W206 Mercedes-AMG C43 previewed in Malaysia – 2.0L 4-cyl replaces V6; 408 PS, 4.6s; CKD RM460k est

There’s a surprise at the Mercedes-Benz ‘Luxury Like No Other’ event in Bangsar today – in addition to the official launches of the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 facelift, Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance, Mercedes-AMG GT 63S E Performance F1 Edition and Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 facelift; as well as previews of the new CLE Coupe and Mercedes-AMG A35 Sedan facelift, there’s this – the W206 Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic, which is not listed in the press release.

Like before, the C43 is the hot AMG version of the current W206 C-Class that sits between the highest non-AMG regular car and the top dog C63. The ‘C43’ name may have been carried over, but there’s a change under the hood, which now houses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The W205 C43 had a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6.

So, the new car one litre and two cylinders down, but the downsized unit has more power. The 2.0T puts out 408 PS and 500 Nm of torque, which is 41 PS more and 20 Nm less than the old V6’s output. The SL 43 also uses this high-power four-pot, but the tune in the roadster is for 381 PS/480 Nm.

Codenamed M139l (the ‘l’ in the name refers to the engine’s longitudinal placement), the engine is a variation of the M139 that we’re familiar with in the A45 hot hatch, and is said to be the world’s first series-production unit to feature an electric exhaust gas turbocharger, with technology derived directly from Formula 1.

Mercedes says that an electric motor that’s around 4cm thin is integrated directly on the turbocharger shaft between the turbine wheel on the exhaust side and the compressor wheel on the intake side. This acts to spin the shaft up at low revs until the exhaust gases take over, improving engine response from idle speed and across the entire engine speed range.

The ICE is paired to a 48-volt mild hybrid system with a belt-driven starter generator, which can provide an additional boost of 14 PS depending on the situation. It also facilitates smooth operation of the engine’s start-stop and gliding mode functions.

Here’s a bonus – this is a true AMG engine in the ‘one man, one engine’ sense and there’s an emblem on the engine to prove it. The W205 C43’s V6 was a tuned-up regular series engine. Wait, there’s another consolation if you need it – the C63 also uses the same M139l, with more power, so there’s no W206 with more than four cylinders.

Like the SL 43, the W206 C43 comes with an AMG Speedshift MCT 9G nine-speed automatic gearbox, but unlike the rear-wheel drive roadster, the sports sedan gets an AMG Performance 4Matic all-wheel drive system with rear-biased torque distribution (31% front, 69% rear).

All the above combine for a 0-100 km/h time of 4.6 seconds, which is a tenth faster than the W205 C43. Top speed is capped at 250 km/h, but it can be raised to 265 km/h with the AMG Driver’s Package. Another option is AMG Real Performance Sound, which picks up engine noise and feeds it into the cabin if the regular AMG exhaust system isn’t loud enough for you.

AMG Ride Control suspension is standard and it includes aluminium front and rear double wishbones, coil springs and adaptive dampers. Rear-axle steering with a maximum angle of 2.5 degrees is also present, along with an AMG sports braking system. The latter gives you 370 mm front brake discs with four-piston fixed calipers and 320 mm rear discs with single-piston floating calipers.

The AMG Dynamic Select system offers five drive modes (Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual), with AMG Dynamics also included with three modes (Basic, Advanced, Pro) for the ESP. Each vehicle system can also be individually configured based on the driver’s needs.

Finally, we can move on to aesthetics. As before, the C43 is quite ‘stealth’ in appearance and it doesn’t look very different from a regular W206 with the AMG Line package. AMG-specific cues to mark it out include the beefier brakes, the ‘Panamericana’ grille with vertical lines in chrome and quad tailpipes at the back. Also look out for the ‘Turbo Electrified’ badge on the front wings.

As for wheels, AMG 18-inch items are the model’s default, but the sexy multi-spoke rims you see here are 19s with Continental SportContact 7 UHP tyres. You’ll also find Digital Light headlamps and a panoramic glass roof.

Inside, buyers get AMG seats upholstered with Artico synthetic leather and Microcut microfibre (that’s the ‘Alcantara’ centre part) with red contrast stitching and seat belts. The sporty feel is emphasised with an AMG Performance steering wheel, carbon fibre dash trim, AMG sports pedals and AMG-branded floor mats and illuminated door sill trims.

In addition to the sporty bits above, we’re also getting a Burmester sound system, a head-up display and the Driver Assistance Package Plus ADAS suite. This isn’t an official launch of the W206 C43, so there’s no pricing, but the estimated price – according to dealers – could be around RM460k for the locally-assembled model. The previous-generation W205 C43 facelift debut in late-2018 with a RM421,888 CKD sticker price. By the way, with the W206 C43, Malaysia is the first and only country to CKD an AMG ‘one man, one engine’ car.

GALLERY: W206 Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic in Malaysia

GALLERY: W206 Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic official images

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