Just last year, Mercedes revealed the new, four-cylinder-only C-Class luxury sedan. And all that was missing from the line-up were the AMG options. Today, we finally get to see the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43, and it sticks with the four-cylinder theme, but it certainly isn’t sacrificing performance.
Under the hood is a longitudinally-arranged version of the M139 turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. But this version makes 402 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and 369 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. That’s nearly the highest output for the engine, short of the 416-horsepower European CLA 45 S. The engine also features the super trick exhaust-driven turbocharger that features an electric motor on the turbine shaft to spool it up while the exhaust catches up. It’s a piece of trickle-down technology from the brand’s F1 race cars. Further electric assist comes from the 48-volt, 13-horsepower electric starter generator that enables coasting and better, longer engine stop-start.
Power goes through a nine-speed automatic transmission to a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. The torque split is specifically 31% front and 69% rear. This whole powertrain propels the AMG C 43 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, and the car has a top speed of 155 mph. A higher 165 mph top speed limit comes with the optional 19- and 20-inch wheels.
As for the chassis, it features adaptive suspension and standard rear-wheel steering. Brakes are also upgraded with 14.6-inch drilled and ventilated rotors up front and 12.6-inch rotors at the back. The front calipers are fixed four-piston units while the rears are floating single-piston versions. 18-inch wheels are standard with 245-millimeter-wide tires, but as previously mentioned, 19- and 20-inch wheels are available.
Naturally, being an AMG product, the C 43 has visual upgrades to the exterior and interior. On the outside, it gets a unique grille with vertical slats and AMG badging. It has the more aggressive front and rear bumpers with matching side skirts. The trunk gets a little spoiler, and the exhaust features quad exhaust tips, two on each side. Inside the car, it gets sport seats and steering wheel, the latter of which has a drive mode-select dial. The upholstery is black MB-Tex with faux suede inserts. Red stitching and seatbelts add some contrast. It also has aluminum pedals and illuminated door sills. Like the other C-Class models, the interior features a 12.3-inch instrument display and the new vertical 11.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. Some optional goodies include a head-up display, augmented video for navigation and the AMG Track Pace data logger.
The AMG C 43 will go on sale late this year. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet. It will likely be the most expensive version of the small sedan.
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Source: www.autoblog.com