Mercedes-AMG has turned its attention to the two-door members of the C-Class family. Following hot on the heels of the refreshed Saloon and Estate, the updated Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC Coupé and Cabriolet arrive with sharper styling, upgraded electronics, and a notable bump in firepower under the hood. While the thunderous V8 in the C 63 commands its share of headlines, the C 43 occupies an enviable sweet spot: delivering serious everyday performance backed by all-weather all-wheel-drive traction.
The core of this mid-cycle update is an upgraded version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. By fitting larger turbochargers and bumping maximum boost pressure to 1.1 bar, Affalterbach’s engineers have extracted an additional 23 horsepower (17 kW) from the six-cylinder powerplant. Total output now stands at 390 hp (287 kW) arriving at 6,100 rpm, while peak torque remains a hearty 520 Newton-meters (383 lb-ft), deployed across an exceptionally wide engine speed band from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm. Paired with a quick-shifting nine-speed automatic transmission and rear-biased all-wheel drive, the C 43 Coupé sprints from rest to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds, with the Cabriolet trailing by a mere tenth at 4.8 seconds. Both variants remain electronically reined in at 250 km/h (155 mph).
Exterior Styling: Sharper Aerodynamics and AMG Details
Visually, the revised Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC Coupé and Cabriolet adopt a markedly more assertive road posture. The front view is dominated by an AMG-specific radiator grille featuring a twin-louver design rendered in matte iridium silver. Sculpted front aprons incorporate pronounced bumper flics and integrated side air curtains, designed to channel turbulent air around the front wheel arches with minimal drag. Chrome garnish highlights the transverse bumper louvers and the lower front splitter, balancing track-bred airflow management with luxury trim restraint.
Along the flanks, sculpted side sill panels visually lower the car‘s profile, leading into aerodynamically optimized light-alloy wheels. Developed specifically in the wind tunnel, these AMG wheels integrate contoured outer aero rings and specialized spoke geometry to evacuate wheel-well air smoothly while maintaining essential brake cooling under hard driving. At the rear, high-gloss chrome circular twin exhaust tips punctuate a redesigned diffuser apron, crowned by a subtle trunk lid lip spoiler finished in vehicle body color.
Drivers looking to amplify exterior aggression can specify the optional AMG Styling package, which coats the deeper front splitter, rear spoiler lip, and broader side sill extensions in high-gloss black. A separate Carbon Fibre package II equips the exterior mirror caps and decklid spoiler in genuine carbon weave, while the Night package introduces blacked-out window trim and waistline strips for a stealthier appearance.
In addition to aerodynamic revisions, the cooling layout benefits from larger air intakes flanking the bumper, feeding additional airflow directly into auxiliary radiators and the transmission cooler. Every styling enhancement serves an aerodynamic or thermal function, ensuring that the athletic stance translates directly into improved high-speed stability on the Autobahn or during sweeping cross-country drives.
Cockpit Architecture and Digital Interfaces
Inside the passenger compartment, the C 43 balances motorsport flair with executive luxury. The standard cabin specification pairs black ARTICO man-made leather with DINAMICA microfiber across the seat centers, doors, and dashboard upper section, accented throughout by vibrant red topstitching. Deeply contoured sports seats anchor occupants securely, complemented by black roof lining, red seatbelts, and brushed aluminum pedals fitted with tactile rubber studs.
For drivers seeking deeper lateral support, optional AMG Performance seats provide pneumatically adjustable side bolsters in the backrest and cushion cushion base. In open-air Cabriolet guise, these sport buckets can be paired with three-stage ventilation and Mercedes’ AIRSCARF neck-level heating system, blowing warm air from vents integrated directly below the headrests to extend convertible season into chilly autumn evenings. An acoustic fabric soft top on the Cabriolet ensures long-distance cabin serenity when closed, resisting wind buffet at triple-digit cruising speeds.
The cockpit technology sees a substantial upgrade through an optional 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster boasting a 31.2-centimeter screen diagonal. Replacing traditional analog dials, the digital panel offers three distinct AMG visual themes: Classic, Sport, and the aggressive Supersport display, which places a central tachometer front and center surrounded by modular telemetry data. Through dedicated AMG submenus, drivers can monitor warm-up parameters, tire pressures, lateral G-forces, engine oil temperatures, or activate the built-in Race Timer.
Trim choices emphasize bespoke customization. Buyers can outfit the center stack and door panels in open-pore black ash wood paired with light longitudinal-grain aluminum, rich high-gloss dark-brown lime, anthracite oak, or genuine AMG carbon fiber weaves. Upholstery palettes range from two-tone Cranberry Red and black leather combinations to Magma Grey, Saddle Brown, or elegant Porcelain leather, allowing owners to tailor the cabin towards understated grand touring or unapologetic motorsport aggression.
Front and center sits the newly styled AMG steering wheel, wrapped in Nappa leather with a flat-bottomed rim and perforated handgrips. The wheel integrates miniature optical Touch Control buttons that respond to horizontal and vertical thumb swipes, mirroring smartphone navigation. The left pad controls instrument cluster views and DISTRONIC cruise assistance, while the right thumb pad navigates central multimedia, communications, and volume control without requiring hands to leave the rim.
Powertrain: Upgraded Bi-Turbo V6 and SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G
Under the twin-ridged bonnet, the 3.0-liter biturbo V6 features an unmistakable engine dressing with a red aluminum insert and AMG badging. The power uplift to 390 hp is unlocked through two enlarged turbocharger units mounted close to the cylinder banks, shortening exhaust gas pathways for near-instant throttle pick-up. With 520 Nm on tap from 2,500 rpm all the way to 5,000 rpm, in-gear surge is relentless across any road situation.
The six-cylinder engine utilizes advanced NANOSLIDE cylinder coating technology developed in Formula 1 racing, minimizing internal frictional losses while bolstering durability under sustained boost. Thermal management is refined with an air-to-water intercooling arrangement, maintaining low charge air temperatures even during continuous performance cycles. The resulting power delivery combines immediate low-rpm torque swell with an energetic rush toward the 6,500 rpm redline, voiced through a multi-stage AMG sports exhaust system that crackles on throttle lift-off.
Power routes rearward through the AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G automatic transmission, running Affalterbach-specific control software. The nine-speed gearbox executes rapid multi-gear downshifts when sudden acceleration is requested, alongside an acoustic double-declutching rev-match in Sport and Sport+ modes. In Manual mode, activated via a central console switch, gear selection is held entirely via galvanized steering wheel paddles, refusing to upshift automatically at the redline to preserve total driver authority.
Moving off from a standstill always takes place in first gear across all drive modes, eliminating sluggish step-off behavior and ensuring immediate throttle readiness. Shortened response times and calibrated ignition timing cuts between shifts produce crisp, mechanical gear changes that accentuate the driver’s connection to the drivetrain.
Chassis Engineering and AMG Performance 4MATIC
Traction management is handled by standard AMG Performance 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, calibrated with a distinct 31:69 front-to-rear torque bias. This rear-biased configuration delivers agile turn-in response and high lateral acceleration limits while banishing unwanted understeer on corner exits. The single-stage transfer case is flange-mounted directly to the transmission, packaging neatly without infringing on cabin footwells or trunk luggage space.
Underpinning the chassis is the AMG RIDE CONTROL steel suspension with adaptive adjustable damping. Featuring a four-link front axle and independent multi-link rear setup, the architecture utilizes custom elastokinematics to withstand high cornering camber loads. Electronically controlled dampers automatically adjust compression and rebound at each wheel continuously, responding dynamically to road irregularities, steering inputs, and chassis velocity across Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ configurations.
Axial brake caliper mounting on the front axle delivers firm pedal feedback and rapid clamping force. Large internally ventilated and perforated steel brake discs—measuring 360 mm at the front with four-piston fixed calipers and 320 mm at the rear with single-piston floating calipers—resist brake fade during repetitive mountain descents or spirited track driving sessions.
Drivers can tailor dynamic traits across five distinct DYNAMIC SELECT drive modes: Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual, and the newly added Slippery program, tailored for snow or soaked road surfaces. Steering feedback is delivered through an electromechanical speed-sensitive variable ratio rack, weighting up progressively as lateral forces build in aggressive driving.
For circuit enthusiasts, the optional AMG TRACK PACE application functions as an onboard virtual race engineer integrated into COMAND Online. Recording over 80 vehicle data telemetry parameters ten times per second, the software measures sector deltas, lap times, and acceleration benchmarks (such as quarter-mile sprints and braking distance). Pre-loaded with iconic tracks like the Nürburgring Nordschleife, it allows drivers to refine track techniques and export driving telemetry directly to connected smartphones.
Furthermore, long-distance touring comfort can be elevated through optional ENERGIZING comfort control. By synchronizing climate settings, seat heating, ventilation, fragrance distribution, interior ambient lighting themes, and tailored audio playlists, the cabin transforms into a restorative environment after hours spent tackling fast cross-country routes.
Vehicle data
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Make | Mercedes-AMG |
| Model | C 43 4MATIC Coupé & Cabriolet |
| Generation / chassis code | C205 (Coupé) / A205 (Cabriolet) facelift |
| Model year(s) covered | 2019 |
| Body style | Two-door Coupé / Two-door Cabriolet |
| Powertrain / engine | 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 petrol |
| Power / torque | 390 hp (287 kW) @ 6,100 rpm / 520 Nm (383 lb-ft) @ 2,500–5,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 9-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G automatic |
| Drivetrain | AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive (31:69 rear-biased split) |
| Key performance figures | 0–100 km/h: 4.7 s (Coupé), 4.8 s (Cabriolet); Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph, electronically limited) |
| Price (as stated) | Not stated in sources |
| On-sale / announcement period | April 2018 announcement / 2018 market launch |
| Market | Global / Europe |