the Bucket: Bucket Seat: Mercedes Benz C43 AMG

When Mercedes-Benz AMG announced that they were swapping the V6 and V8 engines in their AMG W206 range for 2.0L Hybrid Electric Turbo's, everyone, myself included thought the gents in the Affalterbach had gone mad. When it comes to AMG, especially in the C-Class, range, that roaring V8 from the C63 is something that just got everyone, not only the purist invigorated. It was first introduced in the W204 where we saw variants like the Edition 507 and the Black Series which reached cult status on the roads as being demons on the straight line and rather tail happy when it came to the corners. Merc improved on this tech in the W205 models with the introduction of a slightly calmer variant in the C43 AMG which featured a V6 instead of the brutish V8 in the C63. I flirted with the W204 C63 507 Edition on the open road and had a short stint in the W205 C63S sedan and both cars blew me away with the performance from that engine under the hood so knowing it was going from that to a 2.0L would make anyone feel a bit let down from the group but as people who get to review these cars, we have look at it with an open mind so when Merc dropped off the new C43 AMG with me last month, I was rather excited to see what it had to offer because the figures claimed on the spec sheet really are eye catching.

DESIGN

Before we delve into that electric beast under the hood, we need to talk about the styling on this new performance sedan. Coming off the stunning W206 platform, its already quite an eye catching model, then with the added sportiness from the AMG Styling package on the car just gives it that aggressive nature. Key characteristics of this include the vertical slatted grille with chrome finishes, the large Mercedes-Benz emblem fitted to the center and the large diffuser at the bottom of the front bumper that looks like it just swallows the air as it eats the tarmac in front of it. The profile of the car has a lowered stance with large AMG 19-inch multi-spoke rims. AMG styled side skirts transition into the rear fender which is bulky and houses the quad performance exhausts. The boot lid has a micro spoiler which looks like its adds some aerodynamic edge to the car as it is longer than the norm. This particular car was finished if Graphite Grey Metallic which was more of black but with the speckles looked great in the sun light and menacing in the night. The interior follows the same design cues as the standard C-Class with the material and finishing choices more sporty in nature. There are AMG badges in the cabin to remind you what you're driving.

PERFORMANCE

Right, lets get to it, a 2L - 4 Cylinder "turbo electric" engine that produces 300kW and 500Nm of torque. Firstly, a 2L in an AMG C-Class sounds underwhelming but then you read the performance figures and wondering what kind of black magic are they performing to get that? We all know of Mercedes Benz AMG F1 dominance over the past decade, using that tech and evolving it into their road going cars has helped them produce engines that meet European emissions standards as well as giving the driver the optimal performance required from a car like this. Let me tell you that the term "don't knock it till you try it" really applies to this car as it is phenomenally fast! Using the electric hybrid tech with added boost from the battery powered electric motor, gives the car and double kick and propels it from a standard start to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds. The fun doesn't stop there as it just continues to climb in speed as you keep your foot rooted to the floor. Handling on this car is sensational, even with the semi electric feel the car still remains nimble and stable, I suppose the only down side is not having that roaring V6 under the hood but the engineers at AMG got that covered for you as there is an optional extra AMG Real Performance sound package that will set you back a little over R10,000 that makes the cabin come a live with real life engine noises as you accelerate. Its nothing new to cars as we've seen other brands do the same to their hybrid cars, I suppose it also helps with the transition from combustion to hybrid for most drivers.

COMFORT

The car is based on the mid-sized family sedan so space and comfort isn't an issue with the C43 as there is ample of room inside the cabin. The two toned leather sports seats are not only great to look at but also extremely comfy, the driver and front passenger enjoy electric adjustable seats with 4-way lumbar support while the rear bench seat has two bucket styled sport seats for the rear occupants. The 11.9-inch infotainment screen is a bit of an overkill as its its just large, it would be nice if it was customisable like a phone screen with widgets so you can set out what you want to see, especially when you running one of the mobile phone apps which it comes built in with that is accessed wirelessly. There is dual zone climate control with seat heating for the driver and front passenger. I still don't like the large plastic panels used on the front dash as they do tend to creek when traveling at high speeds and makes the cabin sound a bit cheap. There is a lot of high gloss or piano black finishes that attract a lot of dust so you always find yourself busy wiping the interior making sure it looks clean. Mercs ambient lighting is something to be admired, at night it transforms the cabin into an luminous spectacle with various colours and tones to choose from. While the boot lid can be opened from the key, I found it disappointing that it was automated, but that's just me, guess I expected to push a button to close it to.

VERDICT

Overall, its an extremely well put together car, offering the customer a performance sedan with a practical aspect to it. While it might not be as fast as its bigger brother it offers the consumer a nice inbetweener option that also carries the famed AMG badge to it. While the verdict is still out on the 2.0L turbo electric engine that is also being used in the C63SE which is due to come, rumours of Merc returning to the V8 earlier this week were quickly squashed from the brand. While many don't like change, its time to get used to it as the world is evolving at a rapid speed so we need to deal with it and enjoy the perks of engineering performance delivered to us like this.