2017 Mercedes-AMG E43 new car review

In every sporting team there is at least one member that is defined as a great all-rounder. In most cases, that means they don't stand under the spotlight and grab headlines with heroic statistics but instead are those that represent every discipline better than most. 

It's the same in cars, where so often the best variant in a model range goes largely unnoticed because it is neither the fastest, the most efficient, the cheapest or the most opulent.

The Mercedes-AMG E43 is one of those machines - a brilliant all-rounder that might just hit a sweet spot in the all-new mid-size sedan line-up. 

Priced from $159,900 (plus on-road costs) it arrives in showrooms this month as the temporary flagship of the new E-Class range until the full-house E63 S lands in July with a price of around $250k and the performance to match. 

Until then, it is the headline grabber as the most powerful and most expensive E-Class variant and the latest addition among the plethora of Mercedes' new entry-level '43' AMG models. At that price, it is also a more spacious and pragmatic (read: conservative) alternative to the popular, hair-chested C63 S. 

It follows much the same formula as the five members of the 43 family -  the C-Class sedan, wagon, Coupe, Cabriolet and GLC SUV - in that AMG has effectively waved its magic wand over a regular Mercedes-Benz variant, balancing luxury and performance in equal measure, rather than creating its own cut-price muscle car. 

Unlike the E63, it doesn't have its own body panels and its engine isn't hand-built at Affalterbach but it does have an AMG body kit and lowered suspension settings tuned by the performance division to give it a slightly sportier stance than the ($20k cheaper) E400 it is closely related to.

It uses the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 as the E400 too, but it has been modified by AMG produce higher peak outputs of 295kW and 520Nm (compared to 245kW and 480Nm), giving it the ability to sprint from 0-100km/h in an impressive 4.6 seconds. 

Its performance is helped by the standard fitment of a nine-speed automatic with a broad spread of gear ratios and a rear-biased all-wheel drive transmission for added traction. 

There's also staggered width 20-inch alloy wheels, a sports exhaust and a multi-mode Drive Controller that alters the character of the engine, gearbox, steering, exhaust and dampers through five settings, Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual.

Considering its position near the top of the range, the E43 is one of the smartest and safest cars on the planet as it comes loaded with the latest in connected technologies and semi-automated driving systems from Mercedes-Benz, including stop-and-go cruise control for heavy traffic, active lane-keeping assistance and automated lane changing. 

Its cabin is lathered in genuine leather with heated front seats that are supremely comfortable yet supportive, the thick-rimmed steering wheel features Alcantara hand grips and touch pads on each spoke and the dash is dominated by two 12.3-inch high-resolution screens; a configurable digital instrument display in front of the driver and a multi media screen in the centre that features Benz' latest interface for functions such as the sat nav, vehicle settings, phone and internet connections and the high-grade Burmester audio system with digital radio and smartphone mirroring.

As for how it drives, the E43 is as relaxing and as effortless to pedal around town as any of the lower-grade yet more luxury-focused E-Class variants, particularly when left in its default Comfort setting. The suspension is beautifully compliant, soaking up imperfections in the road without disturbing the occupants, the steering is light enough to make it feel like a much smaller and more agile car in urban environments and the automatic gearbox invisibly goes about its business to shift into the highest gear to save fuel (and it will quite happily move into top gear at around 80km/h) and achieve its claimed average of 8.4L/100km.

In that mode, and considering maximum pulling power is generated over a relatively small powerband between 2500-5000rpm (by comparison BMW's single-turbo 3.0-litre six in the rival 530i generates peak torque from as low as 1200rpm), the engine doesn't feel as responsive as the numbers suggest, and it takes a decent prod on the gas pedal to awaken it for quick overtakes.

However, it is supremely refined and quiet in how it operates with just a faint hint of its performance potential emanating from the twin exhaust outlets.

That all changes when you switch through to the Sport+ setting and its vocal pipes are opened, liberating a deeper note under acceleration, whip cracks between gear changes and crackles when you back off the gas. It's not quite as sweet a soundtrack as those produced by AMG's bellowing V8s, but it has the high-performance division's signature all over it.

The same goes for the driving character, as the E43 immediately transforms from a genuinely luxurious limousine into something with a bit more attitude. The engine not only sounds better in Sport+ but it has a sharper throttle map and the transmission hangs onto gears longer, encouraging you to rev it harder, before upshifting with more purpose.

The suspension is noticeably tauter too but not so far as spoiling its compliance. Instead, it turns in to corners nicely and sits flatter through the middle of the bend with a sure-footed stance, helped by the all-wheel drive transmission that brings more predictable handling when driven enthusiastically.

No matter how or where you drive it, the E43 is a brilliant all-rounder. It's a genuine luxury car for all the times you want to be pampered and exciting enough as a sports sedan for the other times when you want to be thrilled. 

2017 Mercedes-AMG E43 price and specifications

Price: $159,900 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol

Power: 295kW at 6100rpm

Torque: 520Nm at 2500-5000rpm

Transmission: 9-spd automatic, AWD

Fuel use: 8.4L/100km

- For more information visit our Mercedes-Benz showroom