Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe first drive review

Even in its volume C-Class range, the AMG flagship has been either out of reach for most budgets or a no-go zone for the feint-hearted.

Enter the C43, a model known originally overseas as the C450 AMG Sport but doesn't change from being a junior version of the hardcore C63.

Ranging from $101,900 to $119,900 (plus on-road costs) across the sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible body variants, the C43 consistently saves more than $50,000 over the C63 equivalent.

A twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 perfectly reflects its positioning as a rival to the BMW 330i/440i and Audi S4/S5 – as well as its placing it between the 2.0-litre four-cylinder C300 and 4.0-litre V8 C63.

The C43 is more closely specified to the latter, sharing features such as AMG Ride Control adaptive sports suspension, powerful brakes, AMG sports steering, and chequered-flag-style AMG instrument cluster.

Our Coupe test car mimicked the C63 further with a $4990 Performance Ergonomics Pack that adds racing-style AMG Performance seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in leather/microfibre, and an AMG performance exhaust system.

The adjustable pipeworks – engaged either via Sport Plus mode or an individual console button – are essential to ensuring the C43 pops, burbles and crackles like an AMG.

Just don't expect signature rumbling from the engine bay up front. Where the C63's V8 suggests it's in need of some anger management therapy, the C43's V6 is relatively polite.

The six-cylinder is less responsive from low revs, especially in Comfort mode, but there's a fabulous mid-range to be exploited with the nine-speed auto's middle ratios. The throttle pedal reacts sharply above 3500rpm.

A cut-out sits at 6500rpm and is worth striving for, though the auto upshifts automatically short of that mark regardless of whether the 'manual' button has been selected for paddle-flicking control.

The shifts are quick without being as rapid as the C63's seven-speeder. More frustrating, is the auto's tendency to refuse downshifts from third to second for tighter corners.

A C63 Coupe is well out of reach with its 0-100km/h time of 4.0 seconds, though it's worth noting the C43's 4.7 second time is half a second quicker than the 5.5-litre V8 C55 AMG from a decade ago. Coincidentally, the C43's 270kW and 520Nm are virtually identical.

There's another crucial character difference for the non-V8 AMG with its 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. It not only shatters the traditional AMG image of smoking rear tyres but also dissolves the long-associated steer-from-the-rear sensation.

While Mercedes says torque distribution is biased towards the rear wheels, it feels more neutral than that on the road.

Matched with the fine chassis balance we've come to expect from the latest C-Class, this is an AMG unlikely to spook its driver – especially in the wet. Keener steerers, however, are likely to lament the diluted involvement.

The steering itself is excellent, quick in its response to inputs and consistent throughout its turning arc.

An argument could be brokered that a broader-focused AMG should perhaps have a less-taxing ride, especially if a buyer is trying to convince their other half that this is a more sensible performance car.

The C43 is still ultra-stiff even with the dampers set in their least aggressive setting (Comfort). In even-firmer settings, the dampers seemed to take a fraction longer to settle over high-frequency undulations despite what's said to be only minor calibration differences to the C63's suspension.

We know from our experience in a C300 that the standard seats provide a good mixture of support and comfort, though the optional Performance seats hug you in a way you expect of the fastest-performing Benzes.

The Coupe's rear seat is still compromised for space, particularly headroom, compared with the C-Class sedan and wagon. It shares the same 400-litre boot with lesser-powered two-doors where the C63's is reduced to 355 litres owing to its unique rear suspension set-up.

There are no differences in the 66-litre fuel tank, though the C43's won't get you much further as its official consumption of 8.2L/100km is only 500 millilitres more efficient.

With about 60 per cent of C-Classes sold in Australia bought with optional AMG body kits, Mercedes says the C43 is for those buyers who want more but can't stretch to the full-blown C63.

And if it's no more than two-thirds the full AMG experience, that is exactly how it's priced.

Visit Drive's Mercedes-Benz showroom for more details

Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe pricing and specifications

On sale: Now

Price: From $105,615 plus on-road costs

Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 270kW at 5500-6000rpm

Torque: 520Nm at 2000-4200rpm

Transmission: 9spd-speed auto, all-wheel drive

Fuel use: 8.2L/100km