Following the harsh lesson learned with the four-cylinder AMG 43 and 63 versions of the C-Class and GLC, Mercedes has understood that customers want something different. And it is now ready to offer them a new Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 coupe powered by a V8 engine, in the purest Mercedes tradition.
Photo: AI rendering
The previous generations of the Mercedes-AMG C 63, the W204 and W205, featured highly acclaimed V8 engines under the bonnet, particularly among customers in the USA, but not exclusively: a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 in the W204 and a 4.0-litre biturbo V8 (M177) in the W205.
In September 2022, Mercedes introduced a new PHEV powertrain based on a four-cylinder engine in the AMG C 63 S E Performance based on the W206 generation and AMG GLC 63 S E Performance. However, following disappointing sales, Mercedes decided in the spring of 2026 to discontinue the Mercedes-AMG C 63 4Matic and AMG GLC 63 4Matic, as well as their less powerful AMG C 43 and GLC 43 counterparts, which were also equipped with four-cylinder engines featuring electric turbocharging, but with 48V mild-hybrid technology instead of a PHEV system.
In the case of the C-Class, both AMG versions disappeared with the facelift, and so far no replacements have been announced. The situation was rather different with the AMG GLC 43 and GLC 63, as their replacement was quite unexpected: the change did not coincide with a facelift but affected only these two models.
Although the Mercedes CLE coupe is positioned in terms of size between the C-Class and E-Class, it uses the C-Class platform and is therefore considered by many to be the successor to both the C-Class Coupe and the E-Class Coupe.
With the AMG CLE, Mercedes avoided making the same mistake of choosing a four-cylinder engine. From the launch of the AMG CLE 53 4Matic in January 2024, the model was offered with a 3.0-litre inline-six featuring both a turbocharger and an electric auxiliary compressor, combined with 48V mild-hybrid technology.
Codenamed M 256M, this is an upgraded version of the M 256, featuring optimised combustion chambers with redesigned inlet and outlet ports, new piston rings, optimised fuel injection, a new exhaust gas turbocharger and a new electric auxiliary compressor, which increases boost pressure by 0.4 bar to 1.5 bar. The engine develops 449 PS and 560 Nm of torque, rising to 600 Nm for 12 seconds with the overboost function.
In spring 2026, Mercedes launched the new AMG GLC 53 4Matic, introducing several improvements to the M 256M engine. In the AMG GLC 53 4Matic, the electric auxiliary compressor was modified and now delivers 7.5 kW, compared with 5 kW previously.
As a result, the engine in the Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 4Matic produces 449 PS and 600 Nm of torque, rising to 640 Nm for 10 seconds with the boost function.
However, the AMG CLE 53 cannot match the performance of the AMG C 63 S E Performance. This is why Mercedes is also considering a V8 version featuring 48V mild-hybrid technology.
The new Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 4Matic will therefore feature the new V8 engine with a flat-plane crankshaft and 48V mild-hybrid technology, likely developing around 612 PS. It will be positioned below the limited-edition Mercedes-AMG CLE 646, of which only 30 examples will be produced, at a prohibitive price of around €800,000.
While the AMG CLE 646 is a pure sports car with rear-wheel drive, the Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 S 4Matic will offer greater versatility thanks to its all-wheel-drive system. It will also be considerably more affordable, as it will be a regular production model.
Considering that the AMG CLE 53 4Matic starts at €94,147, we expect the Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 S 4Matic to cost around €130,000. This would make it more expensive than the BMW M4, but it would also be more powerful and feature a V8 engine under the bonnet, compared with the BMW’s inline-six engine.
