Off late
Mercedes
AMG has been getting cars to India that are less bite-y than their usual lot, like the CLA 45 and the GLA 45 AMG. The latest to join the portfolio is the
Mercedes-AMG C43
sedan which was launched at Rs 74.35 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) on Wednesday.
The C43 is a performance machine that attempts to strike a balance between track use and real world usability. The the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged, V6 engine is the same as on the GLE 450 AMG (now, GLE 43) and churns out 367PS of maximum power and 520Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 9G-Tronic transmission with paddle shifters. Also, the C43 sends power to all four wheels. The torque split between the front and rear wheels is 31 and 69 per cent which makes it much easier to drive compared to its RWD siblings. It comes with five different driving modes along with adjustable suspension settings. In Comfort Mode, the suspension is likely to offer greater usability over our broken roads.
In profile it looks a lot like the C-class with the key differences being the AMG body kit, alloys, bigger brakes and a tiny rear spoiler. The interiors too get AMG touches like Alcantara and a sport steering wheel.
In this market segment the AMG will square off against Audi's S5 Sportback (Rs 62.95lakh ex-showroom Delhi). The Mercedes has a bigger price tag, bit it also packs more punch. It remains to be seen which proves to be the more pleasurable performance sedan.