New Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC launched in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has been pretty active for the last couple of months, Q3 2018 to be specific. The Greman luxury car brand first launched the CLA and GLA 200 Night Edition, then came in the striking E-Class sedan and coupe, followed by A-Class, and now a few more join the lineup. Earlier today, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia lineup opened its gates to three new cars - C-Class C 200 Avantgarde, C 300 AMG Line, and facelifted W205 AMG C 43 4MATIC. It’s a lot to take in.

While we have covered all the newly launched Merc cars in detail, here we’ll be discussing the new AMG C 43 4MATIC. As is evident from the name, the saloon gets AMG treatment and therefore receives a sturdy and stylish design update. The Malaysian-spec variant of the sedan gets

• Twin-louvre AMG grille
• Multibeam LED headlights with adaptive high beam assist plus
• AMG spoiler lip
• AMG sport exhaust system
• 19-inch twin-spoke AMG alloy wheels wrapped in 225/40 front and 255/35 rear tyres
• Prominent diffuser and circular exhaust pipes at the rear

Open the door, and you’ll be greeted by an all-black cabin that stands out thanks to the AMG Line interior pack. Included in the said kit are AMG matte silver fibreglass trim, and Artico leather finish on the dashboard and belt lines. The steering wheel gets a new flat-bottomed design and is wrapped in Dinamica microfibre. It also gets a red strip, like the one seen in the soon to launch the 2018 Ranger Raptor. The seat belts are red, supporting the AMG theme perfectly. Speaking out loud for its ultra-luxurious and sporty tag are the following features -

• 10.25-inch central media unit
• COMAND Online system (replacing the pre-facelift Audio 20 GPS unit)
• Burmester sound system
• Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Thermotronic climate control
• Panoramic sunroof
• Keyless Go
• Remote boot lid closing function

The safety profile more or less tallies the local C-Class range with only a few revisions for the new AMG C 43. Included in the package are seven airbags, automatic emergency braking, 360-degree surround view camera, active lane keeping assist, blind spot assist, and a Tirefit system.

Under the hood now sits a retuned M276 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that churns out 390 PS at 6100 rpm (23 PS more) and 520 Nm at 2500 to 5000 rpm. This mill is paired with a 9-speed AMG Speedshift TCT 9G automatic gearbox. With the AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system on duty, the new C 43 sedan can hit the 100 kmph mark in 4.7 seconds. The top-speed remains electronically restricted at 250 kmph.

Supporting the ride quality section is the carried forward AMG Ride Control adaptive damping system. As an addition comes-in the AMG Dynamic Select system that tailors the steering, transmission, and engine response. A new Slippery option now joins Comfort, Individual, Sport, and Sport+ driving mode package.

The new Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC price starts at RM 421,999 (on-road without insurance) and will be locally assembled. Also, Mercedes Flex-C service is providing easy financing options on the facelifted C-Class range with monthly installments starting from RM 2,688. Buyers who’ll be booking on or before 31st December will get a complementary rim and tyre insurance package.