Mercedes-Benz C 450 AMG 2016 Review

At first meeting the concept of AMG Sport raises a red flag or two.

Here’s a brand name that has unimpeachable strength and quality based on a series of outstanding cars that are loud, proud and extrovert. Think of the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S, as an example — or the old C 63 for that matter.

Sure AMG has expanded already into stand-alone sports cars and four-cylinder models, but anyone who contends an SLS or an A 45 isn’t a true AMG hasn’t driven one.

But AMG Sport takes the engineering essence of Benz’s booming hot shop and turns it more mainstream. There’s less modification and the cars aren’t built at Affalterbach either. Think of it as an equivalent to Audi’s S quattro or BMW’s M Performance sub-brands.

Benz and AMG have big plans for their new label. It’s going to spread far and wide through the mainstream passenger car line-up and contribute to a massive kick-along for the AMG’s already spiralling sales volume.

So this is a massive democratisation of the AMG brand. Whether it’s also a dilution depends on the quality of the cars this ‘AMG Lite’ comes up with.

Well, having briefly sampled the first model from this new venture made available to the press (but the second revealed following on from the GLE 450 AMG 4MATIC Coupe), the C 450 AMG 4MATIC, the preliminary findings are very positive.

In fact, the worst thing about this car is it’s unlikely to turn up in Australia until late in the second quarter of next year

That’s because left-hand drive markets come first and they don’t even start seeing it until mid-year. Australia will be at least six months behind them, fighting the good fight for allocation, getting them built, on the boat and into the country. A couple of unexpected delays and it’s mid-2016 before you know it.

At least that gives Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific plenty of time to get the local product plan sorted. At this stage it looks like a price in the low $100K range, which gives it plenty of head space to the $154,900 C 63 S, while the most expensive mainstream C-Class is the $74,900 C300 hybrid.

For that still substantial ask, the 450 will come fully loaded with safety and comfort gear topped off by some AMG interior and exterior dress-ups, including distinct front air intakes, diamond mesh grille, divided dual rear exhaust outlets, artico artificial leather trim sports seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel and AMG instrument cluster.

The decision on a taking estate as well as sedan is yet to be made, but there’s seems to be a groundswell push for both models.

The thing is, V6 C-Classes have never been big sellers here, be they diesel or petrol (and Benz has tried both as flagships), so whatever is decided this is a bit of trip into the unknown, especially as this car follows a performance rather than the usual luxury path.

To achieve that performance AMG has started with a model on sale in the US but which we don’t see in Australia – the C 400 4MATIC, which has a 3.0-litre biturbo petrol V6 with permanent all-wheel drive.

In AMG Sport trim its outputs climb 25kW to 270kW and torque 40Nm to 520Nm. The 0-100km/h claim is a quick 4.9 sec (5.0 for the wagon) and the claimed fuel consumption rate on the Euro cycle 7.6L/100 (7.7 wagon). The transmission is the archetypal Benz 7G-Tronic auto (the GLE gets the new nine-speed). The final step in the drivetrain is the 4MATIC system, which is tailored with 33/67 front/rear torque split.

Drivetrain behaviour can be tailored via ‘Dynamic Select’ modes that vary from dulled fuel-saving Eco (including stop-start) at one extreme to Sport+ at the other, where throttle response and gear changes are whip-crack quick. In manual mode the shift will bang away on the rev-limiter until you want to change -- something mainstream Benzes don’t do.

AMG has also got stuck into the chassis of the C 450; three-stage adjustable dampers and some suspension components carry over from the new C 63 V8, including special steering knuckles and load-bearing joints. There is more negative camber on the axles and the body has been stiffened, the stability control tune is sportier, the multi-mode electro-mechanical steering has a specific AMG ratio and the brake discs are up 20mm to 360mm and 320mm respectively.

Finishing off the driving package are 18-inch alloys, although in the case of our test car – an estate – optional 19s encased in Dunlop Sport Maxx 225/40 (front) and 255/35 ZR19s were fitted.

So, I won’t resort to clichés such as the C 450 AMG will be worth waiting for. After all, the choice of performance sedans in the $100K region is huge and bound to get even more diverse by mid-2016 (Jaguar XE, anyone?). But it is a pretty cool car to drive and better than expected.

Why? Well, that tweaked V6 shows the AMG magic isn’t restricted to fours, eights and 12s. It gets up and boogies real hard, especially when Sport or Sport + is engaged and the 7G-Tronic is pinging up and down the box three gears at a time on a mountain road. The AMG exhaust helps the audio, although V6s never sound the sexiest. But roll off the throttle and a bang-crackle ricochets through the cabin on the over-run. Awesome.

But what really wins over the deal is 4MATIC and the AMG chassis tuning. You can hammer the throttle as hard as you like out of a tight corner and the car will simply grip and go. There’s no balancing act required as per rear-wheel drive. Nor does the nose push wide if you roll into a corner a tad fast. This is a beautifully balanced and neutral car. And remember we are talking about the wagon here – no wonder M-B A/P wants to bring it.

The steering is precise, cleanly weighted, clearly influenced by the new C 63 and another driving highlight. The brakes are strong and the body control tight in the sportiest suspension mode. Like the C 63, it is a car that invites and encourages enthusiastic driving and helps the driver to do it.

But there is more of a sense of safety net about this car than the C 63 – understandable considering the lower power level and all-wheel drive. Importantly too, if you wind back through the modes the C 450 can cruise comfortably, albeit still transferring more road shock than a standard W205 C-Class. But we’re not talking a night and day difference here.

So call it a halfway house, AMG Lite or whatever you like, but on first taste AMG Sport has what it takes not to embarrass one of the globe’s great automotive performance brands. In fact, just the opposite: it adds lustre and – when it eventually arrives – should add fans to the brand as well.

2015 Mercedes-Benz C 450 AMG 4MATIC price and specs:
On sale: 2016
Price: $110,000 (estimated)
Engines: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol
Outputs: 270kW/520Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (7.7 estate)
CO2: 178g/km (180 estate)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)