Mercedes-AMG Mid-Size Models Go Six-Cylinder
The all-new 2026 Mercedes CLA rides on the new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) which will also underpin the GLA and GLB. There will definitely be an AMG version of the CLA and other entry-level models, Schiebe said.
The C-Class will get the six-cylinder engine from the CLE53. No hybrid, just an internal combustion engine.
Mercedes will stop using the current turbocharged four-cylinder engine as it will struggle to meet future regulations. The turbo-four is being replaced with the I-6 in vehicles in the mid-size segment, Schiebe tells us. In the new C-Class and GLC, Mercedes has decided to go with a combustion engine only. The C53 will have no hybrid powertrain, he says, opting instead for pure inline-six. No plug-in hybrid. Plug-in hybrids have been successful but are heavier and compromise trunk space. AMG will look at each individual model in the future and decide whether to offer a plug-in hybrid.
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As the portfolio expands, some models will have more than one AMG version, but not all. Most will continue to have an entry position like 43, and a top end like the current 63. Not all models will have electric version, at least for a while.
Mythos Sub-Brand
Mythos is an exclusive, limited production sub-brand for handcrafted collector cars. We have seen the AMG PureSpeed, a roadster with no roof or windshield. AMG has teased a second model based on the CLE platform and prototypes are undergoing winter testing.
As for the Black Series, it will live on, Schiebe says. But models must be radical to live up to the name.
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Schiebe also will not say if the Track Sport (seen above) will be a track-only car or be offered as a road car, too.
Overall, AMG will continue to work to further differentiate itself from Mercedes cars, with bolder, more aggressive looks and wider stances. The brand is doubling down on design while emphasizing performance to feel fast corners as well as on straights, but must also offer day-to-day drivability, especially in the mid-size segment, Schiebe says.