Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe bows in ahead of Geneva Show debut

Mercedes-AMG has taken the wraps of its C43 Coupe ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The C43 Coupe is the first model to sport Mercedes-AMG’s new nomenclature after the AMG Sport badge was dropped shortly after its introduction last year.

Created to rival the BMW M Performance and Audi S line, the new range will fill the gap between the regular Benz range and AMG’s balls-busting high-performance variants.

The C43 Coupe gets a sporty front fascia with a diamond radiator grille and large air intakes. There’s also black mirror caps, matte iridium silver accents and a sports exhaust system, while a boot lid spoiler, rear diffuser and 18-inch lightweight alloy wheels round out the aesthetic front.

Inside, the interior remains largely unchanged, except for a flat-bottom steering wheel and microfiber upholstered sports seats with red contrast stitching. The sporty highlights continue with red seat belts, a revised instrument cluster with checkered flag motif and lashings of aluminium trim.

Underneath the C43 Coupe’s bonnet is a biturbo 3.0-litre V6 engine that generates 266kW of power and 521Nm of torque. Power is sent to the road via a nine-speed automatic transmission and a rear-biased all-wheel drive system. The setup is claimed to enable the car to blast from 0-60 miles (0-97km/h) in 4.6 seconds, en route to a limited top end of 250km/h.

To rein in the power, the C43 Coupe is equipped with a high-performance brake sstem with internally ventilated compound discs measuring 360mm up front and 320mm at the back. The car also features AMG Ride Control sport suspension and an AMG Dynamic Select system with Comfort, ECO, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual settings.

The Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe is expected to hit showrooms around the globe starting late this year.