Mercedes-AMG’s head Tobias Moers has confirmed that the upcoming Mercedes Benz E63 AMG will have four-wheel drive as standard.

This marks a significant shift from the current generation cars that come with only two-wheel drive, while there are versions with optional four-wheel-drive. One of the reasons behind this seismic shift is the high demand for four-wheel-drive vehicles, according to Moers. He says that while the German luxury brand has a number of 4×4 and 4×2 offerings, customers seem to prefer the 4×4 variants most of the time especially when it comes to performance oriented vehicles like the Mercedes E63 AMG.

Moers did not go into detail about the type of technology being employed in the upcoming Mercedes E63 AMG. However, it seems certain that the vehicle will not be equipped with four-wheel steering, as Mercedes feel that it is more apt on hard-core variants. The 4×4 system expected on the upcoming Mercedes E 63 AMG will almost be similar to the technology employed – four putting power on the wheels – by the Ford Focus RS. The system has the ability to distribute torque actively between the axles.

The Mercedes E 63 AMG will have a 4.0-litre V8 with twin turbo chargers. This is the same motor found on models like the C 63 AMG and the AMG GT. However, the output is different compared with the heart of these two vehicles. It has been made possible due to different configurations of the cylinder heads, while turbochargers will also be arranged in a different manner. Other aspects like the crankshaft, blocks, and other key aspects will remain similar to the motors found on the C 63 AMG and the AMG GT.

Leaked documents have already revealed that the upcoming Mercedes E 63 AMG will have 563 bhp and 553 lb-ft just on the base version. The company is also expected to come out with higher end variants, which can put out 604 bhp and 627 lb-ft. The top end variant is likely to come in the S trim. Meanwhile, Moers claimed that the horsepower war between the performance vehicles seems to be over since Mercedes want to focus on the overall package and not just the numbers. However, he admitted that performance vehicles required a certain level of power and 600 bhp should be plenty enough for this purpose. In the past, Mercedes AMG cars had excessive torque, which had to be limited.