Station wagons are to Europe as pickups are to North America. They are vehicles that each region builds because there is high demand for them there. You don’t see many personally-owned pickups in Europe, and unfortunately, you no longer see many station wagons in North America since the American and Asian manufacturers have largely stopped building them, thanks to the overwhelming popularity of SUVs.
But SUVs have not taken over the market in Europe, as people there still realize that a modern station wagon (or just plain wagon) offers nearly as much cargo capacity as an SUV, with better handling and efficiency.
Mercedes-Benz, along with all the other European manufacturers selling vehicles in North America, offers a wide range of SUVs while also continuing to sell wagons based on existing sedan architecture.
The C-Class is one of the volume lines for Mercedes, with sedan, coupe and convertible each in a few levels of performance, and in Canada but not the U.S., the wagon is offered in recognition of this country’s continuing interest in the anti-SUV.
There is the “regular” C 300 wagon, and then there is the performance version of it, the AMG C 43 that we evaluate here. The C 43 in all its versions is powered by a potent 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that has been massaged by AMG to pump out a very usable 385 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque. One can order the C 63 turbo V8 in all C’s but the wagon, and its 503 hp makes the C a supercar, but we are of the mind that this turbo V6 is the sweet spot in a performance engine, with enough power and torque to satisfy an enthusiast, while performing well as a family car. The run from zero-to-100 km/h takes but 4.8 seconds, while fuel consumption is in the 8.0L (of high-octane) per 100 km range on the highway, so you can have your cake and eat it too.
The AMG touch is found throughout the C 43, not just the engine. The AMG Speedshift TCT 9G nine-speed twin-clutch transmission is made for enthusiastic driving, with very quick and crisp shifting, up or down, either automatically or manually, using the steering wheel paddles. Puttering around town is perhaps not its preferred mode of operation, as light-throttle upshifts were occasionally a bit abrupt. Power is sent to all wheels with a 31/69 front-to-rear split, which ensures the more rear-biased handling that enthusiasts prefer.
The AMG Ride Control sport suspension is, likewise, made for sporting performance, as the C 43 wagon handles unlike anything your father’s wagon could ever do. Again, though, in Comfort mode around town, one might feel that the ride is a bit firm, which is probably as much a function of the fat low-profile tires as anything mechanical. Still, the C 43 is not a cushy ride, and it gets firmer from there in Sport and Sport+ modes.
Enthusiasts are now accustomed to being able to select from various drive modes that modify engine, transmission, suspension and steering, and the C 43 delivers here. One can choose between Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual (where the driver can make his own mode) and Slippery, for those winter days. Sport+ is rather snarly and direct, with “track race” and “drag race” settings available, so those who think of their luxury wagon as a track day car, too, will certainly not be disappointed. There is even the (optional) AMG Track Pace data logger system that measures all dynamic performance of the car including lap times, using GPS data along with various on-board measurements. We sure wish we had access to a track that week!
Inside, the look is one of luxury and high-tech, with leather, aluminum and (optional) carbon fibre throughout, punctuated by the incredibly supportive and comfortable sport seats and a nice, thick flat-bottom steering wheel. There is a wide range of colours and materials available for the interior, far too many to describe here, but suffice to say, once the combination has been chosen, the C 43 owner will enjoy a plethora of technology and convenience features, the extent of which will depend on the optional packages the car is equipped with.
There are several such packages available, and our tester had a few of them. As usual, to get the few items you must have, there are several others that you might not consider essential, but that’s the way it goes these days. Case in point, the $5,900 Premium Package. You could take or leave the garage door opener, foot-operated tailgate and rear sunshades, but would not want to be without the Burmester surround sound, SiriusXM radio, 10.25-in. Display, 360-degree camera, or navigation.
The Intelligent Drive Package for $2,700 has all the electronic and radar-based advanced active safety gear that a car like this has to have, while the $2,000 AMG Driver’s package has a nicer steering wheel, 19-inch wheels (versus the standard 18-inch ones), a performance exhaust system that sounds like straight pipes when opened up, and the aforementioned AMG Track Pace.
So, what starts out as a great value for a German performance car at $59,900, jumps up to an as-tested price of $76,380. These days, that is still good value for all the luxury, high-tech and performance gear the C 43 has. That the C 43 is a wagon, too, just ups the versatility factor accordingly.
Call the AMG C 43 Wagon the family hauler for the enthusiast who just can’t bear the thought of driving yet another SUV.
Specifications:
- Base MSRP: $59,900
- Price as tested: $76,380
- Type of vehicle: Front-engine, AWD 4-door wagon
- Engine: 3.0L DOHC Twin-Turbo V6
- Power: 385 hp @ 6,100 rpm
- Torque: 384 lb-ft @ 2,500-5,000 rpm
- Transmission: 9-speed twin-clutch manumatic
- Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS
- Curb weight: 1,760 kg
- Cargo Capacity; 460-1,480 L
- Acceleration, 0-100 km/h: 4.8 sec.
- Fuel Consumption (L/100 km) observed, combined: 10.0
