Mercedes-AMG E 43 for Christmas

The Mercedes-AMG E 43 will arrive in Australia just in time for Christmas in late December, and priced at around $165,000 it's set to attract more customers to the ever-expanding AMG fold.

Talking to motoring.com.au about the impending launch of the Mercedes-AMG E 43, a 295kW/520Nm AWD luxo-rocket that (sort of) replaces the E 500 V8 model, Mercedes-Benz Australia's corporate communications boss, David McCarthy, said the E 43 will be a much stronger seller than the E 63.

"Sales of E 63 have always been low – maybe 160 at a maximum a few years ago. The E 43 will do much better.

Pegged around the same price bracket as the smaller but more intense Mercedes-AMG C 63, the E 43 will appeal to buyers who want a car that's fast but can deal with the everyday grind, McCarthy says.

"[C 63] is a ripper car but on an everyday basis it's not as good as the E 43."
The C 63 is one of AMG's best-sellers in Australia, but McCarthy said "we need to offer an alternative" for a roomy but rapid luxury car, and the E 43 fits the bill.

"The $160K mark, when you look at finances rates and residuals, it's a sweet spot. Put a two in front and it gets more challenging," he cautioned, hinting at the E 63's expected $200,000-plus price.

Splash the extra cash on the E 63 however and you will get a hand-built 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, pumping power up to 450kW. And it gets a drift mode too, just for good measure.

Expected to be priced at closer to a quarter of a million dollars, the new E 63 will likely be a rarity on the road. Historically this has always been the case.

This could pose a conundrum for fans of V8 engines too, because if you want a V8-powered Mercedes the only way to do so may soon require an AMG badge on the back – and the significant extra outlay that requires.

"Long-term the 500 models will probably disappear," said McCarthy.

He noted that the new E-Class is unlikely to get the 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 of its predecessor and that the CLS 500, one of the few Benz cars available today with the big-banger, is an endangered species.

"CLS 500 is the last of a dying breed – demand is not there anymore".

While the new Mercedes-AMG E 43's twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 doesn't generate quite as much power or torque as the old E 500's biturbo V8 – 300kW/600Nm – the car accelerates faster and uses less fuel.

Tighter emissions regulations are putting the kybosh on large-capacity, multi-cylinder engines the world over, and Mercedes is not immune to global changes both cultural and legal.

It's not the only Mercedes that'll soon be axed in Australia either, with the E-Class estate (wagon) looking about as likely as snow in the tropics.

"I wouldn't be putting money on it," said McCarthy of the E-Class wagon coming Down Under.

"We're lucky to do 100 E-Class estates a year. Look, if someone tipped a large bag of money on the table, we could work with it, but realistically we need to sell a minimum of 200 vehicles to make it work."

The E-Class All-Terrain, a high-riding wagon arriving here in early in 2017 would fill the void, said the company spokesman.