Mercedes-AMG C 43 2022 Review – International

Stepping up

The 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC has just been launched in Europe and is set to touch down in Australia in the first half of next year, so pricing and final specs for our market are still to be finalised.

Like the rest of the new W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class range, the junior fast AMG sedan sits on the German car-maker’s new MRA2 architecture that underpins the advanced S-Class and sees the C-Class benefit from more space and new tech that was once the preserve of higher-tier models.

As we’ve already seen with the C 200 and C 300 launched earlier this year, pricing has risen by up to 20 per cent with the generational change. So where the previous V6-powered C 43 model was priced from $116,300 plus on-road costs, the new-age four-cylinder you see here will chime in at closer to $140,000 if a similar premium is applied.

By comparison, the Audi S5 and BMW M340i xDrive are both currently priced around the $112K mark.

Luckily for AMG, both in the flesh and within the new C 43 feels a cut above its rivals for styling and quality and should come loaded with high levels of standard kit.

In Europe there’s the choice of 18-, 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels, but in Australia it’s a safe bet 19s will be standard. We expect the cool aero-style 20-inch rims fitted to our test car will be an option locally.

A full body kit is also expected to feature on Australian-spec cars, with the front splitter, side skirts and cheeky rear boot lid spoiler and diffuser all standard in gloss black. If you want them all in carbon-fibre, be prepared for a costly trip to the options list.

Within the cabin, faux suede and Nappa leather sport seats will be standard, along with AMG’s latest leather-wrapped D-shaped steering wheel that features capacitive-touch buttons and handy twin rotary dials that adjust the driving modes and can configure the sports exhaust, damper mode, telemetry and engine sound.

Sporty brushed aluminium trim is expected to be applied on everything from the steering wheel spoke and pedals to the infotainment surround.

Speaking of infotainment, the C 43 comes with an 11.9-inch screen that provides the effect of cascading from the screen into the lower console, just like the S-Class. The portrait-mounted screen is also angled toward the driver and features both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and incorporates the handy ‘Hey Mercedes’ on-board assistant.

As seen on the non-AMG launch range, which has received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, the C 43 has a comprehensive safety suite with 10 airbags and advanced driver assist tech including active parking assist, lane keeping assist, blind spot assist and driver attention assist.

Ahead of the driver is a customisable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that can be supplemented by a large head-up display.

The new C 43 will be protected by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia and is serviced every 12 months or 25,000km – whichever comes first.

Capped-price servicing plans should also be available but it’s not yet known if pricing will mirror the non-AMG models that are priced from $2650 for three years, $3600 for four years and $5200 for five years of routine maintenance.

From its twin-stage fuel injection to its next-gen F1-inspired turbo, there’s plenty to nerd-out on with the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC.

But it’s hard not to sympathise with those enthusiasts who will lament the demise of both the turbocharged V6 and V8 under the bonnet of a Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

At least AMG engineers didn’t start with any old 2.0-litre – picking the already technically accomplished M139 turbo-four from the Mercedes-AMG A 45.

In the brutish Benz hot hatch, the turbocharged 2.0-litre pumps out 310kW, but slipped under the bonnet of the C 43 power has been wound back to 300kW.

Apparently, the full 310kW output would compromise the C 43 position within the marketplace; not that Benz marketers are seriously suggesting they’re worried it will steal sales from the upcoming 500kW-plus Mercedes-AMG C 63.

Anyway, at least the C 43 manages to match its smaller sibling’s 500Nm torque peak, but to become too obsessed with the numbers would be overlooking all the work engineers have lavished on improving real-world responses.

Beginning with the turbocharger, AMG investigated keeping a traditional turbo and adding electric-driven compressors like they did with the bigger E 53. But even after rotating the A 45’s engine around longitudinally, there just wasn’t space.

Instead, AMG called in a favour from its Formula 1 team.

The F1 influence shows in its neat packaging that involves incorporating a tiny 40mm-thick 6kW motor on the turbocharger’s shaft between the exhaust turbine and the compressor wheel on the intake.

The small motor spins up the turbo at low revs, eliminating lag. Even if you lift off, the motor keeps the turbo spooling to deliver maximum boost as soon as you pick up the throttle, providing the impression of a larger naturally-aspirated engine.

There’s also a belt-driven starter-generator that provides an additional 10kW boost when needed and is combined with a small 0.9kWh battery that claws back energy under braking and allows for more fuel-saving coasting.

Against the clock, the C 43 can launch itself from 0-100km/h in just 4.6 seconds – a tenth quicker than the previous model – and tops out 15km/h faster at 265km/h (but only with the optional AMG Driver’s Pack fitted).

Speaking of launches, for the first time the C 43 gets Race Start launch control that comes courtesy of using the AMG Speedshift MCT 9G transmission that swaps out a torque converter for a wet clutch.

Such tech used to be the preserve of the C 63, but now has been democratised for the junior performance sedan.

It’s worth pointing out that the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC powertrain will basically provide the basis for the flagship 500kW-plus C 63 that will go on to battle it out with the BMW M3.

Compared to the C 43, the incoming C 63 gets an even bigger electric exhaust gas turbo that helps the combustion engine produce 350kW. A further 150kW electric motor and high-discharge battery makes up the rest of deficit, but will all add considerable weight.

As well as sharing under-bonnet tech with its bigger brother, the C 43 is no longer left wanting for go-faster hardware.

There’s double-wishbone suspension all around, for example, as well as the performance brand’s latest AMG Ride Control adaptive damping. Braking hardware includes huge 370mm front discs, clamped down by big six-piston callipers.

Like before, all-wheel drive is standard, with a 69:31 rear-to-front bias. But new to the C 43 armoury is agility-boosting rear-wheel steering.

Despite the downsizing from a V6 to a four-cylinder, weight has actually risen by around 75kg – mostly as a consequence of all that electrification and the F1-inspired turbo that, alone, tips the scales at a hefty 12kg.

That’s disappointing, but we think most owners will actually prefer the new 2.0-litre turbo over the previous car’s raucous V6.

And if you’re obsessing about how it sounds, you won’t be disappointed, especially in Sport or Sport+ when the exhaust isn’t amplified through the speakers, much to the horror of purists.

More good news is the trick turbo really does sharpen up responses and diminish lag, delivering the desired effect of making the C 43 feel like it has a bigger engine beneath the bonnet.

Some nifty torque mapping that’s lifted from the A 45 also means its maximum 500Nm torque peak (20Nm less than the previous turbo V6) is actually delivered artificially late at 5000rpm, rewarding drivers for revving out the turbo-four.

So far, so very good. But, alas, Mercedes-AMG’s latest powertrain is still not perfect.

Instead of an integrated starter-generator, the C 43 gets a less sophisticated belt-driven system which results in laggier start-ups in slow traffic.

Worse still, the new nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT 9G doesn’t feel up for the task. It’s too jerky around town, and adds unwanted shuntiness to the recipe.

We have few complaints over how rapid it swaps cogs, but during enthusiastic driving it’s also not responsive enough to either the paddles or throttle when you demand a down-change.

In its defence, AMG engineers understand our gripes and are fashioning a fix that will take the shape of a software fix rather than any drastic back-to-the drawing-board approach.

It’s a shame, because despite now being capable of fancy launch control starts, we would happily trade its party trick for a smoother traditional torque-converter auto every day of the week.

Clawing back some points is the new-found agility courtesy of the rear-steer. Like we’ve seen in Jaguar Land Rover models, above 100km/h the system never swivels the rear axle by more than 0.7 degrees, which means it’s barely detectable and the steering response uncorrupted.

At lower speeds, up to 2.5 degrees is available, making the C 43 feel nimble in town.

That said, the C 43 isn’t that responsive to prods of the throttle, with AMG setting up for safe and secure handling with lots of grip but little in the way of engagement when you begin to explore its boundaries.

Wind the speed back and the executive sports express in Comfort mode is a quiet, refined place to spend time, with the ride remaining decent in all three damper settings.

What can’t be criticised is the C 43’s brakes that are immensely powerful and provide decent pedal feel.

In developing the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC, it looks and feels like engineers had hoped to narrow the gap between it and the C 63 to address criticism levelled at the previous version that it never really felt like a true AMG product.

Now, despite getting all the gear, it’s especially disappointing to report that one of those key bits of hardware – it’s underbaked transmission – goes some way to dampen our enthusiasm for the C 43.

It’s also a shame that, on the handling front, the C 43 isn’t more playful or rewarding to drive fast.

Not that it doesn’t still hold appeal. The latest AMG benefits from the wonderful C-Class cabin that now leads the segment for quality, technology and design and is only enhanced by the sportier additions.

But we’ll leave it to you to decide if comfort, refinement and better efficiency should really define an AMG product.

Of course, it all goes some way to make room for what’s set to be a ballistic C 63. However, it’s less than reassuring that its chief building block, this new C 43, feels unresolved.

Improvements are on the way and there’s plenty of time for Mercedes-AMG to fix the flaws in the C 43 ahead of its launch Down Under.

When it arrives, though, the weight of expectation will not be any less, especially considering the significant price bump expected over the previous model.

How much does the 2022 Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC cost?
Price: $139,500 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: 2023 first half
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 300kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.7L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 196g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested