The C 43 should have been a viable alternative to the M340i and S5, but alas, the AMG-ified sedan is best described as polarizing. On the one hand, you get a hand-assembled engine with a Formula 1-derived electric turbocharger. On the other, are you willing to pay more for a four-cylinder Mercedes than for the six-cylinder Bimmer and Audi?
The number of cylinders and starting price aren't the only problems of the C 43, though. Race it against the M340i, and the Merc simply cannot keep up with the internal combustion-only BMW in the quarter mile. What's even more damning is that Audi's unelectrified S5 is almost as fast as the C 43 from a dig and from a rolling start, despite being the oldest design of the three compact executive sedans.
As a brief refresher, the second-generation A5 rolled out in 2016 for the 2017 model year with underpinnings from the B9 fifth-gen A4 of 2015 for MY16. The G20 seventh-generation 3 Series launched in 2018 for MY19, whereas the W206 was revealed with much pomp in 2021 for MY22.
Priced at $59,900 in the United States of America, the C 43 packs 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm). The peak torque is a perfect match for the Volkswagen Group's force-fed V6 and BMW's force-fed I6, and 402 is more than 349 and 382.
There is, however, a catch. Codenamed B58, the six-cylinder lump in the M340i is known to be hideously underrated on purpose. BMW says it makes 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet, although we all know from dyno tests of B58-engined vehicles that every single B58 version is punchier still.
This further applies to the M-specific S58 engine, which can be found in the M2, M3, M4, X3 M, and – of course – X4 M. Tipping the scales at 4,092 pounds (1,856 kilograms), the C 43 is porkier than its direct rivals. By comparison, the M340i weighs 3,951 pounds (1,792 kilograms) with xDrive, whereas the quattro-equipped S5 Sportback is estimated at 3,924 pounds (1,780 kilograms).
Why, in the name of all things holy, did Mercedes even bother with a four-cylinder engine if the C 43 is heavier than both six-cylinder competitors? The answer to that may be regulations. Complying with Euro 6 is already difficult, but once Euro 7 goes live in 2025, every automaker in the European Union will embrace hybrid assistance and downsized engines to please the European Commission.
Speaking of which, a rumor made the news recently, a rumor according to which the Mercedes-AMG C 63 will get a V8 by 2026 due to extremely poor sales of the W206. The big kahuna at Mercedes-AMG, namely Michael Schiebe, claimed that's wishful thinking. As a result, it's easy to imagine the four-cylinder C 63 continuing to sell poorly while its direct competitors soldier on with six cylinders.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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