Engineers from Mercedes-AMG have been spotted testing a
prototype for an updated version of the C43 sport sedan.
The C43 replaced the C450 for
the 2017 model year and is priced from just over $50k. It’s one of the tamer
"AMG Sport" models offered by the Affalterbach tuner and like others
in the “43” series, it comes with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 spitting
out 362 horsepower.
For the updated model, likely due in 2018, as a 2019 model,
the spy shots suggest tweaks to lights and bumpers at both ends and a
completely new grille with a twin-blade design. There may also be new designs
for the wheels and exhaust tips.
We can’t see into the cabin but expect a few tweaks here as
well. One possibility is that the car will adopt a digital instrument cluster
like in the E-Class and above, as well as the soon-to-be-released next-generation
compact range.
What also isn’t clear is whether there will be any
significant change in the powertrain department. Mercedes has started replacing
its current V-6 engines with a new inline-6
design complete with electric compressors, though the new engine may
not make it into the C43 until the next-generation model. The first model to
receive the new engine is the recently revealed 2019 CLS. We should know more closer
to the car’s reveal in 2018.
This update is to freshen things as the current-generation
C-Class reaches the midway point in its life cycle. The car was introduced for the 2015
model year, so in Mercedes tradition we should see the updated one
introduced for 2019. Prototypes for the updated version of the standard
C-Class have also been spotted.
