Rejoice! Locally Assembled Mercedes-AMG C43 Sedan and GLC 43 For Malaysia

The Mercedes-AMG’s range of 43 series cars are 3.0-litre twin turbo six-cylinder (V6) cars aimed at BMW’s 3.0-litre single twin scroll turbo inline six-cylinder 40i engine models. In Malaysia, 40i engine BMW models are limited only to the 640i Gran Coupe but Mercedes-Benz Malaysia offers six-cylinder engines on the C-Class, GLC-Class and SLC-Class range.

Prior to this, the all-wheel drive fully-imported C43 Sedan 4Matic (East London, South Africa) and GLC 43 4Matic (Bremen, Germany) were sold at RM 499,888 and RM 538,888 respectively, sans insurance.

Now, these two models are put together at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s (MBM) vehicle assembly facility in Pekan, Pahang, thus contributing to huge savings in import duties. Both models are assembled alongside four-cylinder C-Class and GLC-Class as well the plug-in hybrid C350e.

The C43 Sedan 4Matic now sells for RM 408,888 (reduction of RM 91,000) while the GLC 43 4Matic sells for RM 468,888 (reduction of RM70,000). That’s a lot of savings.

There is however, a small downside to this, as this C43 Sedan is not the facelift model that’s already on sale in Europe. As this is a locally-assembled model, the C43 Sedan will follow the same model lifecycle as regular C-Class sedans in Malaysia.

Unlike the four-cylinder 45 series and V8 63 and 65 series AMG cars, 43 series V6 engines are not hand-assembled. Instead, the 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 comes off a regular production line, just like any other engine made by Daimler. 

The engine, identified by its signature red ‘vee’ aluminum insert on the engine cover, minus AMG’s signature name plaque of the engine builder (for reasons explained above). In the C43 and GLC 43, it makes 367 hp between 5,500 – 6,000 rpm and 520 Nm between 2,500 – 5,000 rpm.

Drive is transferred to all four wheels via a 9-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. The 4Matic system’s default torque split is biased to the rear axle.

Sprint from 0-100 km/h is 4.7 seconds for the C43 and 4.9 seconds for the GLC 43.

Both the C43 and GLC 43 are equipped with adaptive suspension, but the one in the C43 (AMG Ride Control) uses steel springs while the GLC 43 (Air Body Control) uses air suspension, which explains its significantly higher price tag.

Standard equipment on both the C43 4Matic Sedan and GLC 43 include:

• AMG line exterior and interior
• Night package
• Red 'designo' seat belts
• LED Intelligent Light system
• Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
• Burmester surround sound system
• Half leather seats - Artico synthetic leather with Dinamica microfibre
• Panoramic sliding sunroof
• 360 degree camera
• Power adjustable front seats with memory
• Park pilot
• Cruise control
• Power-operated tailgate/boot

Between the two models, the major differences are:

• AMG Ride Control Sports suspension for C43 and Air Body Control for GLC 43
• 19-inch wheels for C43 Sedan, 21-inch for GLC 43 – both AMG 5-twin-spoke design  

The biggest benefit of buying a Mercedes-Benz from an authorized dealer is the financing options. With Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia’s Performance Agility Care package, the C43 can be had with a monthly installment of RM4,088 for three years, and the package covers all scheduled servicing and maintenance.

The other 43 series AMG models (all fully-imported) available from MBM are:  

• C43 4Matic Coupe: RM548,888
• 4Matic Sedan: RM658,888
• GLC 43 4Matic Coupe: RM580,888
• SLC 43: RM570,888

Note that these are the prices that were announced at the 43 series’ launch last year, and as these cars are only ordered upon request, prices will change from time to time.

Learn more of the Mercedes-AMG history and background: 

• Mercedes-AMG 43,45,63,65 - What do the badges mean?
• A look into the famed 'one man, one engine' factory of Mercedes-AMG
• 50 years of Mercedes-AMG : From barn to podium
• 10 coolest cars in AMG history