Mercedes-AMG C43 review

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Newly amped-up C-Class begins AMG’s transition to electrified four-cylinder power

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The Mercedes-AMG C63 grabbed all the headlines for trading its V8 for a four-cylinder, but the C-Class saw a cull of large-capacity engines further down the range too. The Mercedes-AMG C43 preceded the 63 in adopting a four-pot.

We’ve had four-cylinder Mercedes-AMG models since the launch of the A45 in 2013 and, heading further back, rear-driven four-pot performance Mercedes-Benz saloons in the stylish forms of the 190E 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 in the 1980s.

But those had the advantage of being something new, rather than having to follow in the tyre tracks of six-cylinder-powered predecessors.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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002 mercedes amg c43 rear cornering 2022

Like the C63, the C43 tries to make up for the lack of a big engine with sheer grunt. To that end, it adopts a very clever 48V turbocharger. This uses a compact motor that acts directly on its shaft, adding up to 8bhp of assistance and capable of spinning at speeds to 175,000rpm.

It can also harvest up to 4kW of energy from exhaust gas, although more regeneration comes from a 48V starter-generator. Peak system output is 402bhp, accompanied by 369lb ft of torque.

The electric motor can build boost when there isn’t enough exhaust flowing to help reduce lag and in the car’s more aggressive dynamic modes keeps the turbine spinning in a high-tech form of anti-lag.

Drive is delivered through a nine-speed automatic gearbox that incorporates AMG’s wet clutch, instead of a torque converter, and a 4Matic system with a permanent front-to-rear torque split of 31:69. All-wheel steering is standard, together with adaptive dampers.

Badging aside, the C43’s visual distinction from the regular Mercedes-Benz C-Class is subtle, with just horizontal strakes to the radiator grille, sill extensions and a small wing on the bootlid. A more telling change is the presence of four exhaust tailpipes beneath the rear bumper – slightly over the top for a car with an equal number of cylinders.

INTERIOR

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Inside the C43, it’s possible to amp up the sportiness with microsuede upholstery and carbonfibre dash trim, but the standard Premium trim sticks with classy wood trim and either black or red leather seats.

All C43s have the thick-rimmed AMG steering wheel with two satellite controllers that let you quickly adjust the drive modes. In the infotainment system, there are special AMG displays for the drive modes and for track telemetry.

Otherwise, it’s mostly standard Mercedes C-Class, which means the driving position is good, and build quality and material richness are comparable with the Audi S5 and BMW M340i. For more on this, read our comprehensive review of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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019 mercedes amg c43 engine 2022

If you didn’t know about the C43’s clever new turbo, it would be hard to detect its presence from the driver’s seat. At low speeds, there’s a hint of enhanced induction noise and the new system quickly proves to deliver on AMG’s claim for lag-free responses and ability to maintain boost, even when you lift and then rapidly reapply the throttle.

Engine response is linear throughout the broad power band, although our test car didn’t seem quite capable of reaching the marked 7000rpm redline. Even with manual gear selection, the limiter arrived barely after the 6750rpm where peak power comes.

Yet it’s certainly effective, feeling more than quick enough to bear out the claimed 4.6sec 0-62mph time (that for the saloon, with the estate only a 0.1sec slower) and with a race-start mode allowing consistent brutal launches.

The C43 lacks the aural savagery that almost all previous AMG models have had as standard. The engine has a pleasing enough note for a potent four-cylinder and with the exhaust in its louder switchable mode still makes some of the pops and gurgles on a lifted throttle, with at least some of these being digitally enhanced through the speakers. But even under full fang, it never grows especially loud in the cabin, and at cruising speeds it fades to near silence.

RIDE & HANDLING

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The ride feels firm at low speeds, regardless of which of the damper-altering dynamic modes the C43 is in. Higher speeds and bigger loadings made it feel suppler, handling lumps and bumps with impressive poise, with even the firmest Sport Plus mode not too harsh for road use.

The steering is good. Some genuine low-level feedback is allowed to get past the electrical assistance to indicate changes in surface texture. Beyond that, responses are proportional and there’s a well-judged amount of resistance to work against.

Traction is huge and grip is tenacious, with no shortage of adhesion at either end – even when we were tackling twisting French mountain roads in wet conditions.

Although the C43 is very willing to turn and hold a line, there’s little sense of the rearward torque bias, even when you deliberately try to provoke a reaction from the back end. While it’s very competent, it also feels rather inert.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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The C43 starts at £67,500 for the saloon in Premium trim, and we reckon it has all the equipment you need. However, there is also a 'Night Edition Premium Plus' and an 'Edition Midnight', which add things like carbon fibre interior trim, AMG Performance seats, bigger wheels, a head-up display, a Burmester hi-fi system and even more advanced matrix LED headlights. The Estate is £1750 more than the Saloon.

The Audi S5, in fully-loaded Edition 1 trim, is priced just below the C43 Night Edition Premium Plus. The BMW M340i, meanwhile, starts out considerably cheaper, but once you tick enough option boxes to bring it to the same level of the Mercedes and Audi, it comes out around £71,000 as well.

We've not spent enough time in the C43 to get an accurate idea of its real-world fuel consumption, but at 30.8mpg, its WLTP figure is worse than that of the S5 and M340i.

VERDICT

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Overall, the cleaner and greener C43 doesn’t lose out on performance through the transition to four-cylinder power, but the emotional experience is diminished from its more charismatic six-pot predecessor.

Mercedes-AMG C43 news

New 2022 Mercedes-AMG C43 gets mild hybrid and more power
New 2022 Mercedes-AMG C43 gets mild hybrid and more power
Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe priced from £37,620; cabrio from £41,439
Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe priced from £37,620; cabrio from £41,439
Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic facelift revealed with 385bhp
Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic facelift revealed with 385bhp

All of which leaves Mercedes is a bit of a pickle. The C43’s combination of dynamic virtues feels closer to those you would expect from an S-branded Audi than an AMG from five years ago.

Except, the latest Audi S5 is actually surprisingly entertaining on a twisty road, and it still offers a V6. Meanwhile, despite BMW’s best efforts to make the M340i worse with a cheapened cabin, that’s still generally brilliant as well.

Is it too late to graft the CLE 53’s front end – complete with straight six – onto the C-Class?

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester

As a road tester, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews and comparison tests, while also managing the magazine’s Drives section. Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s in-depth instrumented road tests.

He loves cars that are fun and usable on the road – whether piston-powered or electric – or just cars that are very fit for purpose. When not in test cars, he drives an R53-generation Mini Cooper S.