AMG's sporty mid-size coupe has been updated with meaner looks, power and noise – at a price level still unrivaled.
Cars with big hearts are expensive in Thailand due to a range of punitive taxes applied on them. However, some have managed to reach Thai showrooms with reasonably “affordable” prices thanks to some benefits offered in local taxation.
A couple of years ago, BMW managed to price its ActiveHybrid 3 within the four million baht price bracket and lure buyers with near-350hp semi-electric performance.However, it isn’t offered anymore as it has been superseded with the more economy-focused 330e plug-in hybrid.
What you can get at the moment is the Volvo S90 T8 sporting a 400hp-plus plug-in hybrid and prices in the three million baht range.
BMW and Volvo have used regional assembly to evade high import duty on completely built-up cars shipped from outside Asean. As well, both sought for low excise tax given out to hybrid-powered cars.
Then there’s the Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe coming with over 350hp of turbocharged performance and a 4.14 million baht price tag.
But the C43 Coupe is different from that Bimmer and Volvo in the sense that it has no electrified component to support such meaty punch, not to mention that the Merc is distinctive with its two-door body style.
For driving enthusiasts, that probably matters because the C43 Coupe has been honed with sportiness and grunt in mind, whereas the other two are merely swift saloons with more advanced drivetrains offering power and economy at the same time.
Glance around the class of luxury mid-sized coupes and there’s actually no rival for the C43 Coupe in Thailand.
The Audi A5 Coupe 45 TFSI, BMW 430i Coupe and Lexus RC200t cost basically the same (or more or less in some cases) as the C43 Coupe albeit circa-250hp of driving performance.
The simple reason why Mercedes has managed to price the C43 Coupe like that is due to local assembly. In fact, the luxury marque from Stuttgart is still the only maker to build a car in the country with genuine performance in mind.
Yes, the C43 Coupe is bang for the buck because the next model higher up in the C-Class model range comes with the C63 treatment, whose 500hp-plus oomph can’t feel as justified at a touch over 10 million baht. Good value, perhaps, is the C43 Coupe.
And the C43 Coupe is about to get even better when the Thai Mercedes office launches the facelifted model toward the end of this year. Apart from some mandatory changes on the exterior, there are alterations in the cabin and under the bonnet.
The most significant modification on the skin is the front grille aping that of the C63 Coupe, which has now been bestowed the Panamericana look from the GT sports car in facelifted form. It’s actually a nice way in differentiating the faces of AMG’s models with two levels of performance to choose from.
Another bit extended to the C43 Coupe is the meatier-looking rear apron housing four circular exhaust pipes.
It’s here that lies another improvement: the sound it produces is now more evocative when you press the “exhaust” button located on the centre console.
It doesn’t sound as intoxicating as in AMG’s V8-powered models but is adequately sporty aurally given the C43’s lower performance strata.
The next improvement adding up to the car’s emotional factor is the new digital instrument panel introduced into facelifted C-Class family.
Apart from offering some personalisation possibilities to the driver, the digital screen makes some glaring lights when the engine is revved to its limit and the nine-speed automatic readying the next gear.
Yeah, it’s a quite a naughty detail and helps on the increased emotion the C43 Coupe is trying to offer. Speaking of that, there are another two details worth mentioning in this updated C43 Coupe: the sporty bucket seats and that new suede-covered steering wheel that practically gives you the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of a C63 Coupe.
The 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 in the C43 Coupe is essentially the same in concept than ever but has been tweaked to produce more power, at 390hp. But whether you’re going to feel that extra 23hp at the instant is another thing.
Maybe, that’s because of those increased levels of visual and aural thrills that are overwhelming your initial impressions when taking the wheel of the C43 Coupe.
Mind, though, the C43 Coupe feels rapid anywhere on the derestricted bits of the German autobahn. Sure, you could crave for more power especially when there’s the C63 Coupe in existence, but the C43 nicely blends power, driving security, braking ability and ride comfort and for drivers who want to have more fun than in a regularly powered C-Class.
Apart from an all-wheel drive layout with 30:70 (31:69 to be precise) front-rear torque split helping on a more natural handling balance, there are driving modes to alter the engine and steering response, as well as the settings of the dampers. Simply put, the C43 Coupe is a quick car made easy to drive.
And given its unique position in the Thai luxury car market, the C43 Coupe remains a remarkable choice for those new to high-performance driving, just made better with this mid-life update.
