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2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 coupe unveiled, Australian launch confirmed

Mercedes-AMG Australia fans who are looking for a performance coupe but can’t quite stretch to the soon-to-be-launched flagship C63 AMG two-door received some welcome news this morning.


Mercedes-Benz revealed full specifications of the new 2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic coupe, a brand-spanking-new entrant in its soon to be launched two-door C-Class family.

Naturally, given Mercedes-Benz Australia’s lofty position as one of AMG’s biggest global performers, this new sports coupe is confirmed for a local launch, with dealers to take deliveries near the end of 2016.

This two-door Mercedes-AMG C43 coupe should arrive locally around the same time as the renamed C43 sedan version, which until recently had been called the C450 AMG Sport.

The Mercedes-AMG C43 packs a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine punching out a respectable 270kW of power (from 5500rpm) and 520Nm of torque (from 2000rpm) available at both axles, with a rear bias of 69 per cent, via the company’s 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

Here’s some trivia: the trademarked Nanoslide coating in the cylinder lines comes from the Mercedes-AMG Formula One car.

This is channelled via a 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox with a double-declutching function on downshifts and a near-race-ready Sports Plus mode.

This compares to the full-fat Mercedes-AMG C63 S due to go on sale in Australia imminently, powered by a 4.0-litre biturbo V8 with 375kW and 700Nm tune.

Mercedes-AMG is claiming a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.7 seconds for the C43 — only three-tenths slower than the previous generation of the full-on C63 AMG coupe.

Over more humble versions of the new C-Class coupe, the C43 gets a newly-developed front axle with different steering knuckles and load-bearing joints, and a faster steering ratio with speed-sensitivity.

Other features include sports suspension with three-stage variable damping, lifted from the C63; five drivetrain modes; three-stage stability control (meaning one that’s loose enough for some tail-sliding where appropriate); and bigger 360mm front/320mm rear brakes.

Design changes include the AMG front and rear aprons; diamond radiator grille in black; 18-inch AMG wheels, AMG instrument cluster with chequered flag design; flat-bottom steering wheel and man-made leather/microfibre seats.

"The extension of the C-Class family to include the new C 43 4Matic coupé is another component in our growth strategy,” said Mercedes-AMG GmbH chairman Tobias Moers.

“It not only enriches the wide line-up of the C-Class family, but also starts the introduction of a whole series of new ‘43’ models this year.

"The ‘43’ models boast the characteristic AMG genes, which are also included in our GT and ‘63’ vehicles, and thus consistently interpret our brand essence of 'Driving Performance' in their segment."

Australia

The Mercedes-AMG C43 coupe and the sedan version will be in Australia before year’s end. We expect a starting price of around $110,000 plus on-road costs.

As we know, Mercedes-Benz will reveal its brand new C-Class convertible at the Geneva motor show next week. It’s a solid bet that there will be a C43 version of that car as well.

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