Update: ‘Interior’ section added.
Daimler has capped the engine displacement for the Mercedes C-Class to two litres, which will apply to the spirited 2022 Mercedes-AMG C43 and the fire-breathing 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63. Every future Mercedes-AMG C-Class variant will employ 2.0-litre petrol engines electrified to compensate for the cylinders.
The current generation Mercedes-AMG C43 sports a 390 PS 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, and the Mercedes-AMG C63 employs a 476 PS 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Customers can have the latter in a hotter ’S’ configuration with a 510 PS 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Despite using four-cylinder engines, the successors to these AMG C-Class models are likely to be way more powerful and significantly more efficient.
2022 C63 AMG
Design
Just days after the 2021 Mercedes C-Class broke cover, X-Tomi Design showed us a realistic rendering of the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63. The AMG’d 2022 C-Class gets the signature radiator grille from Affalterbach with twelve vertical louvres and an AMG badge, functional air inlets for improved aerodynamics, and a sportier bumper at the front. On the sides, it flaunts AMG aero wheels in a 6-twin-spoke design and glossy black mirror housings.
At the rear, the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C-Class will likely sport a more aerodynamic bottom part with a specially designed diffuser and side air vents that improve the car’s Cd figure. The AMG sports exhaust system will likely comprise two chrome-plated or gloss black twin tailpipes integrated into the diffuser. Both the aero parts could sport a gloss black finish. The spy shots below, courtesy of ElectricVehicleWeb reader Lukas Müller, show a camouflaged 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 63 up close.
2022 Mercedes-AMG C-Class Estate/Wagon
The C63 AMG will continue in the Estate body style in the future generation. Ace car spotter and ElectricVehicleWeb supporter Wilco Blok shared pictures of the next-gen C63 AMG Estate from Europe last week. The hot estate combines the space and practicality of a family car, with the excitement of a sports car. Spy shots show the upcoming hot estate equipped with sporty bumpers, mixed alloy wheel designs (not production-intent feature), a rear diffuser, and quad exhaust tips.
Interior
While the parts developed for the new C-Class will be reused in the cabin, the 2023 C63 AMG could have subtle modifications for differentiation. The infotainment system will likely feature AMG-specific content and views. It could offer additional functions, like, for example, a data logger for use on the track. The instrument cluster may include an AMG-specific layout. The steering wheel could feature buttons and dials for enabling/changing driving functions and driving modes. Apart from these, expect distinctively shaped sports seats, sport pedals, exclusive upholstery, and special decor inserts.
Drivetrain
On 31 March 2021, Daimler made interesting announcements at the TecDAY AMG Future of Driving Performance Independent E Performance event, indirectly spelling out details about the 2022 C63 AMG. The company said that engineers are aiming to develop further the M139 engine such that it can once again break the record of the world’s highest litre output of all 4-cyl engines. The 63-series AMG variant of the C-Class will likely wear an E Performance label in the next generation.
The 2022 C63 AMG E Performance will sport a longitudinally installed, comprehensively modified M139 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric exhaust-gas turbocharger. Derived from Formula F1, this turbocharger will have a 4 cm-narrower electric motor integrated directly on its shaft, between the turbine wheel on the exhaust gas side and the compressor wheel fresh air side. The electric turbocharger can achieve speeds of up to 170,000 rpm, enabling a very high airflow rate. It can maintain boost pressure even when the driver takes the foot off the accelerator or applies the brakes.
The benefit of electrification will be realized as an instant response from zero rpm and across the rev range. Higher torque from the word go means more agility and quicker 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time than cars with a conventional turbocharged engine. With turbo lag virtually eliminated, the engine is more responsive across the rev range, which means that the car’s driving character can be much more dynamic and agile. A 400-volt onboard power supply will feed the electrified turbocharger. The turbocharger, electric motor, and power electronics will be connected to the engine’s cooling circuit so that an optimized temperature environment can be maintained.
The 2022 C63 AMG E Performance will have a battery-powered drive motor at the rear axle as well, and the battery powering this motor will reportedly be rechargeable. In other words, the first-ever C63 AMG with a 2.0-litre engine will be a plug-in hybrid that customers can silently drive in pure electric mode.
There will be a third motor, a belt-driven starter-alternator (BSG), or Riemengetriebene Starter-Generator (RSG) in German, in the 2022 C63 AMG E Performance. The RSG will produce 10 kW (14 PS), start the combustion engine, and power the auxiliary components like AC and driving lights.
Outputs
Daimler has confirmed that the upcoming AMG 2.0-litre turbo engine can generate more than 330 kW or 449 PS and that AMG can team it up with an electric drive motor developing up to 150 kW or 204 PS. Theoretically, with this setup, it is possible to stretch the combined power output to around 480 kW or 653 PS.
Alternatively, the company may cap the figure closer to 450 kW/612 PS and save the maximum achievable power for future use, say a mid-cycle refresh, or release a special variant like Black Series. A 9-speed automatic transmission will be standard.
On the 2022 AMG C43 or 2022 AMG C45 variant
An entry-level AMG version of the new C-Class (either the 2022 AMG C43 or 2022 AMG C45, in line with the nomenclature of the A-Class AMG A45) which would use the same engine, is also in the pipeline. What the C43/C45 won’t have, reportedly, is the rear-mounted electric motor of the C63, meaning the output would be significantly lower.
2022 Mercedes C-Class AMG Release date
A report from Motor1 filed in December 2021 hints that the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C-Class is close to its official unveiling. It wouldn’t surprise us if Mercedes begins teasing the car soon and conducts its premiere shortly after. The speculation rests on a test mule with minimal disguise work appearing on the public roads. The latest pictures have revealed that, unlike the previous generation C43, the next-gen model features the AMG-exclusive Panamericana grille.
Customer deliveries of the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63 could begin around summer. We’ll update this page as more information surfaces.
Featured Image Source: Lukas Müller (Instagram)
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