ROARING FORTIES (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The Mercedes-AMG C 43 is now quite a different proposition. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 43

The Mercedes-AMG C 43 swaps its old V6 for mild hybrid power in this 'W206'-generation form. Power is up, but surprisingly, there are few benefits in efficiency and the price pitches the saloon and estate versions of this car into quite exalted territory.

Backgroundword count: 180

Think of AMG and you tend to think of huge multi-cylindered uber-powerful engines. The reality though is that for an awful long time now, powerplants like those have merely been the headline-makers for this Mercedes performance sub-brand. Ever since the A 45 hot hatch was first launched back in 2013, the volume for this Afalterbach tuning marque has been in smaller four-cylinder units. And actually, AMG's four cylinder history goes back a lot further than that, to the 190E 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 models of the 1980s. With the launch of the fifth generation Mercedes C-Class in 2021 and its associated GLC SUV models, AMG decided to extend its four cylinder powerplant use a little further up-market, replacing both the V8 of the 63 models and the V6 of the 43 variants with 2.0-litre four-pot units - but very different ones; a Plug-in Hybrid set-up for the 63 S and mild hybrid tech for the 43 variants. It's the C 43 we look at here, offered in saloon or estate form and a very different proposition now from its V6 predecessor.

Driving Experienceword count: 329

If you happen to be familiar with the previous generation C 43, you could be forgiven for approaching this replacement 'W206'-series model with a twinge of disappointment. You might have expected that part of the point of replacing the old snarling V6 with a four cylinder unit would be to aid efficiency by reducing weight, but in fact the saloon version of this car is actually 101kg heavier than its predecessor. Which is why, despite the fact that the 402hp power output this time is 40hp more than before, the rest to 62mph sprint time (4.6s) has been improved by only (0.1s). Top speed is still limited to 155mph. It's also disappointing to note that torque has dropped by 20Nm to 500Nm. But things get better if you're prepared to stick with what AMG is trying to do here. Somehow, the engineers have managed to make this 'four' sound as good as the old 'six', though it unfortunately lacks the wild roar that characterises much the same M139 2.0-litre unit in the other model in which it's used, the A 45 S hot hatch. Unlike the 8-speed auto used in that car, the engine's paired with a 9-speed auto here and gets a mild hybrid electrified set-up working via a Garret 48V turbo using a compact motor that acts directly on its shaft, spinning at up to 175,000rpm. The mild hybrid system adds a 14hp boost at low speeds to counter turbo lag. Torque is transmitted to tarmac via 4MATIC all-wheel drive system with a rear-biased power split of 31:69. Standard-fit adaptive dampers firm up noticeably in the fiercest 'Sport' or 'Sport+' Dynamic Select drive modes. Which helps contain body roll through bends where you'll notice the sharp steering, the rear-wheel steering system and that prodigious 1,840kg kerb weight (though that's way better than the portly 2,165kg figure of the PHEV C 63). The brakes are excellent, upgraded to ventilated six-piston calipers at the front, with 370mm brake discs.

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