2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 review

Until now, if you’ve been looking for a quick, performance-focused version of the new W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the best Mercedes could offer you is the C300. Now, though, the mad hatters at AMG have got their hands on the W206 and given us this: the second-generation C43.

It’s interesting for a couple of reasons. Peel back the bonnet and you won’t find a big capacity six-cylinder like the old C43 but rather a highly strung and high-tech 2.0-litre four pot.

It uses an electric turbo and doesn’t only promise to eliminate turbo lag altogether, but it’s essentially the same power unit that will be wedged into the upcoming C63 flagship. So how the engine feels and performs is doubly significant.

The other point of intrigue surrounds the C43’s spec on paper. Most new models strive to surpass the cars they replace but this new C43 is heavier, has fewer cylinders, a litre less capacity and doesn’t make as much torque. So the question is: has AMG made a misstep? Or has doubling down on technology improved the recipe?

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Pricing and features

First up, the bad news. When the second-gen C43 arrives in Australia next year it will carry a price tag of around $130,000.

That’s roughly $15K more than the old car but the trade-off is a machine that’s significantly more sophisticated. The most complex piece of tech is found in the engine.

The 2.0-litre four pot is the same M139 unit that you get in the Mercedes-AMG A45 only it’s mounted longitudinally in the C43 (giving it an internal code of M139L) and the turbocharger is new.

Built around hardware from turbo supplier Garrett, AMG’s engineers have fitted a 6kW brushless electric motor onto the shaft between the compressor and turbine wheels.

It’s fed by a 48V mild-hybrid sub-system that can spin up the turbo virtually instantaneously, meaning no more fun-sucking delays as you wait for exhaust gases to build. Feel like you’ve heard about this tech before? It’s exactly the same split turbo design that’s been powering Lewis Hamilton’s F1 car for years.

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A new nine-speed multi-clutch gearbox does the shifting and it’s not only quicker than the unit in the old C43 but because it has a wet-clutch, it also offers launch control.

Engage it and the 300kW/500Nm C43 will hit 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds.

That’s brisk, and given how fuss-free and rapid the launch-control runs we undertook during our stint behind the wheel were, it feels entirely achievable, too.

There’s also plenty of fresh chassis tech. The front brakes have been beefed up to 370mm discs with four-piston callipers, while four-wheel steering, which boosts low-speed agility and high-speed stability, is now standard. Three-stage adaptive dampers are also included and are perhaps the piece of chassis hardware we’re most interested in.

We aren’t massive fans of the adaptive chassis on the C300 but here’s hoping the C43’s more focused suspension banishes the floaty, unsettled sensation you get in non-AMG versions.

The turbo's electric add-on is fed by a 48V mild-hybrid sub-system that can spin up the turbo virtually instantaneously, meaning no more fun-sucking delays as you wait for exhaust gases to build.

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Comfort and space

Inside you score the same tech-infused cabin as the rest of the W206 range, meaning digital dials and an excellent 11.9-inch portrait central touchscreen, but there are AMG specific touches.

The seats are sportier and heavily bolstered, you gain AMG specific functions like the company’s Track Pace data-logging system, and AMG’s multi-spoke steering wheel also features.

The wheel is a complex command centre in its own right with touch-sensitive controls on each of the four spokes and twin manettino-like dials that can be configured individually to control key functions and also allow you to cycle through the many drives modes: Individual, Comfort, Sport and Sport+.

The rest of the cabin is a premium and comfortable place to spend time. Road and tyre noise are nicely contained on smooth hot mix (things do get a little vocal on coarse chip roads, though) and there’s a useful amount of cabin storage.

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A large central cubby houses twin, adjustable cupholders, the door bins are enormous and there’s also a wireless charging pad and four USB-C ports in the front of the cabin.

Even better news is the ride quality isn’t as bone jarringly firm as expected. AMG has engineered the suspension for 18-inch alloys as standard but 19s and 20s are optional. It’s likely the 20s will be standard fitment in Australia and I did fear the larger wheels might make the C43 feel overly firm, but initial signs are good.

There’s decent compliance in Comfort and while the chassis does tense up considerably in Sport+ the suspension doesn’t jar or crash through unpleasantly.

Body control is a strength, too, and the more focused AMG-specific suspension seems to have reduced the floatiness we’ve encountered in the C300. Admittedly, though, the roads on our drive loop were fairly smooth.

The real test of how the C43 rides and behaves will be when we can drive it down a gnarly Aussie back road. Stay tuned.

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On the road

It’s when you twist the drive mode selector into Sport and Sport+ that the C43 starts to come alive. Where the old C43 surfed lazily on huge reserves of torque, this new car feels noticeably more highly strung.

Peak outputs are sizeable at 300kW and 500Nm but they’re both achieved high in the rev range: 6750rpm for power and 5000rpm for torque.

It means that occasionally the C43 can feel a little sluggish at low revs but wait for the engine speed to build and the feisty 2.0-litre turbo delivers rapid propulsion.

In-gear response and acceleration are especially impressive and because the electric turbo keeps the turbine spinning even when you lift off the throttle – like an anti-lag system – it never feels like you catch the engine off-guard at full noise.

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There’s ample reward for wringing it out, too, given peak power doesn’t arrive until the needle is almost at redline.

It’s a potent powertrain, and this is the 300kW tune. I can’t imagine what the C63 is going to feel like with 350kW from the combustion engine and an additional 150kW from a plug-in hybrid system. Monstrous, probably.

Has AMG’s clever electric turbo banished lag forever? Not quite. Let the revs drop, switch the gearbox into manual mode and there is still a hint of a delay as you climb through the rev range but, honestly, you really have to go searching to find it.

Most of the time the powertrain is punchy and eager and it certainly doesn’t feel like a small capacity engine with a huge turbo bolted to it.

It’s a potent powertrain, and this is the 300kW tune. I can’t imagine what the C63 is going to feel like... Monstrous, probably

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And it sounds good, too. Given the yobbish acoustics this 2.0-litre engine delivers in the A45 I had feared it mightn’t suit the more grown-up personality of the C43 but AMG hasn’t over egged the omelette.

There’s a deep bark and menacing tone on start-up, and with Sport+ engaged, the exhaust note is aggressive and purposeful without falling into the trap of delivering too many contrived pops and bangs on the overrun.

The chassis strikes a similar balance. Think of this as a C63 with most of the pace but none of the rear-drive hooliganism as you’re most of the way there.

Four-wheel drive is standard, with a fixed torque split of 39:69 front-to-rear, and the overriding dynamic takeaway is that this is a grippy and confidence inspiring car to drive quickly.

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Quality Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber adds to the sense of grip and traction and the calibration of the four-wheel-steering system is also nicely judged.

Unlike some systems, which can feel unnatural and give the spooky sense that the car is about to rotate aggressively behind your hips, the C43’s rear-steer is really only perceptible through a welcome layer of eagerness and agility.

Don’t, however, think that fitting a smaller four-cylinder engine over the nose has made the C43 feel lighter on its feet. The body in white for this generation of C-Class is heavier than the W205, so weight has increased by 75kg over the old C43.

Is it an engaging and fun car to drive quickly? That depends on your definition of fun. Pedal it within its limits and the C43 is impressively fast and capable.

Step beyond those limits, however, and it’ll push into benign understeer. Despite the rear-biased torque split, the C43 doesn’t feel rear driven or as though you can easily steer it with the throttle. No surprises there; that’s the C63’s domain after all.

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The brakes deserve a mention. The discs measure 370mm up front and 320mm on the rear axle and they offer serious stopping power through a pedal that’s easy to modulate. They breed confidence and are a dynamic highlight.

As for weaknesses? We really only encountered one during this short first taste in France: the gearbox. It’s basically the same nine-speed multi-clutch unit used in the current C63 but in this application it’s surprisingly jerky.

It shunts at low speed and also delivers the occasional bum shift on the move, too. Combine that with a belt-driven stop-start system that is noticeably clunkier than the almost imperceptible systems on other Mercs that use an integrated starter set-up and the C43 can feel clumsy in city traffic.

Here’s hoping the calibration is smoothed out before cars head our way in 2023.

As for weaknesses? We really only encountered one during this short first taste in France: the gearbox.

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VERDICT

So it’s not quite the ‘thinking man’s C63’ – there’s certainly room above it for a more playful and more powerful C-Class flagship – but this new generation of C43 is a convincing thing.

It has shrugged off some of the stuffy, grown-up character of the model it replaces and instead feels more like a proper AMG product, with the personality to suit. Better news is this hasn’t come at the expense of refinement or comfort.

This remains a carefully polished and multi-talented sports sedan that neatly blends potent performance into a package that should be commendably easy to live with every day. And that sounds like exactly what buyers in this segment are looking for.

2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 specifications