It’s finally happening. The Mercedes-AMG C 43 now comes with a 4-banger hybrid.
In some ways, the Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC was a rather new entry to the stable for Mercedes-Benz fans… Overnight, the outgoing W205 C-Class essentially went from having a top-tier C 400 with a 3L V6 turbo to having an ‘AMG-engineered’ C 43 model with the same engine.
Today, Mercedes has done something else with the all-new Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC model. It will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder petrol hybrid! This is the same hybrid powertrain that powers the rear-wheel drive Mercedes-AMG SL 43, which was unveiled in early April. In the C 43, it is set up to drive all four wheels.
It also has a higher output than the SL 43 with 408hp and 500Nm compared to the SL 43’s 381 hp and 480Nm of torque. These improvements allow it to do the century sprint in just 4.6 seconds, faster than the SL 43 by 0.3 seconds. On paper, this is also an improvement of 0.1 seconds over the outgoing model. Top speed is limited to 250km/h, but can be upgraded to 265km/h with an optional AMG Driver’s Package.
What you lose in cylinders, you gain in tech, efficiency and equipment. The new model features rear-axle steering as standard, an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9G gearbox with wet start-off clutch, AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension with adaptive damping, and so much more. It’s also worth noting that this 2.0L M139l engine is built at Affalterbach using the “One Man, One Engine” philosophy, but with the latest digitised and connected production methods.
The belt-driven starter generator acts as a mild hybrid, either boosting output, recuperating energy from braking, or allowing electric only ‘gliding’ at cruising speeds. It also enables a smoother transition for the start-stop system of the petrol engine. The 4MATIC system sends most of its power output (69%) by default.
As expected, the interior gets the AMG treatment, with red highlights, stitching and seatbelts, semi bucket seats, Dinamica upholstery on the AMG-specific steering wheel and more.
