Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe C43 AMG 4MATIC (A) First Drive Review
27 Jun 2018|11,394 views
Facelift (What's New)
Engine is not capable of 390bhp
Front and rear bumpers have been tweaked
New light-alloy wheels are now available
New grippier steering wheel equipped with touch-sensitive buttons that control instrument cluster and media system
The C43 Coupe that you see here has just gone through some updates and is currently the top-of-the-line model in the entire C-Class lineup until the C63 makes its appearance.
What these updates mean for the C43 Coupe is some minor styling tweaks, more power and small but nevertheless important touches within the exaggeratedly sporty cabin.
She moves like a ballerina
On the road, the C43 Coupe is nothing short of sensational. While it retains its 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbocharged powerplant, performance figures, specifically horsepower, has been increased by as much as 23bhp. Thus, the engine is now capable of sending 390bhp and a mountain-moving 520Nm of twisting force to all four wheels from the word go.
But it isn't just about the speed that makes this car such an amiable machine. Instead, it's the way it dances on the tarmac with such sprightliness that makes it so endearing.
With its effortless throttle response and little lag throughout the entire rev range, the engine constantly encourages free and quick revving to the 6,500rpm redline. This instils a charming sense of urgency to the C43 Coupe as it smashes the century sprint with absolute aplomb and drama in just 4.7 seconds.
Words like aplomb and drama are used here because the car, with its low-slung two-door layout, manages to keep its body tight and sharp around long sweeping bends and short tight corners. Having a well-weighted steering certainly helps in this case, especially when you're carving corners after corners at high speeds.
It's loud, too, with a delightful exhaust soundtrack that gets intensified with every prod of your right foot. Heighten the engine settings with Sport+ mode and pops and crackles from the exhaust are aplenty with every down shift.
Supplementing the car's dramatic aggression is the lightning quick nine-speed transmission that changes with alacrity and accuracy. It does well in mixing smoothness with responsiveness in a way that's befitting of a daily-driven sports car, regardless of drive mode you're on.
What these updates mean for the C43 Coupe is some minor styling tweaks, more power and small but nevertheless important touches within the exaggeratedly sporty cabin.
She moves like a ballerina
On the road, the C43 Coupe is nothing short of sensational. While it retains its 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbocharged powerplant, performance figures, specifically horsepower, has been increased by as much as 23bhp. Thus, the engine is now capable of sending 390bhp and a mountain-moving 520Nm of twisting force to all four wheels from the word go.
But it isn't just about the speed that makes this car such an amiable machine. Instead, it's the way it dances on the tarmac with such sprightliness that makes it so endearing.
With its effortless throttle response and little lag throughout the entire rev range, the engine constantly encourages free and quick revving to the 6,500rpm redline. This instils a charming sense of urgency to the C43 Coupe as it smashes the century sprint with absolute aplomb and drama in just 4.7 seconds.
Words like aplomb and drama are used here because the car, with its low-slung two-door layout, manages to keep its body tight and sharp around long sweeping bends and short tight corners. Having a well-weighted steering certainly helps in this case, especially when you're carving corners after corners at high speeds.
It's loud, too, with a delightful exhaust soundtrack that gets intensified with every prod of your right foot. Heighten the engine settings with Sport+ mode and pops and crackles from the exhaust are aplenty with every down shift.
Supplementing the car's dramatic aggression is the lightning quick nine-speed transmission that changes with alacrity and accuracy. It does well in mixing smoothness with responsiveness in a way that's befitting of a daily-driven sports car, regardless of drive mode you're on.
She looks like a million bucks
Styling tweaks, while minimum, do justice to the car in areas where aerodynamics count. Front and rear bumpers now sport a revised diffuser and new light-alloy wheels do their part in allowing the car to cut through wind more efficiently.
Changes within the cabin is also minimal but no less obvious. There's now a newly-designed start/stop button and a new multi-function steering wheel. On the said steering wheel, you will now find touch-sensitive buttons that control both the high-resolution infotainment system as well as the instrument cluster.
More relevantly, the cabin is, as you'd imagine from Mercedes-AMG, extremely sporty-looking and welcoming. The pair of bucket seats are not only comfortable and appealing to the eyes, they offer very good support, even if they aren't plush seats you'd expect from the luxury German carmaker.
For rear passengers, things can get a tad squeezy, as most coupes do. But fortunately, the same cannot be said for the boot space. At 400 litres, golfers and shoppers will be able to stash away a couple of their equipment and bags here without problems.
She's a worthy car
The C43 Coupe is a car that's not only on par with offerings from Audi and BMW, it's also one that's highly desirable.
This car is no C63 and it certainly isn't anything near a V8, but it sure is crisp, clean and charming when it comes down to raw handling and comfort - the two combined traits many carmakers have tried to dable with but have yet to succeed.
The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is expected to arrive at the end of this year.
Styling tweaks, while minimum, do justice to the car in areas where aerodynamics count. Front and rear bumpers now sport a revised diffuser and new light-alloy wheels do their part in allowing the car to cut through wind more efficiently.
Changes within the cabin is also minimal but no less obvious. There's now a newly-designed start/stop button and a new multi-function steering wheel. On the said steering wheel, you will now find touch-sensitive buttons that control both the high-resolution infotainment system as well as the instrument cluster.
More relevantly, the cabin is, as you'd imagine from Mercedes-AMG, extremely sporty-looking and welcoming. The pair of bucket seats are not only comfortable and appealing to the eyes, they offer very good support, even if they aren't plush seats you'd expect from the luxury German carmaker.
For rear passengers, things can get a tad squeezy, as most coupes do. But fortunately, the same cannot be said for the boot space. At 400 litres, golfers and shoppers will be able to stash away a couple of their equipment and bags here without problems.
She's a worthy car
The C43 Coupe is a car that's not only on par with offerings from Audi and BMW, it's also one that's highly desirable.
This car is no C63 and it certainly isn't anything near a V8, but it sure is crisp, clean and charming when it comes down to raw handling and comfort - the two combined traits many carmakers have tried to dable with but have yet to succeed.
The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is expected to arrive at the end of this year.
Facelift (What's New)
Engine is not capable of 390bhp
Front and rear bumpers have been tweaked
New light-alloy wheels are now available
New grippier steering wheel equipped with touch-sensitive buttons that control instrument cluster and media system
The C43 Coupe that you see here has just gone through some updates and is currently the top-of-the-line model in the entire C-Class lineup until the C63 makes its appearance.
What these updates mean for the C43 Coupe is some minor styling tweaks, more power and small but nevertheless important touches within the exaggeratedly sporty cabin.
She moves like a ballerina
On the road, the C43 Coupe is nothing short of sensational. While it retains its 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbocharged powerplant, performance figures, specifically horsepower, has been increased by as much as 23bhp. Thus, the engine is now capable of sending 390bhp and a mountain-moving 520Nm of twisting force to all four wheels from the word go.
But it isn't just about the speed that makes this car such an amiable machine. Instead, it's the way it dances on the tarmac with such sprightliness that makes it so endearing.
With its effortless throttle response and little lag throughout the entire rev range, the engine constantly encourages free and quick revving to the 6,500rpm redline. This instils a charming sense of urgency to the C43 Coupe as it smashes the century sprint with absolute aplomb and drama in just 4.7 seconds.
Words like aplomb and drama are used here because the car, with its low-slung two-door layout, manages to keep its body tight and sharp around long sweeping bends and short tight corners. Having a well-weighted steering certainly helps in this case, especially when you're carving corners after corners at high speeds.
It's loud, too, with a delightful exhaust soundtrack that gets intensified with every prod of your right foot. Heighten the engine settings with Sport+ mode and pops and crackles from the exhaust are aplenty with every down shift.
Supplementing the car's dramatic aggression is the lightning quick nine-speed transmission that changes with alacrity and accuracy. It does well in mixing smoothness with responsiveness in a way that's befitting of a daily-driven sports car, regardless of drive mode you're on.
What these updates mean for the C43 Coupe is some minor styling tweaks, more power and small but nevertheless important touches within the exaggeratedly sporty cabin.
She moves like a ballerina
On the road, the C43 Coupe is nothing short of sensational. While it retains its 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbocharged powerplant, performance figures, specifically horsepower, has been increased by as much as 23bhp. Thus, the engine is now capable of sending 390bhp and a mountain-moving 520Nm of twisting force to all four wheels from the word go.
But it isn't just about the speed that makes this car such an amiable machine. Instead, it's the way it dances on the tarmac with such sprightliness that makes it so endearing.
With its effortless throttle response and little lag throughout the entire rev range, the engine constantly encourages free and quick revving to the 6,500rpm redline. This instils a charming sense of urgency to the C43 Coupe as it smashes the century sprint with absolute aplomb and drama in just 4.7 seconds.
Words like aplomb and drama are used here because the car, with its low-slung two-door layout, manages to keep its body tight and sharp around long sweeping bends and short tight corners. Having a well-weighted steering certainly helps in this case, especially when you're carving corners after corners at high speeds.
It's loud, too, with a delightful exhaust soundtrack that gets intensified with every prod of your right foot. Heighten the engine settings with Sport+ mode and pops and crackles from the exhaust are aplenty with every down shift.
Supplementing the car's dramatic aggression is the lightning quick nine-speed transmission that changes with alacrity and accuracy. It does well in mixing smoothness with responsiveness in a way that's befitting of a daily-driven sports car, regardless of drive mode you're on.
She looks like a million bucks
Styling tweaks, while minimum, do justice to the car in areas where aerodynamics count. Front and rear bumpers now sport a revised diffuser and new light-alloy wheels do their part in allowing the car to cut through wind more efficiently.
Changes within the cabin is also minimal but no less obvious. There's now a newly-designed start/stop button and a new multi-function steering wheel. On the said steering wheel, you will now find touch-sensitive buttons that control both the high-resolution infotainment system as well as the instrument cluster.
More relevantly, the cabin is, as you'd imagine from Mercedes-AMG, extremely sporty-looking and welcoming. The pair of bucket seats are not only comfortable and appealing to the eyes, they offer very good support, even if they aren't plush seats you'd expect from the luxury German carmaker.
For rear passengers, things can get a tad squeezy, as most coupes do. But fortunately, the same cannot be said for the boot space. At 400 litres, golfers and shoppers will be able to stash away a couple of their equipment and bags here without problems.
She's a worthy car
The C43 Coupe is a car that's not only on par with offerings from Audi and BMW, it's also one that's highly desirable.
This car is no C63 and it certainly isn't anything near a V8, but it sure is crisp, clean and charming when it comes down to raw handling and comfort - the two combined traits many carmakers have tried to dable with but have yet to succeed.
The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is expected to arrive at the end of this year.
Styling tweaks, while minimum, do justice to the car in areas where aerodynamics count. Front and rear bumpers now sport a revised diffuser and new light-alloy wheels do their part in allowing the car to cut through wind more efficiently.
Changes within the cabin is also minimal but no less obvious. There's now a newly-designed start/stop button and a new multi-function steering wheel. On the said steering wheel, you will now find touch-sensitive buttons that control both the high-resolution infotainment system as well as the instrument cluster.
More relevantly, the cabin is, as you'd imagine from Mercedes-AMG, extremely sporty-looking and welcoming. The pair of bucket seats are not only comfortable and appealing to the eyes, they offer very good support, even if they aren't plush seats you'd expect from the luxury German carmaker.
For rear passengers, things can get a tad squeezy, as most coupes do. But fortunately, the same cannot be said for the boot space. At 400 litres, golfers and shoppers will be able to stash away a couple of their equipment and bags here without problems.
She's a worthy car
The C43 Coupe is a car that's not only on par with offerings from Audi and BMW, it's also one that's highly desirable.
This car is no C63 and it certainly isn't anything near a V8, but it sure is crisp, clean and charming when it comes down to raw handling and comfort - the two combined traits many carmakers have tried to dable with but have yet to succeed.
The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is expected to arrive at the end of this year.
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