Mercedes Might Drastically Cut AMG Range From 2020 Due To Strict CO2 Targets

Mercedes is reportedly bringing out its axe in order to meet the ever stricter emission targets in Europe, with possible victims including some of the fire-breathing AMG models.

Citing unnamed sources within the company, the Financial Times report that Daimler is expected to reduce around 75 percent of the availability of some models within the current AMG range, which has some of the most polluting vehicles in the German brand’s lineup.

Related: Daimler Could Lose Billions In Profits Due In Part To CO2 Compliance Costs

Daimler’s current fleet emissions are rated at 138g/km, far away from the 100g/km target and if the carmaker doesn’t comply, it could face massive fines from the European Union in 2021. Limiting the availability of some AMG models will probably help them drop that fleet CO2 average more easily but industry analysts warn that the move could also probe to be a “catastrophe for profitability”.

That’s because the high-performance Mercedes models return more profit than the standard cars. Furthermore, the reduced availability could extend to some of its mainstream models too, like those fitted with 3.0-liter six-cylinder powertrains.

An earlier report said that AMG was considering ditching the V8 engine in the next-generation C63 in favor of an electrified version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo unit found in the smaller AMG 45 models.

Another report in early November said that the German car maker is predicting 1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) and 1.5 billion euros ($1.65 billion) in downturns for next year.

Mazda is also planning to offer fewer MX-5 models fitted with the 2.0-liter engine in 2020, out of fear of not meeting the aforementioned CO2 fleet emission target; instead the Japanese automaker will focus more on the smaller 1.5-liter version of the two-seat roadster.