Mercedes-AMG is finally putting straight-sixes back where a lot of fans always thought they belonged, in the heart of its compact performance lineup. The C-Class and GLC are set to move away from the heavily boosted four-cylinders and into smoother, richer six-cylinder territory, reshaping what “entry” AMG performance looks like without walking away from electrification.
That shift is not happening in a vacuum. It is the direct result of AMG listening to customers who never really warmed to the four-cylinder C 63, and of a broader rethink inside Mercedes about how gas engines, hybrids, and future electric models should coexist in the range.
The C53 and GLC: Straight-Six Steps Into The Spotlight
The clearest sign of the new direction is the plan for a Straight Six C53 to replace the outgoing C43 as the core C-Class AMG model. Instead of relying on a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder, AMG is phasing that engine out in favor of a straight-six layout that better fits the brand’s performance image and character, with the C53 positioned as the new sweet spot for daily usable pace and refinement in the C lineup, as confirmed by reporting on how the Straight Six Replaces the older four-cylinder formula. That same strategy is expected to extend to the GLC, where a six-cylinder AMG variant will give the compact SUV a more relaxed, muscular power delivery than the high-strung four it relied on before.
Under the skin, this is about more than cylinder count bragging rights. The straight-six layout gives AMG more room to blend in hybrid assistance without the drivability compromises that came with squeezing big power from a tiny displacement engine, and it aligns the C-Class and GLC with the broader plan for Mercedes-AMG Mid Size Models Go Six Cylinder across the range. The move fits neatly with the way the new MMA-based cars and other mid-size offerings are being engineered to accept six-cylinder powertrains that can also offer a plug-in hybrid option, a direction laid out in detail in coverage of how Mid Size Models Cylinder as AMG refreshes its portfolio.
Why AMG Is Walking Away From Four-Cylinders
The straight-six comeback is only happening because AMG is making a clean break with its recent four-cylinder experiment in most of its performance cars. With the exception of the Mercedes-AMG 45 S, the brand is preparing to drop 4-cylinder engines from its lineup, a major reversal after years of downsizing and electrified boosting that were supposed to future proof the range. That shift has been spelled out by AMG executive Michael Schiebe, who explained that the new six and eight-cylinder engines will deliver better performance and efficiency compared to the previous models, and that, apart from the halo hot hatch, the company is done leaning on small displacement fours, a stance captured in reporting that notes how With the exception of the 45 S, the four-cylinder era is ending.
That decision is rooted in hard lessons from the C 63. The 4-cylinder C 63 was an absolute disaster in the eyes of many traditional buyers, who saw the complex hybrid four as a step too far from the brawny character that made earlier C 63 models icons. Internally, Mercedes-AMG has acknowledged that it misread demand for that car, and externally the company is now lining up new V8 and 6-cylinder models, including a future CLE 63 and the next roadgoing Black Series coupe, as part of a broader reset that treats the four-cylinder C 63 as a cautionary tale, a perspective laid out in detail in analysis of how the 4-cylinder C 63 misstep is shaping the next wave of AMG products.
The C63 Question: Indirect Replacements And Mixed Signals
All of this naturally raises the question of what happens to the C63 badge itself, and here the picture is more complicated. Mercedes has already confirmed that the controversial four-cylinder C63 is being killed, and that an indirect C63 replacement is coming, but it will not have a V8, a point the company has made explicitly in outlining how the next performance flagship in this size class will prioritize weight reduction and a different powertrain concept, with reporting noting that Mercedes says the indirect successor will not carry a V8. That means the straight-six C53 will sit as the clear AMG hero within the C-Class itself, while the role once played by the C63 may be split across other models and body styles.
At the same time, there are strong signals that AMG is not done with V8s in this general segment, even if they do not land directly in a C-Class sedan. AMG is officially backtracking on its all-four-cylinder strategy and fans are celebrating, with the company preparing to bring a V8 back to the C63 family in 2026 in some form and openly admitting that the previous car strayed too far from the formula that made the C63 iconic, a shift captured in coverage of how Mercedes-AMG is pivoting back toward eight cylinders. Taken together, the official line about an indirect, non V8 replacement and the parallel development of new V8 models suggest that AMG is trying to thread a needle, keeping the C-Class itself on a six-cylinder and hybrid path while using coupes, four-doors, or special editions to carry the big-engine torch.
Listening To Buyers: AMG Admits It Misread The Room
The straight-six return is not just a technical decision, it is a political one inside Mercedes-AMG, and it comes with a rare public admission that the brand got a key product call wrong. Company leaders have conceded that they misread demand for the four-cylinder C63, and that the car’s complex hybrid system, high weight, and departure from the classic AMG sound and feel left too many loyal customers cold. That rethink is happening alongside broader manufacturing changes, including a plan that, from the second quarter of this year, will see the brand’s entry-level car switch production locations, relocating from the Rastatt site as part of a reorganization that also clears space for new AMG models, including a hardcore CLE, a shift detailed in reporting that notes how From the second quarter production will move away from Rastatt.
Inside that broader reset, the C-Class and GLC sit at the center of AMG’s effort to rebuild trust with its core audience. By committing to six-cylinder power for these cars, and by pairing those engines with smarter hybrid tech rather than relying on tiny, overstressed fours, AMG is signaling that it has heard the criticism and is willing to adjust course. The straight-six C53, the likely six-cylinder GLC AMG, and the mix of upcoming 6 and 8-cylinder models like the future CLE 63 all point in the same direction, a lineup where efficiency and electrification are still part of the story, but where the sound, response, and character of the engines once again feel worthy of the AMG badge.
More from Wilder Media Group: