Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC Range First Drive Review

Take: Two, Doors: Two

Two doors, a sloping roof, and a sporty yet mildly aggressive demeanour make it instantly recognizable — to the audience at large, anyway — as a sports car. The C-Class Coupé was never sold in India and that makes this quite an exciting prospect. The two-door models, coupé and convertible, get 15-mm lower suspension, all-LED rear lamps, and, as with the cars we drove, an exclusive Graphite Grey paint finish.

The Cabriolet looks stunning as well, thoroughly modern in its lines and as evocative as ever. The fabric roof is available in a selection of colours and drops in less than 20 seconds.

Wasting no time given the opportunity to sample the two-doors in wine country, I set off blanketed in sunshine. The winding roads had grape vineyards on one side and a picturesque panorama on the other. The wheelbase is the same on all models and, with standard 4MATIC, the Coupé feels lithe and agile, eager to dart ahead and eliminate the straights. It feels just as well-put-together as the Saloon and shares equipment level. However, the rear head-room means the back seats are best for the kids.

The Cabriolet has no such head-room limitations; however, having someone slender and tall would ruin the drag coefficient. Having said that, the C-Class Cabriolet does boast of a 0.29 Cd with the roof in place, but that’s not why you would buy a convertible sports car, is it? Furthermore, that BiTurbo V6 in Sport+ sounds all the more engaging with the top neatly folded away.

The C-Class Cabriolet also offers a sizeable boot of 360 litres with the roof up and 285 litres with it stowed away. The Coupé, on the other hand, has a full 400 litres. Just goes to show that the two-doors don’t have to be infamously impractical. They can be good even as everyday cars. They make a strong point for themselves in this regard, not to mention a major style statement as well.

Mercedes-Benz India will bring in the C-Class Coupé, but haven’t said which engine yet. The Cabriolet is widely expected to be the C 300, albeit with a slightly more powerful 258-PS version of the turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine in the present car.

Need to Know – Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC Coupé/Cabriolet

Price: Rs 85 lakh/Rs 95 lakh (estimated)
Engine: 2,996 cc, V6, turbo-petrol
Max Power: 390 PS @ 6,100 rpm
Max Torque: 520 Nm @ 2,500-5,000 rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed, automatic, all-wheel drive
Weight: 1,675 kg/1,810 kg

Need to Know – Mercedes-Benz C 300 Coupé/Cabriolet

Price: Rs 55 lakh/Rs 65 lakh (estimated)
Engine: 1,991 cc, in-line four, turbo-petrol
Max Power: 258 PS @ 5,800-6,100 rpm
Max Torque: 370 Nm @ 1,800-4,000 rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed, automatic, all-wheel drive
Weight: 1,600 kg/1,735 kg

Click here for the full list of new technology onboard the new Mercedes C-Class.

Tags: 4matic, amg, C 43, cabriolet, convertible, coupe, german, luxury, mercedes, New C-Class, saloon, sedan, sportscar