In this episode of Autoblog Garage Associate Editor Byron Hurd showcases the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43
Jonathon Ramsey wrote:
Mercedes-Benz introduced the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43 last year and we expected it on sale here a few months ago. The middle step performance sedan is finally on dealer lots, bringing technology derived from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team to two trims. Starting with MSRPs after the $1,150 destination charge, our market gets the:
AMG C 43 Premium: $61,050
AMG C 43 Pinnacle: $63,850
Both trims come with longitudinally-mounted M139 turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, output figures that best the C 300 4Matic by 157 hp and 74 lb-ft. The AMG engine gets the exhaust-driven turbocharger derived from the F1 team's design, utilizing an electric motor to spool up the turbine shaft while the exhaust pressure catches up. Further electric assist comes from the second-generation 48-volt, 13-horsepower electric starter generator that enables coasting and longer, better engine stop-start phases.
To read more about the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43 and other automotive news:
https://www.autoblog.com/2023/04/06/2023-mercedes-amg-c43-pricing-trims/
BYRON HURD: Hey, everybody, I'm Byron. In the Autoblog Garage this week, we have the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43. This is the baby Mercedes-AMG C-class.
It has 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque from a turbocharged and hybridized-- yes, its electrified-- four-cylinder engine. Its potent enough-- I mean, 400 horsepower in a compact sedan, what's not to like-- and quite luxurious. We've got some carbon fiber there on the mirror caps, a little bit more back here on the trunk lid.
This is not the complete balls-to-the-wall, all-out AMG C-class. That's the C 63, which is also a hybrid now. So we're going to check this one out, see what you get from the entry-level AMG model in the C-class lineup.
Looking at the front of the new C 43, as you can see, very AMG up here. We've got the little badge and the blacked out grille, a little bit more menacing, a little more aggressive on the highway. We also have these little hood creases here. They're not quite as pronounced as what Mercedes used to do on some of its sportier cars.
As you may recall, about 10 years ago, Mercedes designers said they weren't going to do creases anymore. So they're a little more smoothed out, a little sleeker, a little more aerodynamic. But they still look pretty good. And as you can see, we've got plenty of radiator and intercooler opening up front. This is an internal combustion engine, even though it's a hybrid, so you need a lot of air in there to keep it cool and to feed that big 402 horsepower hybrid system.
Then moving along to the side here, as you can see, we have these new wheels, which have these little plastic inserts in them, probably a little bit for aerodynamics and keeping the brakes in there cool. After all, it's an AMG. And performance matters. As you see the fender badges now say, "Electrified." And that's something you're going to see a lot more from Mercedes over the coming years, especially as cars like this switch to all-electric powertrains, which at this point is inevitable because, as you know, Europe is aiming for ICE-free by 2030. So this is what we're going to get.
You can see the carbon fiber there and the mirror caps, just a little flash of excitement in the side profile. And again, you can see how swept back the greenhouse is on this. There is plenty of headroom in that second-row seat. But as you can tell, they're trying for a kind of coupe-like look there to make it a little more interesting, keep sedans a bit more relevant to modern buyers.
All right, now looking at the back of the 2023 Mercedes C 43, as you can see, a little bit more carbon fiber here, nothing too flashy, just a bit up top. Got the prominent AMG badge there. These are actually finished in kind of a bronze or gold. Not sure whether that's a package or just something you get with the new AMGs.
And looking down here, a four-outlet exhaust. Now, this is a four-cylinder engine, so basically you get one pipe per cylinder, right? Now, how that works out is really that it sounds pretty good for being a four banger. And you can listen to it right now.
[CAR REVVING]
That's the exterior of the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43. Let's hop inside and take a look at the interior. All right, so we are inside the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43. And as you can see, this is very spec Mercedes interior, the three vents up top, two more outboard, the big screen in the middle, not a lot of physical controls in here, which is kind of a downside.
This little bar here, as you can see, it moves a little bit. This actually has controls that click when you press them, just by virtue of the fact that the whole panel actually moves. We have this diamond-weave pattern that looks kind of like carbon fiber, but very clearly isn't, and kind of a metal look to the trim here along the sides. It's kind of supposed to be an aluminum-style finish. But it's not brushed or anything and it's definitely plastic.
We've got plenty of cubbies here. We've got this hidden one with your cup holders and your cell phone holder, this folding cubby here, and your glove box of course. And looking elsewhere in the interior, the red seatbelts and little AMG logos here, a little bit of performance flair.
And you have these nice, pretty aggressively bolstered seats with what appears to be a synthetic leather finish and trim. So it's very on-point for what you'd expect from an entry level Mercedes-AMG. And remember, it still has 400 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and it's only a four-cylinder, so it's going to get reasonably good-- no I'm kidding. It doesn't.
The real star here is this steering wheel with these wild louvers in the spokes. So this is technically a five-spoke steering wheel if you're really counting-- 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Maybe we can even call it six with the split down here. We have the controls down here for the AMG drive modes, all of your audio, your phone controls, all of your nav, everything you can use to interact with either the cluster behind the screen, with the AR system, and with the infotainment is pretty much right here.
And if you can't find the control you're looking for, that's totally fine, because the beauty of Mercedes is you can just ask the car. Hey, Mercedes.
- How can I help?
BYRON HURD: I'd like you to turn on the heated steering wheel.
- I'm sorry. This vehicle does not have steering wheel heating.
BYRON HURD: And that's how you find out you're poor. OK, so that's the interior of the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43. Let's move around to the trunk. Now, this isn't a classic luxury car. You're not getting a massive spare tire and all that kind of stuff. In fact, you're not getting a spare tire at all. But what you do get are about 16 different ways to open this trunk.
Number one, perhaps the most complicated, sticking your foot underneath it, which, as you can see, doesn't always work. Once you get the motion down, it works beautifully. If you can't figure it out on your own, there's a QR code right here on the back of the trunk that will tell you how to do it. You scan that with your phone, it'll bring up a video that will actually demonstrate that so you don't look like an idiot in a park in Southeast Michigan trying to figure it out in front of a bunch of strangers.
And a few more tricks in this trunk, open up the base, no spare tire, as we mentioned before, but there is an inflator kit and a tow hook down there, and this handy little organizer basket. This is a Mercedes part, comes with the car. You could use it to organize your groceries.
There's a little receiver down there. You can stick this right back in so it doesn't slide around while you're driving your AMG the way you should, and folds right back up and out of the way when you don't need it. So spare tire, but about 8 million different ways to open and close it and some handy little features to boot.
All right, and looking under the hood of the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43. Now, as I mentioned before, this is a hybrid four-cylinder. Every C-class is a four-cylinder now, including the big C 63 AMG. So in this one, we get a 2-liter engine and a hybrid assist system that produces a total of 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Now, that's up about 15 horsepower over the old six-cylinder model that was sold last year and down about 15 pound-feet of torque.
So it's a little bit of a hit and miss. But you do get a lighter and slightly more agile platform out of this car. The hybrid system in this is not a crazy, over-the-top economy-focused hybrid. In fact, the electric motor in this only produces about 13 horsepower. It's not contributing a ton to the overall power or efficiency of the engine. However, it does allow Mercedes to dial back the displacement just a bit.
It's only a 2-liter motor. And on top of that, allows for a little bit more efficient operation. However, there is a massive turbocharger hanging off the side of this engine. In fact, you can see it because it can't fit underneath the engine cover. In fact, there's so much heat shielding under here, we're surprised there's any plastic left at all.
So when you open up this sucker, it's going to be hot, but you're going to get to see all of the components of this car, which is a bit unusual for a modern performance machine. So we'll give you a look at that. It's pretty interesting. And just imagine what it looks like under the hood of the C 63, which produces a whole lot more horsepower.
All right, folks, that's the 2023 Mercedes C 43 AMG. Let us know what you like in the comments. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. And we'll catch you next time in the Autoblog Garage.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
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