Mercedes-Benz AMG speeds towards new sales record in Australia

This year will be the best ever for Mercedes-Benz’s performance division as it gears up to deliver the 10,000th AMG vehicle in Australia since the launch of the C36 in 1995.

AMG currently accounts for nine per cent of Mercedes-Benz Australia’s passenger car and SUV volume â€" the highest proportion of any market in the world.

This year it expects to deliver more than 2000 AMGs, up more than 20 per cent over last year’s 1649 record. Mercedes-Benz Australia corporate communications senior manager David McCarthy told CarAdvice approximately 1000 of those sales would be split roughly evenly between the A45 AMG hot-hatch and the C63 AMG mid-sizer, even though production of the latter has already ceased as it makes way for an all-new version due in 2015.

The outgoing C63 is the best-selling AMG vehicle in brand’s history, accounting for about one third of the division’s total sales tally in Australia.

The new-generation C63 AMG will trade the old model’s naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 for an all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, adding significantly more power and torque. The current C63 AMG 507 â€" now the only C63 available in Australia, and on sale at a reduced $159,507 starting price â€" generates 373Nm of power and 610Nm of torque (up 37kW/10Nm on the standard C63). The new version is tipped to produce up to 375kW and 750Nm, and should also shave about two-tenths off the old car’s 0-100km/h sprint time, putting the new model closer to 4.2sec.

Mercedes-Benz offers 19 high-performance AMG models in Australia from the entry-level $74,990 A45 AMG to the range-topping $486,645 SLS AMG Roadster.


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