2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43 Unveiled With 402-Hp 4-Cylinder

Mercedes redesigned the C-Class for the 2022 model year, which left us excited for the rest of the lineup. Now, the company is ready to introduce the AMG variants, starting with the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 sedan.
 

Just last year, Mercedes revealed the new, four-cylinder-only C-Class luxury sedan. And all that was missing from the line-up were the AMG options. Today, we finally get to see the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 43, and it sticks with the four-cylinder theme, but it certainly isn’t sacrificing performance.
 
Under the hood is a longitudinally-arranged version of the M139 turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. But this version makes 402 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and 369 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. That’s nearly the highest output for the engine, short of the 416-horsepower European CLA 45 S. The engine also features the super trick exhaust-driven turbocharger that features an electric motor on the turbine shaft to spool it up while the exhaust catches up. It’s a piece of trickle-down technology from the brand’s F1 race cars. Further electric assist comes from the 48-volt, 13-horsepower electric starter generator that enables coasting and better, longer engine stop-start.
 

Power goes through a nine-speed automatic transmission to a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. The torque split is specifically 31% front and 69% rear. This whole powertrain propels the AMG C 43 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, and the car has a top speed of 155 mph. A higher 165 mph top speed limit comes with the optional 19- and 20-inch wheels.
 
As for the chassis, it features adaptive suspension and standard rear-wheel steering. Brakes are also upgraded with 14.6-inch drilled and ventilated rotors up front and 12.6-inch rotors at the back. The front calipers are fixed four-piston units while the rears are floating single-piston versions. 18-inch wheels are standard with 245-millimeter-wide tires, but as previously mentioned, 19- and 20-inch wheels are available.
 

Naturally, being an AMG product, the C 43 has visual upgrades to the exterior and interior. On the outside, it gets a unique grille with vertical slats and AMG badging. It has the more aggressive front and rear bumpers with matching side skirts. The trunk gets a little spoiler, and the exhaust features quad exhaust tips, two on each side. Inside the car, it gets sport seats and steering wheel, the latter of which has a drive mode-select dial. The upholstery is black MB-Tex with faux suede inserts. Red stitching and seatbelts add some contrast. It also has aluminum pedals and illuminated door sills. Like the other C-Class models, the interior features a 12.3-inch instrument display and the new vertical 11.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. Some optional goodies include a head-up display, augmented video for navigation and the AMG Track Pace data logger.
 
The AMG C 43 will go on sale late this year. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet. It will likely be the most expensive version of the small sedan.