The four-cylinder plug-in hybrid era looks set to become a short-lived blip in Mercedes-Benz history, as AMG confirms more V8s are on the way.

Michael Scheibe, the outgoing CEO of Mercedes-AMG, confirmed the return to V8 power in an interview with the UK’s Car Magazine. The move looks set to give Mercedes-Benz a unique point of difference to its competitors.

While most enthusiasts single out the Mercedes-AMG C63’s (below) switch to a four-cylinder PHEV as the biggest miss in AMG’s new-generation line-up, Scheibe revealed that SUVs will be first in line to move back to V8 power.

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“We will launch it again with SUVs,” Scheibe revealed about the brand’s V8 plans, “but other cars will get it too.”

The hero car of the revived V8 range is likely to be a V8-powered version of the CLE coupe, tipped to arrive as a limited numbers special called the CLE 63 Mythos (below).

Essentially a continuation of earlier race-ready Back Series cars, the CLE 63 will feature upgrades to brakes and suspension, and an aggressive aero styling, beyond the current six-cyinder CLE 53. Power will come from a flat-plane crank V8 already revealed for the updated S-Class.

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Alongside the return of the V8 to models that moved away from it, Scheibe also confirmed that the performance division will “put equal emphasis on our great EV line-up.”

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder PHEV powertrain in cars like the C 63 and GLE 63 received a tepid response from buyers globally. In late 2025 Mercedes-Benz claimed that the engine, first revealed in late 2022, was being phased out in Europe due to noise regulations.

The V8 won’t be a direct swap for the current PHEV, however, with a six-cylinder GLC 53 SUV (main and below) already pointing to the next move for the C-Class. 

Scheibe confirmed that the C-Class was in line to follow the GLC in adopting six-cylinder power. The change would likely see a single C 53 powertrain replace the 310kW/500Nm C 43 mild-hybrid and 500kW/1020Nm C 63 PHEV.

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In the GLC 53, the 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine features mild-hybrid assistance and is rated at 330kW and 600Nm, with a 640Nm overboost function for 10 seconds and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.2 seconds.

Meanwhile, the larger six-cylinder GLE 63 and E 63 will continue on with plug-in hybrid systems for the time being.

AMG’s EV plans are also set to continue, with a GT four-door, a version of the new CLA, and a future SUV all set to join AMG’s EV line-up, with potential for AMG variants of the new C-Class EV and GLC EV to follow later.