Mercedes-Benz AMG C43 Estate 2016 car review

It’s the AMG we love

Look, it’s not necessarily surprising to find this attention to detail in the AMG, but the Estate oozes sports luxury! I really liked the body colour match of white and black throughout the mirrors, panoramic roof, trims and magnesium wheel inserts. The C43 has an intelligent LED light system which includes adaptive high-beam assist plus, active light function, motorway mode, cornering light and enhanced fog light functions. The interior Black Ash Open-Pore Wood trim enhanced the sophisticated dashboard and door panel features.  

If you want to hear the V6 engine growl, just select sport mode or push the ‘exhaust loud’ button situated in the centre console. The engine note didn’t quite hit the spot like the C63 V8, but I always enjoy driving anything that’s loud.

Quite a firm ride 

The handling of the C43 was exceptional, however it did feel a bit harsh at times over bumps, possibly due to the sport seats and wheel combination, and selecting different settings didn’t seem to help.  The vehicle we tested was fitted with 19-inch AMG 14 spoke wheels and low profile tyres. It also had the optional Performance Ergonomic Package which included very thin AMG performance front seats, AMG performance exhaust, and AMG steering wheel, for an extra $4,990.

Our test car had a Diamond White Bright Metallic paint job – an optional upgrade which costs $1,990. It also featured the seat comfort package, which added heated seats with memory function.

Even the standard C-class model has an outstanding safety package. The C43 adds a 360 degree camera, anti-theft alarm, sports braking system with larger brake discs and Mercedes-Benz lettering on the front brake callipers. It’s also equipped with a tyre sealer and electric pump instead of run-flat tyres, and it incorporates a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The C43 is yet to receive an ANCAP safety score, however others in the C-Class range, such as the C200 and C250 have received 5 star ratings.