MERC-AMG C 43
FIRST DRIVE Mercedes dilutes mad C 63 and creates a convincing performance car in its own right
V6-engined Coupé offers nearly as many thrills as V8 C 63 without the bills.
ONCE upon a time, 362bhp might have been flagship AMG power, but today that’s mere half-fat in the tuning division’s range. The new Mercedes-amg C 43 Coupé is something of a halfway house between the entry-level diesels and the boisterous C 63.
That car delivers 469bhp (or 503bhp in C 63 S guise) from a biturbo 4.0-litre V8 driving the rear wheels. The C 43, on the other hand, uses a 3.0-litre biturbo V6 that’s paired with the brand’s tried-and-tested 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system. Even so, AMG claims it’s a rear-biased set-up, with the ability to automatically send up to 69 per cent of the power to the back wheels.
Inevitably, the C 43 is slower than the C 63, but that’s all relative, as 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds hardly makes it a slouch. It can reach its 155mph electronic limiter with ease, too. OK, so it can’t offer the outright thrills of its bigger brother, yet for many, it’s the perfect compromise. In fact, the C 43’s four-wheel drive allied to its less explosive delivery makes it far easier to drive – even if it’s not as exciting.
However, what you will find is more duality of purpose. It can be a capable and refined cruiser, but also retains the hallmarks of AMG’S more outrageous flagship when the mood takes you. Press the button for the 43’s sports exhaust and select Sport+, and the V6 does a convincing impression of a typical AMG soundtrack. The exhaust crackles, pops and bangs like a competition car. It all sounds a bit synthetic, although the drive is far from it.
The C 43 shares much of its chassis spec with the C 63 Coupé, and that’s apparent the second you turn the wheel. With AMG steering knuckles, the response of the C 43 is far sharper than the diesel models’. Accuracy and precision have improved, the weighting is consistent and there’s plenty of feel from the front axle, meaning you can place the car with accuracy and conviction.
Without having to deal with a V8 troubling the rear wheels, some might consider it a more enjoyable drive. It’s still engaging, but performance doesn’t come at the expense of comfort. The 3.0litre V6 has a real enthusiasm for revs, yet thanks to a pair of turbos, it also comes with decent low-rev response and urgency in every gear. That’s useful given Mercedes has opted to fit a nine-speed auto over AMG’S normal seven-speed unit.
That nine-speed transmission might lack the ferocious shifts that are possible with the Amg-specific gearbox, but the extra ratios bring greater economy and improved emissions. It claims to return 36.2mpg and emit 178g/km of CO2, giving you a marginal £40 road tax saving per year. Not the most convincing argument in the
“C 43 feels more under control and more usable every day than C 63”
C 43’s favour, then, but you’ll save £15,500 if you buy the lower-powered car outright. Some might miss the occasionally spiky, demanding and eager nature of the C 63, although the C 43 isn’t short of thrills itself; it just feels a bit more under control, more manageable and more usable every day.
There’s the security of that four-wheeldrive system when the roads are slippery, yet despite Mercedes’ claim that it is a rear-biased set-up, it never particularly feels like it – majoring on stability and security.
Sitting inside the neat, spacious cabin, there’s very little to give away you’re in the C 63’s understudy. From the outside, you’ll find all the usual AMG styling cues, including bigger front and rear bumpers with large punctured vents and intakes.
There’s a diffuser around the back and quad exhausts, too. And there’s no denying the C 43 Coupé cuts a stunning shape on the road, with fantastic proportions and a beautiful, cascading rear end.