Half Full

- Rishaad Mody

This car used to be called the C450 AMG, but a recent rebranding exercise at Mercedes-Benz has brought it under the proper AMG banner. The point is to open up the hardcore AMG brand to cars that aren’t just simply more affordable but also friendlier to drive. So what do you get for nearly half the price of a full-bore C 63 S AMG and more importantly, does this package make more sense in the Indian environment? That’s what we’re looking to find out.

DESIGN AND STYLE

This is most certainly not a car to buy if you’re interested in being seen. We’ve called the C 63 design subtle and the C 43 is even more so. The face is straight off the standard C-Class, and only the real enthusiasts amongst you will notice that the air dams in the bumper are more flared - not as much as the 63, but more so than the standard car. The bigger giveaway is the small AMG badge nestling in the diamond-style grille that’s also on the CLA but different from the twin-slat design on the C 63 S. What you won’t see upfront are the trademark flared fenders or AMG-style gills. At the side, you’ll notice the sporty 18inch wheels embracing big and purposeful brakes, but the eye also catches the small ‘biturbo’ badging on the fender, hinting at the firepower under the hood. The rear is finished with small boot-lip spoiler and the signature AMG quad muffler tips. And of course, there’s the AMG badge on the bootlid.

It’s a similar story on the inside - the lovey C-Class cabin gets a few details like subtle red stitching on the black upholstery, attention-grabbing red seat belts, aluminium inserts and racy pedals - all adding a dash of sportiness to the design. The racy seats in the C 63 are replaced with more comfy and accommodating seats, again more supportive than the standard car but not quite as aggressive as the full AMG. Notice the pattern appearing?