New AMG 53 line launching in 2018

LOS ANGELES — The Mercedes-AMG CLS53 will go on sale in the U.S. by the end of 2018, kicking off a new line in the AMG performance stable.

Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers confirmed the CLS' new 53 variant and hinted at more 53s coming later in the E-class family. All AMG 53 models will be powered by a higher-output version of parent Daimler's new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt electrical system.

"It's a higher output than the 43s," Moers said. The engine in the CLS53 reportedly will produce 430 hp. Moers wouldn't confirm a specific number but said the AMG version of the inline six will produce horsepower "for sure in the 400s." Mercedes-AMG will reveal more details at the Detroit auto show in January, he said.

With the new 53 line, the CLS family will no longer have a top-of-the-line AMG 63 model, Moers said. That slot in the lineup is being taken by a new four-door AMG GT car based on the Mercedes-AMG GT concept that debuted at the Geneva auto show this year. The four-door AMG GT will go on sale in the U.S. in 2019, Moers said.

AMG 53 variants for the E-class coupe and convertible are possible, Moers said. Those likely would also arrive in 2019.

The GLE midsize crossover is another candidate for a 53 model. The GLE will be redesigned in 2018 with a likely U.S. on-sale date in early 2019. The AMG model would come after that.