Meet the all-new Mercedes-AMG C43, the first performance model from the new C-Class range. It loses its mighty V6, but gains electric boost.

When petrolheads hear about a new AMG, the first thing that comes to mind is a roaring V8, but this was not the case for the C43, which made do with a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6. It was a terrific engine, packing 287 kW and 520 Nm and it was enough to send the sedan to 100 kph in 4.7 seconds, with a delicious soundtrack to match.

Now, for 2022, the all-new Mercedes-AMG C43 has been revealed and sadly, for the audiophiles, the delicious V6 has been ditched in favour of a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine, paired to a 48V mild-hybrid electric system. Thanks to all-wheel drive, the new Mercedes-AMG C43 is said to sprint to 100 kph in 4.6 seconds and run to a limited top speed of 250 kph. If you tick one of the options, this top speed can be increased. The car comes with a 9-speed automatic transmission.

If you have been following the news closely, you’ll remember Mercedes-AMG announcing the SL 43, which has a 2.0-litre engine with an electric assist. Interestingly, in the C43 application, this engine makes more power. For the tech fanatics, this is the M139I 2.0-litre engine and it comes with electric turbocharging tech, plus mild hybrid assistance. The on-paper numbers are impressive, with 300 kW and 500 Nm for the new C43, outgunning the SL 43 with its 280 kW and 480 Nm.

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The electric assistance comes from the starter generator providing a 10 kW boost for short periods, which helps with performance and saves fuel. The newcomer is said to consume just 9.1-8.7 L/100 km on the WLTP cycle, which is an improvement over the outgoing model where you’d be lucky to get even close to the claim of 9.5 L/100 km.

Under the skin, there are substantial reworks to the suspension with AMG-grade springs, rear-wheel steer, and the all-wheel drive system is set to be rear-biased. This sounds like a pretty agile vehicle, and we’re keen to give it a go.

Visually, the new Mercedes-AMG C43 gets the AMG Panamericana grille, quad exhausts, big sporty-looking wheels, as well as new ‘Turbo Electrified’ badging on the flanks. Inside, AMG sports seats and flat-bottom AMG wheel. The MBUX digital infotainment system gets some AMG-styled graphics and functionality, and the very cool AMG Track Pace data logger appears to be standard.

The elephant in the room is the engine soundtrack. AMG products have a tradition for sounding emotional, loud and in your face, and a 4-cylinder can’t quite get the same response as a snorting V6 or roaring V8. The C43’s rivals like the BMW M340i xDrive and Audi S4 still feature six-cylinder engines, and it will be interesting to see and hear the newcomer at full throttle. AMG says you can option the AMG Real Performance Sound, which plays engine noise in the cabin via the speakers. The jury is still out on that…

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is assembled right here in SA, at Merc’s facility in East London. It’s unclear at this stage whether this new performance model will be built alongside the standard vehicles.

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