Words by Yash Sunil
Mercedes Benz is set to launch the new C 43 AMG on December 14. It is the more friendly sibling of the monstrous C 63 S which was launched in India last year. With the launch of the facelifted CLA seven days ago, the C 43 AMG will be the 13th new car to be launched by Mercedes Benz in 2016.
Here is some trivia on the new C 43 AMG and what makes it different from its mindboggling brother, the C 63 S.
1.Midway point for customers
The C 43 AMG is for people who don’t want something as drab as the C 200 or something as ferocious as the C 63 S . Let me remind you by saying that although C 43 is powered by a V6, it is no slouch with a 0-100kmph time of 4.7 seconds, just 0.7 seconds slower than the C 63 S. Plus both cars come with a speed limiter of 250kmph. The C 43 a good choice for customers who do not wish to spend their life savings at a petrol pump or at a tyre shop, both of which are a possibility in the C 63 AMG.
2.The heart of things
The C 63 S is powered by a V8 engine making 503bhp and 700Nm allowing the car to hit 100kmph from a standstill in under 4 seconds and keep going until it hits its limiter. The new C 43 is no slouch either with its 3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine which churns out 357bhp and 521Nm of torque. While the C 63 S gets the full-fat V8 mated to AMG’s 7-speed Speedshift MCT gearbox, while the smaller V6 engine will come with the 9-speed automatic gearbox.
3.Equipment offered
While a few international markets do receive the C 43 AMG with Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive system, it isn’t sure if the Indian bound car will get AWD or will be a rear-wheel drive car as the C 63 S. Other than that, the car does receives AMG’s drive mode selections in which the driver can choose between Comfort, Eco, Sport and Sport Plus. It also gets AMG-developed springs and electronically controlled shock absorbers with three-stage variable damping.
4. Similarity to the C 63 S in terms of looks and design
The difference between the two will only be visible to a keen viewer who will notice the that the C 45 looks more like a beefed up standard C class rather then the muscled out C 63 S. The front too gets some subtle changes, like the large chrome grille with the Mercedes logo in the center, unlike the C 63 S which gets carbonfibre front bumpers with large air ducts, the C 43 doesn’t receive all this bulges the in-your face AMG bodykit but does get the 18-inch alloys. The rest of the interiors haven’t been tinkered with and are similarly spec’d as the bigger C 63 S AMG.
So to conclude, the C 43 AMG is good option for people who want to experience the madness that the C 63 S AMG has to offer but can’t live with the exorbitant fuel and tyre bills that are there in the ownership of the car. The new car is like the tamer and calmer option but can be as mental as its elder sibling when required.
Read about the time we learnt to drift in the Mercedes Benz AMG C 63 S, here