Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E-Performance A 671 HP Monster That Shocks & Awes

On paper, the 2025 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance has everything it needs to be a massive success among performance sports sedan buyers. Yet, I’ve seen a lot of automotive journalists talk about how unhappy they are with the 2.0L turbocharged PHEV powertrain, the weight, and the overall driving experience. How can so many people be so right but also so wrong at the same time?
 

We’ll get to the driving experience later on, and trust me, it’s worth it. But first, let’s talk about legacy.
 
High-performance sports sedans are one of the most compelling niches in car history. They’re stealthy, practical, brutally quick, and reasonably sized. Not everyone needs an M5 or an RS6, unless you also genuinely require additional comfort and space. Some people just want to focus on driving characteristics when it comes to sports sedans, and that’s where the likes of the Merc C 63 or the BMW M3 come in.
 
Of course, it’s not just these two. There’s also the Audi RS4 (which you could buy as a sedan at one point), the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, plus one or two decent attempts from the likes of Jaguar and Lexus with the XE and the IS, respectively.
 
To focus on AMG, which is what we’re here to do, here’s how the history reads. The W201 was the first C-Class to get the AMG treatment back when AMG wasn’t part of Mercedes-Benz, but rather a separate tuning company. Evos notwithstanding, you had the 190 E 3.2 AMG model putting down 231 horsepower and getting up to 151 mph if left unchecked.
 
Then came the W202 in the early 90s, which you could get as a C 36 AMG (276 hp), C 43 AMG (302 hp), and as the C 55 AMG (342 hp). All three could hit 60 mph (97 kph) in less than six seconds. The C 55 could do it in about 5.3 seconds, which was pretty impressive. It would still feel very quick today.
 
We then got the W203 C-Class in the early 2000s, featuring specs such as the C 32 AMG and C 55 AMG, where the C 32 made more power than the W202 C 55, and the C 55 now produced 362 hp courtesy of a V8 engine.
 
Coincidentally, both the W203 C 32 and the C 55 were equally fast off the line – it would have been just a matter of wanting a V8 over a V6 or simply going with the flow (the C 55 replaced the C 32 in 2004).
 
Moving on to the W204 generation, that right there was a really “bad boy”, and it was the first-ever C-Class to feature genuine supercar-like performance thanks to its massive 6.2-liter V8 engine pushing down 451 horsepower – which you could later boost to 480 hp with the Performance Package. The W205 was a worthy successor, opting instead for a twin-turbo V8 (rather than naturally aspirated) in two stages of tune (469 hp for the C 63 and 500 hp for the C 63 S).
 
It’s this engine that people wish Mercedes would have kept for the all-new W206 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S, which as an E Performance model now comes with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain comprised of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. It’s nowhere near as dramatic as the twin-turbo V8, or the naturally aspirated V8, for that matter, but it does get its point across. Let’s break it down.
 

Design Evaluation
There’s a lot to like about the W206 C-Class when it comes to styling. It’s elegant and sporty looking with the right trim. Personally, I kind of liked the W205 more from a design standpoint, but to each their own.
 
The C 63 S E Performance looks more aggressive than a “normal” W206 C-Class. Having wider front and rear tracks also meant having wider wheel arches. It also has a slightly longer front end (to house additional cooling and performance hardware), AMG-specific intakes, quad exhausts, side skirts, and a lower stance.
 
To me, this is a surprisingly subtle design for a genuine AMG car. For example, the BMW M3 looks considerably more aggressive, whereas the new C 63 leans more toward having an elegant look – although you can still tell it’s sportier than a regular C-Class.
 
Our test car came with a Graphite Gray metallic exterior, which is a good color for any AMG product. It also features the AMG aero package (giving you that trunk lid spoiler), the AMG Night package, a panoramic roof (part of the Premium Plus package), the AMG Styling package, plus a set of 10-spoke 20” AMG wheels with black accents.
 
The wheels have a very interesting design and not everyone’s going to like it, but I didn’t mind them.
 
I think, overall, this is a handsome vehicle, with the potential to look even better with a more contrasting colorway – perhaps Cirrus Silver, Moonlight White, or even Graphite Gray Magno (matte).
 
Interior Assessment
Once you step inside the new C 63 S E Performance (whose name is a handful, annoyingly), there are both negatives and positives to consider. Let’s start with the negatives, of which there aren’t many.
 
Personally, I’ve developed a hawk eye for spotting cost cutting measures inside new cars, and the cheaper plastics on the bottom half of the center console and dashboard were hard to miss. I drove a GLC around the same time as the C 63 and the former had a more expensive-feeling interior. I’m not sure if that should be the case.
 
I’d also venture as far as to say that interior quality in the W206 C-Class in general is below that of the current G20 BMW 3 Series, and perhaps slightly below that of the new Audi A5 – but the BMW definitely leads the segment here, albeit only because it was designed at time when carmakers had yet to go all-in on cost-cutting. I’m sure the next 3 Series will “rectify” that. Sadly.
 
In terms of seating comfort and driving position, both are perfect. The seats felt extremely comfortable and supportive, and the driving position excellent. You know how some cars will shrink around you? Like how a 5 Series used to feel like a 3 Series (back when recipes for cars were different). Well, the C 63, perhaps because of its body mods, feels bigger than your run-of-the-mill sports sedan. This isn’t a negative, just an observation.
 
There is one more thing that’s not so great about this car. Because it’s a plug-in hybrid, trunk volume is extremely limited. Instead of the 16 cu.ft (455 liters) you get with the regular C-Class sedan; the C 63 only offers 9.9 cu.ft (280 liters). That is a remarkably small trunk, especially depth-wise. You might struggle fitting larger suitcases in there. Some people might not have an issue with this, but I’m guessing that most probably would, at least to some extent.
 

In terms of features, our test car was loaded with modern-day Merc magic. I’m not going to go through the whole list, but here are some of the highlights:
Apple CarPlay & Android Auto connectivity, heated and ventilated front seats (also electrically adjustable), heated rear seats, keyless go, ambient lighting, carbon fiber trim, electric window blinds, a heated steering wheel, tinted windows, a head-up display, a Burmester 3D sound system, plus a wide range of active safety systems designed to keep you safe at all times.
 
Maybe my favorite feature, at least visually, was the AMG Performance steering wheel with carbon fiber top/bottom and Dinamica microfiber to the side. It looked absolutely amazing and felt really expensive. I think I’d still rather have some type of leather or leatherette instead of that microfiber, simply because you can grip it better – unless you’re wearing driving gloves and then yes, you probably would rather have the microfiber.
 
All things considered, the interior of the 2025 C 63 S is a very nice place to be. This might not be an ideal road trip car, but it otherwise gets the job done really well.
 
Driving Take
Speaking of getting the job done, let’s finally address the issue of the power unit and driving dynamics. I watched plenty of reputable car reviewers talk about how much they hated the drivetrain, or how lackluster the handling characteristics were (mostly because of chassis calibration).
 
Well, I’m here to tell you that they should remember the world we’re living in today. Carmakers are focusing on less displacement and electrification, and they have no choice but to do so. Sure, it’s not ideal that this thing has a 2.0L inline-four engine, but the end-result is spectacular, nonetheless. You wanted supercar-level performance? You got it. This thing will absolutely smoke its predecessor in a straight line, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s all about?
 
The M139 four-cylinder unit alone is putting down 469 horsepower, which combined with the rear-axle electric motor’s 201 horsepower, gives you a maximum system output of 671 horsepower (680 ps) and 752 lb-ft (1,020 Nm) of torque. You need to wrap your head around how powerful this thing is. It pulls like crazy, needing just 3.3 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standstill.
 
Of course, you do need some charge in the battery to get the full 671 hp, otherwise the car will underperform. Rest assured, the battery charges back up pretty quickly as you drive. You don’t even need to plug the car in, most of the time.
 
From a straight-line perspective, this is all the car you’ll ever need in this segment. From an agility perspective, yes, the fact that it weighs 2.1 tons is a bit of a problem, but not one that would affect most owners. I thought the car did a masterful job once you dial all the settings up to 11 (either in Sport + or Race mode). It feels nimble enough, and I really enjoyed the steering feel – Mercedes is on a roll when it comes to steering feel in general. Best in class, I’d say.
 
As for the AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed gearbox, it’s absolutely tremendous. Sometimes it doesn’t make for the best of marriages (depending on model/drivetrain), but it’s really well calibrated to the C 63 S’ PHEV unit. There’s no turbo lag, and the shifts are instantaneous.
 
What about the 201 hp electric motor, you ask? Driving the C 63 S E Performance in Electric-only mode is extremely rewarding. Like the new M5 I reviewed recently, the C 63 S can also be driven as an EV, although the battery is way smaller than the one in the M5, so you get less range.
 
I won’t sugarcoat it. You only get about 7 miles (11 km) of EV range with this car, which is extremely disappointing. The M5 can stay in electric-only mode for up to 40 miles (66 km). That is a huge difference. Then again, the C 63 is less of a “family car”.
 

Everyday Living
I don’t mean to keep bringing up the M5, but the Bimmer is the quintessential plug-in hybrid performance sedan by 2025 standards, and in that sense, I feel as though Mercedes could have done a better job giving you more EV range in the C 63.
 
So no, this car can’t be all things to all people. The battery is there just to aid performance, and the little EV range you do get will still come in handy from time to time – like when leaving your driveway (you can do so silently) or maneuvering in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
 
Hey. Do you want to hear something awesome? I think we can forgive any faults the 2025 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance may have once we take a look at the sticker price.
 
What do you figure? $100k starting MSRP? At least 95k. Right? Nope. This baby is $86,050 and that right there folks is incredible value for money for 671 hp and a 3.3-second 0-60 time. To put things into perspective, know that this car is way faster than a 2025 BMW M3, yet it costs about the same. You’ve got the entry-level M3 with 473 hp at $78,400, the M3 Competition with 503 hp at $82,600, and the M3 Competition xDrive with 523 hp at $87,700.
 
If straight-line speed is what you’re after (and most people are when it comes to performance sedans), the C63 S E Performance is automatically a much better purchase than any M3 variant. Yes, it’s got a four-cylinder engine, but it’s also got an electric motor for when you need/want it – to go with more power and way more torque.
 
I too prefer the BMW’s inline-six engine, but if I had to put pen to paper, I’d go for the Benz because of that massive performance gap. I wouldn’t even care about the fake V8 noises.
 
As for how much our test car cost on-location (here in Romania), the price was €125,665 (taxes included). Keep in mind, it was loaded with optional extras.
 
Test Drive Roundup
The 2025 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is far from perfect. But when it’s good… it’s just so good that you can forgive and forget any shortcomings.
 
Most people who can afford high-end AMG or BMW M models, they often have more than one car in their driveway, so you can’t get too caught up in talking about practicality. It’s good to praise them when they do offer you everything you’d ever want (like the new M5), but otherwise, let’s just try to appreciate these cars for doing exactly what they were designed to do – putting a massive smile on your face.
 
What an awesome car this is, and what great value for money! I would have given it a full 5-star rating had it featured a larger battery size. That simple.
 
Pros
– Performance
– Comfort
– Price
 
Cons
– Battery Size
– Trunk Capacity