Senior officials at the division’s parent company, Mercedes-Benz, have confirmed that the forthcoming Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 would get a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine capable of producing up to 593 horsepower. Due to slow sales of the sedan, estate and SUV sales, the decision to give the hot new coupe and cabriolet the same 680hp plug-in hybrid engine as the current C 63 and GLC 63 has been reversed.
The E-Performance PHEV drivetrain, which combines a rear-axle mounted electric motor with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, hasn’t won over traditional AMG buyers despite its class-leading performance.
In all of AMG’s global markets, the models’ sales are now far lower than those of their V8 predecessors. According to Autocar UK, the most powerful variants of the new CLE will be powered by the latest version of AMG’s M177 V8 engine, which includes mild-hybrid technology.
Those vehicles will be positioned above the CLE 53 Coupe and Cabriolet, which are powered by a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine producing 448hp. The change comes as Mercedes’ performance car division seeks to position the CLE as a direct competitor to the BMW M4, which boasts up to 550 hp from a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight six in its most powerful form.
According to Mercedes sources, the decision to equip the CLE with V8 power comes not just from the lukewarm response to the PHEV C 63 and GLC 63 models, but also from feedback from the company’s global dealer network. Dealers have suggested that putting a four-cylinder CLE 63 range-topper above the six-cylinder CLE 53 would confuse potential customers.
