Driving report: quartet game | STERN.de

Not only does the large AMG C 63 lose its full, booming eight cylinders, but also the little brother C 43 – obligatory thanks to all-wheel drive a 4matic – has to make do with narrow four cylinders in its new generation. As bad as the combustion chamber-related loss of image hurts in models like a Mercedes SL 43 or the top model C 63, you can come to terms with it with the C 43 because the overall package fits. The two-liter four-cylinder is not a unit from the Mercedes group shelf, but a real AMG, which was manufactured from a single source, true to the “one man – one engine” specification. Although there is a performance increase to 300 kW / 408 hp compared to the predecessor, it is always surprising why the new C43er offers less performance on paper than the small Mercedes AMG A 45, which has an output of 310 kW / 421 hp in its top version. The 408 hp are not supported at their peak by the boost function of the starter generator with its 10 kW / 14 hp, because this only helps at lower engine speeds and at correspondingly low speeds.

But all specifications are forgotten once you have taken a seat in the well-contoured driver’s seat. The AMG sports seats not only offer excellent lateral support, but also promise impressive long-distance comfort. Unfortunately, the instruments and steering wheel are not as impressive as the sports chairs for the driver and front passenger, because the sensitive touch surfaces of the five-spoke steering wheel react either too easily or not at all and make operation difficult. The instruments are also too confusing: too many views, too much information, while the display itself could certainly be larger. The large head-up display and the large central screen in the center console are better. The space available in the C-Class, which has now grown to 4.80 meters, is always okay.

You can get used to the slightly obtrusive sound of the supercharged four-cylinder faster than expected. This is even easier with the driving performance itself, because these are always impressive. This is not only due to those 300 kW / 408 hp or the stately 500 Nm maximum torque, but also to the impressively instantaneous response of the turbocharger, which operates electrically and does not have to wait for the necessary pressure from the combustion engine. A step on the gas and the two-liter four-cylinder is there – if desired, it goes from a standing start to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, although it is better to leave the playful race-start practical jokes to the game console. Nobody needs that in a real car. We like it better that the Mercedes AMG C 43 transmits its impressive engine power to all four wheels. Unfortunately, this happens in a fixed power ratio of 31:69 in favor of the rear axle.

That’s great and extremely dynamic on dry roads and with a dedicated driving style. When it gets slippery, wet or even icy, one would wish for a variable power distribution that sends more of the overall power to the front axle without having to reduce power at the rear. The nine-speed automatic has been revised compared to its predecessor. While a normal torque converter used to work in the transmission tunnel, a wet starting clutch works in the new AMG C 43 for better response. In the test drives, this was particularly convincing with a snappy gait, while with a relaxed driving style, there were fine-tuning problems with the gear selection, especially on downhill sections. AMG promises to sharpen up here until the family joker comes onto the market. If he does that, the driver can give his high-speed wishes almost free rein, because the 250 km/h top speed can be increased to 265 km/h as an option. The standard consumption: tolerable 8.7 to 9.1 liters Super Plus per 100 kilometers.

However, the sedan and station wagon are even more convincing on country roads than on the freeway. The chassis tuning is a touch too tight even in comfort mode – after all, you still have the driving modes Sport, Sport Plus and Individual. But the overall package is ambitious, especially in connection with the optional 20 inchers, and most potential customers of the C-AMG should not like that. This also applies to the good steering, whose movements necessarily affect all four wheels. The Mercedes AMG C 43 4matic, which costs at least 71,459 euros, is equipped as standard with all-wheel steering, which makes the double pack from Affalterbach, weighing more than 1.8 tons, less in the city center and more stable at higher speeds. Let’s look forward to the C 63 – the bridging music of the C 43 can be heard – even without a sound system.