There's Bad News About The Mercedes-AMG C43

Withthe releaseof an all-newMercedes-Benz C-Classcomes the question of what Mercedes-AMG performance models will be like. With the 2021 model, you got the option ofthe bonkers C63or the tamerC43, but it now seems that the latter may be about to make way for something else, and judging by the name, that something else could close the gap between the former C43 and the C63. Enter the C45. If you were expecting to see the C53 designation, sorry. Mercedes doesn't seem to care that its E, CLS, and GLE models are available with the 53 nomenclature, and since the C-Class won't get six-cylinder engines, it makes sense.

But don't get too upset just yet - these are only rumors at this stage and Mercedes-AMG may yet follow its own convention and replace the C43 with the C53. Whatever it's called, it'll use a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot. If this mill is carried over unchanged from the AMG CLA45 (which should be the A53, in our opinion), you'll get up to 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. That's already a 31-hp gain over the V6 in the outgoing C43, although torque is down by 15 lb-ft. Fortunately, all new C-Class models are getting the mild-hybrid treatment, so that torque deficit will be accounted for and compensated for thanks to electricity.