Plug-in hybrid super sedan coming soon
Mercedes-Benz AMG is readying a new plug-in hybrid version of its GT 4-Door Coupe.
Our spy shots show a prototype of the AMG sedan with a concealed flap on its rear fascia, located just below the taillight on the right. On the corresponding rear fender is the regular filler cap.
When the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Concept bowed in 2017 as a preview of the GT 4-Door Coupe, the striking show car packed a powerful electrified V-8 under the hood. So far such a powertrain hasn’t taken shape but that is now about to change. In fact, AMG has already teased it. A debut will take place later this year and we should see the car reach showrooms as a 2022 model.
2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 73e 4-Door Coupe spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
The electrified sedan will be positioned as the range-topper in the GT 4-Door Coupe lineup, similar to how Porsche’s Panamera and Cayenne also feature plug-in hybrids as their top option. Expect the AMG to be called something along the lines of GT 73e, the small “e” signifying that the car is an electrified model. It will eventually fill in for AMG’s former V-12 line.
No specs have been confirmed but rumors point to the powertrain mirroring the setup in the original GT concept, which AMG quoted at 805 horsepower. Specifically, AMG said the concept featured a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 married to a powerful electric motor capable of driving the car on its own. Currently, the GT 4-Door Coupe range tops out with the GT 63 S, whose output is 630 hp.
Although any GT 4-Door Coupe plug-in hybrid will likely weigh more than the GT 63 S, it should handily outrun it if we see anything like the 805 hp of the concept. With such an output, expect the super sedan to sprint to 62 mph in 3.0 seconds or less. The GT 63 S has already been clocked at 3.2 seconds.
2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 73e 4-Door Coupe spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
The plug-in hybrid system will eventually filter across to other high-end models in the AMG lineup. AMG’s version of the new S-Class is likely the next recipient.
Eager buyers should expect a premium price for the extra performance the powertrain brings. The AMG GT 63 S already starts at $159,995. For this kind of money, buyers could also opt for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid or the battery-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo S and new Tesla Model S Plaid+.
AMG doesn’t have an answer to the Taycan or Model S Plaid+ just yet but former CEO Tobias Moers in an interview last September said an electric AMG was in the works. Timing of the vehicle isn’t clear but it is expected to be based on Mercedes’ upcoming EQS sedan.
