2022 Mercedes-AMG C53 Estate Winter Test Drive Spy Shots

Giancarlo Perlas January 28, 2021

Despite Mercedes-Benz USA killing off the C-Class from its dealerships, the best-selling sedan range of the three-pointed star marque continues to flourish elsewhere. Recently, the high-performance version of its wagon variant, suspected to be the Mercedes-AMG C53 Estate, was seen undergoing testing on European roads.

The prototype in the photos from Motor1 is heavily clad in heavy zebra camouflage, which suggests that the car is still a long way to go. To add to that, its maker is yet to unveil the standard Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan this year, so it should be a year-long wait from there until its public launch.

The camouflaged wagon follows the design cues of the stripped-down Benz prototype that we have seen previously in a related set of spy shots. The unit hints at thinner headlamps similar to the S-Class, and horizontal taillights going all across the liftgate. Although still covered, logic dictates that the vehicle will get the same cleaner and smoother body surfaces found on new Mercedes models.

What gives the model away as an AMG though is its larger nose that appears to be hiding a Panamerican grille design with vertical slats. Furthermore, the quadruple rounded tailpipes of the auto also establish it as a high-performance variant.

As for its trim designation, Mercedes already said earlier that it will discontinue using the C43 moniker to match the naming templates of the bigger E53 and CLS53. The name change will be complemented with engine upgrades.

The AMG C53 is expected to ditch the C43’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in favor of a downsized electrified four-cylinder power unit. The mild-hybrid setup consists of an upgraded version of the M139 2.0-liter turbo found in the Mercedes-AMG A45 and other Mercs with the 45 suffixes.

The official reveal of the Mercedes-AMG C53 Estate will likely take place in 2022.