Once upon a time, 362bhp might have been flagship AMG power – but today that’s mere half-fat in the Affalterbach family. The new Mercedes-AMG C 43 Coupe offers somewhat of a halfway house between the entry-level diesels and the boisterous C 63.
That car has 469bhp (or 503bhp in the C 63 S guise) from a bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8 driving the rear wheels. The C 43 on the other hand, uses a 3.0-litre bi-turbo V6 mated to the brand’s tried and tested 4MATIC four-wheel drive system. Even so, AMG claims it as a rear-biased setup – with the ability to automatically send up to 69 per cent of the power to the back wheels.
Inevitably it’s slower than the 63 – though that’s all relative, as 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds is hardly tardy. It’ll still reach its 155mph electronic limiter with ease, too. Ok, so it can’t offer the outright thrills of its bigger brother, but 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 less tricky to drive.
There’s more duality of purpose. It’s a capable and refined cruiser when you want it to be, retaining the hallmarks of AMG’s more outrageous flagship when the mood takes you. Press the button for the 43’s sports exhaust and dial the variable drive mode to Sport+, and the V6 does a convincing impression of a typical AMG soundtrack. The exhaust in particular crackles, pops and bangs like a competition car.
It all sounds a bit synthetic, but the drive is far from it. The C 43 shares much of its chassis specification with its C 63 relation, and that’s apparent the second you turn the wheel. With AMG steering knuckles, the response of the C 43 is transformed over its non-AMG relations. Accuracy and precision is improved, the weighting is consistent and there’s plenty of feel from the front axle.
Without having to deal with a V8 troubling the rear wheels some might consider it an easier, more enjoyable drive. It’s still engaging; but performance doesn’t come at the expense of comfort. The 3.0-litre V6 shares its bigger relations’ enthusiasm for revs, yet thanks to a pair of turbos comes with low rev response and any gear urgency, too. That’s useful given the standard fitment of Merc’s nine-speed automatic, over AMG’s normal seven-speed unit.
That nine-speed automatic might lack the ferocity of shifts that are possible with the AMG specific transmission, but it’s marginal, and the extra ratios bring with them greater economy and improved emissions. It’ll return 36.2mpg and emit 178g/km, giving you a marginal £40 road tax saving every year. Not the most convincing argument in the C43’s favour, then, but you’ll save £15,500 straight away if you buy the lower-powered car outright.
Some might miss the sometimes spiky, demanding and eager nature of the C 63, but the C 43’s not short of thrills itself, only it all feels a bit more under control, more manageable, and to the benefit of real-world driveability. There’s the security of that four-wheel drive system when it’s slippery, and 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.
- Model: Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC Coupe
- Price: £46,280
- Engine: 3.0-litre biturbo V6 petrol
- Transmission: Nine-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
- Power: 362bhp
- Torque: 520Nm
- 0-62mph: 4.7 seconds
- Top speed: 155mph
- Economy: 36.2mpg
- CO2: 178g/km