2023 Mercedes-AMG C43: First Drive Review

Mercedes-Benz has launched the new 2023 C43 AMG to India at Rs 98 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s the sportier version of the current generation C-Class and locks horns with the BMW M340i (Rs 71.5 lakh) and Audi S5 Sportback (Rs 75.74 lakh). The main talking point is underneath the hood as the new C43 AMG gets a new four-cylinder engine instead of the outgoing model’s six-cylinder unit. 

How is the new car to drive and is it worth spending a crore for it? We spent a day with Mercedes’ performance sedan to tell you the answer. 

Looks 

This being a sportier AMG model gets a couple of design updates over the standard C-Class. And they are easily noticeable and sure to grab your attention. 

Dominating the front-end is AMG’s ‘Panamericana’ vertical slat chrome grille that gives the car an aggressive look. It’s flanked by a pair of sleek adaptive LED headlights that can blank part of the beams so you don’t blind drivers on the opposite side. Below it is a restyled bumper that contributes to the car’s sporty front-end look. 

At the side, the C43 AMG has a lower ride height than the standard C-Class and these 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and the addition of sporty black side sills give it a nice lowered down stance. You can pick this car up with different paint schemes to suit your taste. The options are detailed in the table below:

Coming to the rear, you get split-LED tail lamps which have an intricately designed insignia with welcome and goodbye function. Looks cool, especially at night. Rounding off the overall design updates are the quad exhausts and diffuser-like design element on the bumper, giving it a nice athletic look. 

Interior 

Inside, the new 2023 C43 AMG’s basic dashboard design is the same as the standard C-Class’s. It has a modern and luxurious look, thanks to the large 11.9-inch MBUX touchscreen infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, both of which have crisp graphics and are easy to use. However, this being an AMG, there are a couple of upgrades. 

For starters, you get sports front seats with thick side bolsters to hold you in place when driving hard. Both the aforementioned screens run AMG-specific graphics for that racy feel. You can access most features of the car through the touchscreen and also get some useful features such as a stopwatch to measure lap times around a race track. 

Then there's an AMG-specific steering wheel which gets dual spokes to house the steering controls. It also has two rotary dials through which you can change the car’s drive mode settings. Useful, especially on the move. And to add to the overall aggressive theme, you get red seat belts, red stitching and these lovely carbon-fibre-like inserts on the dashboard and centre console. 

The ambient lighting setup, which adds to the sense of occasion, needs a separate mention. It changes colours while playing music or adjusting temperature (red for hot and blue for cold). You get to choose from 64 monotone colours or pre-defined dual-tone colours. Looks awesome, like a disco club. 

Check Out: Mercedes-AMG C43 Image Gallery

As for quality, you get soft-touch plastics up top, but lower down, there are hard plastics which are of good quality. Even the stalks and switches operate with a nice heft. However, hunt around the cabin and you’ll notice certain bits could have been better, especially the one surrounding the rear AC vents. 

Features Onboard 

In terms of features, you’ll be satisfied with the C43 AMG as it gets most of the niceties including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, a crisp-sounding 15-speaker Burmester sound system, powered front seats with memory function and heating, 64-colour ambient lighting, and a powered tailgate.  

Safety features include multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, forward collision avoidance warning, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree parking camera, electronic stability control and a tyre pressure monitoring system. 

At this price point, though, we wish it offered some additional features such as ventilated front seats (useful for our weather) and a full suite of ADAS features. In fact, there are cars that are priced much less than the C43 offering both of them. 

Space And Practicality 

This being a low-slung car, ingress and egress is a bit more difficult than the standard C-Class. However, once inside, things are nice and cozy. The sports front seats with its enhanced side bolstering can accommodate people with wider frames and have good underthigh and lateral support. Healthy adjustment range from both the electronically operated steering rack and seats allows you to find the right driving position easily. 

The rear seat, which is best for two adults and a small kid in between, has a decent amount of space. Me being a 5.8-foot-tall person has more than enough room to stretch out behind my driving position. Once again, we can't fault the underthigh and lateral support, which are more than satisfactory. You also have rear AC vents, a centre armrest with cup holders and rear sunshades for that added bit of comfort. 

No major complaints in terms of practicality as well. The front door pockets can swallow in a 1-litre bottle and other knick knacks. You also get a storage space in the centre console for your drinks and wallet. The glove box is of a decent size. Only gripe is the rear door pockets, which are slim and can’t accommodate much. 

Also Read: Mini Cooper 3-door S: Trading Sensibility To Put A Grin On Your Face

As for boot space, you have a large 455-litre trunk, which can take a fair amount of luggage for your weekend trip. That said, the space saver doesn’t have a separate compartment below the floor and eats into space. 

Engine 

Now to the biggest talk point, the engine. The new C43 AMG gets a downsized 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine instead of the 3-litre six-cylinder unit the older model packed. The new engine is technologically advanced with bits such as an electronically driven turbocharger and drives all four wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. 

Here’s a comparison of its specifications with the outgoing car:

The new four-cylinder has a linear pull and feels effortless to drive. It shuffles through gears quickly and feels friendly like a normal C-Class, both in town and while cruising on the highway. Overtaking vehicles on the road can be executed by putting your foot down, with the gearbox shuffling down the gears and serving you power when needed. 

Check Out: 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 Specifications

But to experience the best out of it, you need to find an open stretch of road and push it to its limits. It’s free revving and you’ll enjoy pushing it to the redline. The car has mighty performance and you always need to keep a check on the speedometer to ensure you aren’t going above the speed limit. 

You just wish that the gearbox was a tad quicker to respond to kickdowns while wringing it hard. But there’s a workaround. Use the deliciously crafted paddle shifters, which even allow you to hold a gear and bang the rev limiter. The C43 AMG also has launch control, but sadly that function wasn’t working in our test car. 

There are different drive modes and here’s our sum up on them:

There is another concern that needs to be addressed: the exhaust note. Our honest opinion? It’s alright, but not the best. The exhaust system has a valve and it’s best to be left opened to enjoy the note. On the outside, at start-up, it has a nice rumble which can be heard when pushing hard as well. However, inside, it’s more dim and quiet and the car plays an artificial note through the speakers to add character. 

Ride And Handling 

This being the performance-focussed C-Class gets a couple of upgrades underneath the skin. Main ones include a stiffer suspension setup with adaptive dampers, wider and grippier Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, rear axle steering and bigger brakes. So how does this help in the ride and handling of the C43 AMG? 

Despite having a stiffer suspension and low profile 19-inch tyres, the C43 AMG’s ride is still manageable. This is mainly due to the adaptive dampers, which make a whole world of difference. Mind you, you still do feel the bumps on the road, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. In fact, the ride is liveable and you won’t mind using this car as your daily driver. 

The dampers changes the stiffness depending on the mode you select and here our tester notes:

The C43 is a great handler and is mighty fun to drive. Straight line stability is fantastic and the car masks speeds very well. The stiffer suspension keeps body control tight and it stays flat through corners. It’s also very agile thanks to the rear axle steering, offering you quick direction changes. 

As for brakes, they slow you down rapidly from high speeds and offer a nice and reassuring bite. It’s also very easy to modulate and a newbie will get used to driving the car within minutes. 

Verdict 

The new C43 AMG has everything you expect from a performance saloon. It has the looks to turn eyes, is mighty fast, reasonably fun to drive and has a surprisingly comfortable ride quality on our roads. The car is practical too, offering space for four people and your weekend luggage. You also get the added novelty factor of the Mercedes and AMG badging. 

But would we recommend it? As a default choice, not really. Rivals offer the same or similar performance for less money. For instance, the BMW M340i might be lower on power, but it has much more character, thanks to its 3-litre six-cylinder petrol engine but is a little more understated. If you want something more exciting from Mercedes-AMG and don’t mind something smaller, you have the A45 S, which has the same engine and performance in a more fun to drive package. 

We would suggest you pick this only if you must have some performance as well as the status and flash of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG luxury. 

Images Shot By - Gaurav Chandrashekar