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New Mercedes-AMG C43 Wagon Is Way Better Than Audi S4 Avant

Hey kid, do you like fast wagons? Because while everybody looks to the VW Group for theirs, Mercedes-AMG quietly released a firecracker. No, it's not the E63 or even the C63. It's their little brother, the C43.
New Mercedes-AMG C43 Wagon Is Way Better Than Audi S4 Avant 1 photo
Photo: YouTube screenshot/AutoTopNL
This has a 3-liter twin-turbo which is a V6, not the newer inline-6 they put on the E53. However, it's way lighter than all the EQ Boost hybrids and sounds better as well. We even compared it to the AMG GT 53 4-door that costs twice the money.

The secret to this project is continued development. When the bi-turbo V6 came out, it only made 367 HP and didn't sound that good. But Mercedes-AMG took another look at it, fitted a better exhaust system and upped the output to 390 HP, which is more than the S4 and the upcoming M340i wagon.

And unlike the C63, which is RWD-only, this has 4Matic for an optimal distribution of power, so it gets from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds (tested) and will not stop until bumping into the limiter at 270 km/h.

The C43 also has a re-tuned 9G-Tronic gearbox for instant shifts and more response from the engine. We just wish it had a better grille design. But the interior is probably not as good as in the Audi. It looks interesting enough, but the build quality isn't on par with big Mercedes cars. Still, we'd probably buy this over the CLA 35 Shooting Brake. It starts from €64,000, which is only slightly more than an RS3.

"As the most successful model series for Mercedes-AMG, the C-Class family in all its facets has made a major contribution to our corporate success,” said Tobias Moers, Mercedes-AMG chairman. “The high demand and positive feedback have encouraged us to sharpen up not only the appearance of the facelift but also its performance, efficiency and dynamism in true AMG style."

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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