MERCEDES-AMG REVERTS TO V8 ENGINE FOR NEW CLE 63

U-turn follows commercial failure of C63’s four-cylinder PHEV system

- GREG KABLE

Mercedes-AMG will return to V8 power, it has confirmed, with a fresh mild-hybrid engine set to make its debut in the new CLE 63 Coupé later this year.

The move marks a shift from the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain that AMG introduced in the C63 S E Performance saloon and estate. This failed to gain traction with customers, resulting in a significant drop in sales of one of the firm’s best-sellers.

Sources in Germany have told Autocar that following the CLE 63, the V8 could be used in other AMG models, such as a revised C63 due in 2026.

In response, an AMG spokesperson denied this.

Full details of the new engine remain under wraps, but it is rumoured to lean heavily on AMG’s existing ‘M177’ twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 architecture.