A Mercedes executive told the British magazine Autocar that the company will replace the 4-cylinder PHEV system in the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 and AMG C 63 with either an inline-six or a V8 engine.
Rumors have been circulating for several months, but until now, Mercedes-AMG had denied that it would discontinue the 4-cylinder PHEV system used in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 and GLC 63.
At the launch event of the Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept, a Mercedes official stated that “from a technical standpoint, this powertrain is one of the most advanced available in a production car and also delivers top performance. However, despite this, it failed to resonate with traditional customers.”
The same source mentioned that an upgraded version of the inline-six engine or the new V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft could replace the 4-cylinder PHEV system.
The PHEV system consists of the M139l 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, mounted longitudinally, and supercharged by a turbine driven by a small electric motor only 4 cm in diameter. The rear axle is powered by a 204 PS electric motor (109 PS continuous output), paired with a two-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential. The electric motor is powered by a 6.1 kWh (4.8 kWh net) battery that can be charged at up to 3.7 kW.
Mercedes has not announced an exact date for discontinuing this powertrain, but one official stated that the investment needed to make the system compliant with EU7 emissions regulations is too high. Therefore, a suitable moment for the change could be in the spring of 2026, when the C-Class facelift is scheduled.
At the same event, Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz CTO, said that AMG will continue to develop powertrains in two directions: electric and hybrid. Electric versions will increase significantly, but hybrids will continue to be part of the lineup.
Schäfer also confirmed that Mercedes is working on an entirely new V8 engine that will comply with the upcoming EU7 emissions standards. He added that for larger engines, there will be 6- and 8-cylinder versions, all electrified with either a 48V mild hybrid system or a PHEV setup.