Things have been going great lately for Mercedes’ performance division AMG, with the company doubling its sales during the past two years. With the launch of new compact models (A 45 AMG, CLA 45 AMG and GLA 45 AMG), sales have really taken off, with Mercedes-AMG setting impressive growth targets for 2014.
The company expects to sell more than 45,000 performance vehicles this year, following a very successful first quarter. “We have seen our sales in the first quarter increase by 50 percent,” AMG boss Tobias Moers told Germany’s Automobilwoche. “I assume that this growth will continue throughout the year,” the executive added.
In 2013, Mercedes-AMG sold 32,200 vehicles, already exceeding the sales target of 30,000 units planned for 2017, the year when the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary. “We are currently working on a new strategy,” Moers said, adding that it includes new sales targets.
Mercedes-AMG’s lineup encompasses almost all Mercedes-Benz nameplates, with only the B-Class, GLK-Class, E-Class Coupe and V-Class lacking an AMG version. The latest AMG vehicle launched is the S 63 AMG Coupé (pictured), the successor to the CL 63 AMG. The new model is powered by a 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8 engine producing 577hp (585PS) and 900 Nm (663 lb-ft) of torque. The S 63 AMG Coupé sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds and reaches an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
For the first time on an S-Class-based coupe, AMG also offers the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which lowers the 0 to 100 km/h sprint to 3.9 seconds in the S 63 AMG Coupé 4Matic.
By Dan Mihalascu
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