We now know what the first electrified vehicle wearing the AMG badge will be. The Mercedes-AMG GT four-door coupe PHEV will be the first high-performance model from the German brand to use a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It’s fitting considering this big sedan is essentially the flagship vehicle for Mercedes’ sporting division.
The first teaser of the Mercedes-AMG GT PHEV was shown via social media ahead of the car’s official world debut at the 2021 Munich auto show. We get a glimpse of the car’s front end sporting the same Panamericana grille and massive lower air intakes for improved cooling. The AMG GT PHEV won’t look much different from its internal combustion siblings. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because the car already looks quite sporty and menacing even in the entry-level AMG GT 43 guise. The electrified version will likely feature the same cues as the GT 63 and GT 63 S. That means it’ll potentially be offered with an aero kit complete with a fixed rear spoiler for additional downforce.
Things will differ is under the hood because the AMG GT PHEV is reportedly poised to become the most powerful member of the lineup. As the first car under the E Performance banner, the electrified AMG GT, likely dubbed the GT 73e, is expected to possess 805 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque. To get that output, AMG will pair its hand-built 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor, a 6.1-kWh lithium-ion battery, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain will be the new flagship of the AMG brand as it transitions to full electrification. Don’t expect it to be quiet, though. This powertrain will have the same distinctive growl as all other V8-powered AMG models despite the addition of electrification.
The V8-based plug-in hybrid powertrain debuting in the AMG GT four-door coupe PHEV is the first of two units coming from Mercedes-AMG. That will be based on the 2.0-liter turbo-four currently found on AMG versions of the A-Class, CLA-Class, GLA-Class, and GLB-Class. Mercedes claims that the engine has been tuned to make 442 hp on its own. With the help of a battery and a 201-hp electric motor, it’ll likely be good for at least 643 hp combined. The first applications of this motor are likely the AMG version of the new C-Class sedan with the most potent version powering the C 63 S.
The arrival of Mercedes-AMG’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle marks the start of its transition toward electrified powertrains. These will eventually make their way to other high-performance variants with the V8-based system being used on larger vehicles like the S-Class sedan, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, and G-Class. Sporty models like the upcoming AMG-developed SL-Class could also get this powertrain. On the other hand, the four-cylinder-based unit could go into the GLC-Class after it debuts on the AMG variants of the C-Class.
AMG is also working on pure battery-electric powertrains for future models. Under its E Performance plan, certain 43 and 53 models will be battery-electric vehicles with two electric motors and a variable AWD system with modular torque distribution. They’ll also get a 400-volt lithium-ion battery with a specific wiring harness to push the performance boundaries further and optimize the AMG Ride Control Plus suspension for EVs.
