is not expected to have a charging port, which would imply the days of the plug-in hybrid AMG C-Class are already coming to an end. That wouldn’t come as a shock, seeing as how the death of the V-8 has pushed enthusiasts away. We’ve been reporting about significant discounts in the United States and Germany.
That’s despite AMG CEO Michael Schiebe’s controversial statement about the electrified four-cylinder being “very, very progressive.” Mercedes Australia CEO Jaime Cohen was also quoted as saying enthusiasts will embrace four-cylinder AMGs like smartphones. The thinking is some were initially reluctant to buttonless smartphones, just like car enthusiasts need time to warm up to downsized engines.
If the C53 is indeed getting a 3.0-liter engine, it’ll go to show the C-Class W206’s engine bay can accommodate an inline-six after all. Heck, there’s a tuner out there that claims to have shoehorned a big V-8 underneath the C63’s hood.
Fitting a six-cylinder engine without the plug-in hybrid bits should significantly lower the car’s curb weight. That’s despite having a heavier combustion engine than the M139l four-pot currently in use. The C63 we tested last August tipped the scales at a porky 4,817 pounds. That’s 2,185 kilograms for people on the other side of the pond.
63
Power figures for the rumored C53 are unclear, but it’ll certainly be less than the 671 hybrid horses of the current C63. It would undoubtedly have more than 416 hp available in today’s C43, which uses a 2.0-liter mild-hybrid engine. The CLE53 packs a 443-hp punch from the same M256M, so look for the C53 to have a similar output. We reckon this shouldn’t be considered a downgrade from the C63, given the different name carrying a lower number.
The report doesn’t say when the C53 will be released, but an educated guess tells us it’s due sooner rather than later. The current-generation C-Class has been around since 2021, so a mid-cycle facelift should be inching closer. With Mercedes refusing to confirm or deny the report, we’ll just have to wait and see whether a C53 is planned as a replacement for the C43 and C63. The same strategy would likely also be applied to the GLC crossover.
UPDATE: A separate report published today by Autocar also claims the four-cylinder engine is going away. However, the AMG C63 will apparently stick around with a plug-in hybrid inline-six. It’s all a bit confusing, but it looks as though big changes are on the way.
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