Published
on 28
Oct 2021
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All rights reserved.
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Born
in a transitional period and compromised with new technologies and
market challenges, it won’t be the most memorable C-class.
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I like the sequential
codenames Mercedes used for its cars. The first small Mercedes was the
W201 series (aka “190E”) launched in 1982. 5 generations and almost 40
years later, we arrive at W206 C-class. Over the years, the C-class has
gained a bit of size and weight, but its character and market
positioning remain unchanged. This is still a junior executive car with
emphasis on build quality and comfort, unlike its arch-rival BMW
3-Series which majors on performance and driving thrills. This strategy
works, as the C-class has always been the best seller of Mercedes.
The W206 arrives at a time when the automotive industry is facing the
biggest ever change. On the one hand, it needs to respond to the
request for electrification (either from legislation or customer
demands), on the other hand it needs to migrate to the digital world.
Unfortunately, both cost a lot to develop, so Mercedes has less budget
to spend on the rest of the car. This explains why the W206 has an
evolutionary chassis and range of powertrains. From mechanical point of
view, the W206 might be the least interesting C-class ever.
The exterior design is certainly evolutionary. It gets slightly sleeker
but its minimum Cd remains the same at 0.24. It adopts the inverted
front grille as found on other Mercedes, as well as double power budges
on the bonnet. Looking so much like the E-class and S-class, it
completes the Russian-doll trilogy.
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The
mechanical package is an evolution of the last W205 generation.
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Predictably, the car gets larger again, being 65mm longer, 10mm wider
and 25mm longer in wheelbase, although height is reduced by 5mm. This
distance itself further from the A-class sedan and should offer its
occupants a little bit more room.
It also retains the old car's suspension, which consists of 4-link up
front and multi-link at the rear. As before, you may opt for stiffer
and lower sport suspension setup or adaptive dampers, but air
suspension option has been ditched – it was never a popular choice
anyway. The only exception is PHEV model, which has air suspension
fitted standard to its rear axle in order to deal with the extra weight
of its boot-mounted battery. 4-wheel steering option is probably the
only new technology, but it is strange for this segment. Anyway, 4WS is
not exactly a new technology. We saw it in Nissan Skyline since 1985.
The engines are also mostly carried over, albeit with some minor
improvements. For the first time in its history, only 4-cylinder
engines are offered to the C-class, which is considered necessary to
cut emission. All engines are now fitted with EQ Boost mild hybrid
system, which uses a 48V integrated starter generator to provide an
additional 20hp during acceleration. Petrol engines include 1.5-liter
turbo with either
170hp (C180) or 204hp (C200) and 2-liter turbo with 258hp (C300).
Diesel engine is an updated 2.0-liter twin-turbo, now with 2700-bar
injection, both turbos converted to VTG and a slightly longer stroke to
lift its capacity to 1992 c.c. It produces either 163hp (C200d), 200hp
(C220d) or 265hp (C300d). The latter is good for 0-60 in 5.4 seconds,
quicker than even the petrol C300. That said, without a 6-cylinder
motor, the new C-class has nothing to fight against BMW M340i.
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Without
a 6-cylinder motor, it has nothing to fight against BMW M340i.
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Most resources have been directed to the C300e plug-in hybrid, which
gains a stronger permanently excited synchronous motor with 129 hp to
mate with the 2-liter turbo engine for a combined output of 313 hp. Its
battery capacity is nearly doubled to 25.4kWh, enabling an electric
range of 100km and for speeds up to 87mph. Unfortunately, the PHEV is
an astonishing
400kg heavier than its petrol sister, compromising performance and
handling. PHEV has always been seen as an interim
solution to satisfy policy makers, so don't expect it to be the real
deal.
On the road, the W206 brings no surprises in driving dynamics. Among
all powertrains, the C300d diesel is most impressive, delivering a
relaxing manner with its smooth power delivery, remarkable refinement
and strong mid-range. The 9G-tronic gearbox shifts crisply and
smoothly when paired with this engine. C300 petrol lacks the diesel’s
mid-range shove, so it needs to work a bit harder. The smaller engine
of C200 is weaker again thus it feels a bit strained when revved.
Handicapped by a 2000kg kerbweight, the C300e never feels as quick as
its 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds suggested. When run in battery power
alone, it delivers the typical refinement of EVs. Push harder, the
engine takes a moment to wake up, and when does so, the engine sounds
boomy. Brake feel is far from satisfactory, too, with a soft initial
response and abrupt pick-up when mechanical brakes engage. The
soft-setting air suspension returns a smooth ride, but fails to contain
body roll and understeer in fast corner.
The lighter petrol and diesel models are better. While they are no
3-Series in handling precision and Alfa Giulia in agility, they display
decent body
control and excellent grip. The steering is well-weighted but feels
numb. The brake pedal feels mushy. However, they do ride smoother and
calmer than the BMW, worthing the Mercedes badge. What they don’t is
setting any new standards, because the chassis is evolutionary.
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Open
the doors, you will realize where most money is spent.
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Open the doors, you will realize where most money is spent. The C-class
has the most desirable interior of the segment, something you might
call a “mini S-class”. The design is sleek, the material quality high,
the textures and decorations are nicely executed. Technology is
superbly integrated. You get a 12.3-inch cowl-less TFT instrument whose
interface is configurable and changes according to driving modes. You
get an S-class-style 11.9-inch portrait floating touchscreen. The
graphics looks crisped and responds quickly to input. By tilting and
orienting
the touchscreen slightly towards the driver, access is made easier. The
“Hey Mercedes” voice control gets smarter and more matured. Augmented
reality head-up display projects virtual image to the windscreen. The
C-class looks almost as high-tech from the cabin as the S-class
flagship.
Cabin space is more limited, of course. Although Mercedes claims the
extra size gives 21mm more legroom and 13mm more shoulder room to the
rear passengers, it still feels smaller than the rear space of
3-Series. Those taller than 6-feet will find headroom at a premium,
while the wide transmission tunnel limits the middle rear seat to short
trips. Luggage space is also a bit smaller at 455 liters. In case of
plug-in hybrid, it reduces further to 315 liters.
As Mercedes promised to go all-electric from 2030 and launch only
electric platforms from 2025, it is safe to say the next generation
C-class will be shifted to a full-electric platform. Whether it will be
still called “C-class” or EQC is uncertain, but W206 is certain to be
the last combustion C-class. Born in a transitional period and
compromised with new technologies and market challenges, it won’t be
the most memorable C-class.
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Verdict:  |
Published on 18
Oct 2022
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All rights reserved.
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AMG C43
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Switching
from 6 to 4-cylinder is a poorest decision we have ever seen from AMG...
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The big news of the new
generation C43 is the switch to 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the
last 3.0-liter V6,
so you must be thinking the return of 190E 2.5-16? Sorry, as we shall
see, it is neither a road-going race engine nor a green power as AMG
wants you to believe. It’s a failed experiment that AMG will regret for
many years to come.
The concept of downsizing is interesting these days. On the one hand,
AMG’s engineers said it is the only way to go under tightening
legislation. On the other hand, it emphasizes that the new M139L motor
is not only the longitudinal version of the one employed by A45,
but it employs the world’s first production electric turbocharger, a
technology developed from Mercedes’ F1 engines. Formula One tech! So
downsizing is not all that bad, isn’t it?
Like Formula One’s MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit - Heat), the
Garrett-built turbo is an exhaust gas turbocharger added with a thin
electric motor between the compressor wheel and exhaust turbine. At
lower revs when the exhaust gas is not sufficient to drive the turbine,
the electric motor takes the responsibility to spool up the turbine and
produce boost. When the engine revs up and produces more exhaust gas
than the turbocharger needs, MGU-H acts as a generator, recapturing the
heat energy from exhaust stream that would be otherwise released from
the wastegate. It sounds easy, but the most difficult is to minimize
the size of this electric motor to fit into the limited space of
turbocharger while is also heat-resisting enough to sustain the high
temperatures found in a turbocharger. On the M139L, the electric turbo
is driven by the 48V battery system which supplies also the belt-driven
starter generator of mild-hybrid system.
High-tech it sounds, but how effective is it? Output is 408 horsepower,
not quite as high as the A45 S unit with conventional turbo, but that
is due to the use of a smaller turbo for better drivability. At least
it is 18 hp higher than the old car’s twin-turbo V6. Max torque is 369
pound-foot, the same as the A45 S engine, but it still arrives at a
rather high 5000 rpm, so from figures alone we cannot see its advantage
over conventional turbos. More troubling is, the old V6 produced 383
lbft at merely 2500 rpm. AMG claims the new car does 0-60 mph in 4.4
seconds, merely an improvement of a tenth. And that improvement is
probably down to the 9-speed MCT
transmission, whose multi-plate clutch is supposed to deliver quicker
shifts than the torque converter of old car.
On the road, the 2.0-liter motor does deliver a virtually lag-free
response at lower revs, but just as its torque figures suggested, it
builds up power linearly rather than explosively, lacking the mid-range
punch of the old V6. Still a pretty quick car, but not as quick as a
400-horsepower car should feel. Moreover, by downgrading from six to
four cylinders, it loses a big chunk of aural character. There is still
some exhaust pops and crackles on overrun, but some of them are
obviously digitally enhanced through audio speakers. When the car
cruises quietly on highway, you will see the true manner of its motor.
What made us doubt AMG’s decision to switch to 4-cylinder is, it is not
especially green either. The last generation C43 had CO2
emission rated
at 208 grams each kilometer. The new car is just marginally better at
206 grams. What the hell AMG did? Most ridiculous, the current E53, a
much larger and heavier car itself, manages 207 grams of emission with
its 3-liter turbo and electric-supercharged straight-six ! And it goes
without saying that a straight-six must sound much better than a
four-pot ! Not to mention extra smoothness and enthusiasm for rev. If I
were
AMG boss, the new C43 would have been powered by the straight-six,
whose 435 hp and 383 lbft output would improve performance, too.
So why didn’t AMG think of that? They were not fools, of course. The
answer is they had already decided to turn the range-topping C63 into a
plug-in hybrid. With a powerful and heavy electric rear axle, using a
downsized engine becomes more logical. Unfortunately, when C63 is
turning to 4-cylinder, you cannot make the C43 6-cylinder, can you? If
buyers found the smaller car rev smoother and sing better, that will be
a nightmare to the range-topper. That’s why the C43 has to sacrifice.
But the problem of the new car is not limited to engine. Its 9G MCT
gearbox is also flawed, delivering curiously slow downshift in manual
mode. AMG put that to preproduction car glitches and promise the tuning
will be improved. However, such an obvious problem should not have
happened in a world debut test drive event, especially considering the
superb track
records of Mercedes-Benz. I believe, if Tobias Moers was still at the
helm of AMG, he would not have signed off something like this.
As for other aspects of its dynamic quality, the new C43 is reasonably
good without scoring distinction. Like last generation, it employs
4matic as standard, which uses a planetary differential to send 31
percent torque to the front, 69 percent to the rear, accompanied with a
multiplate clutch locking device. Combined with newly added active
rear-wheel steering, the handling feels neutral enough. The Michelin PS
4S tires offer bags of grip, so much that it is hard to break loose the
tail. At the limit it runs into mild understeer, no matter how hard you
try
to unsettle its back axle. Power slide is just not an option in its
DNA.
The combination of steel suspension springs, standard adaptive dampers,
some bespoke suspension components and chassis-reinforcing braces
results in good body control, but the downside is a ride best to be
described as firm, even at Comfort mode. Steering is direct and
accurate, but feels springy and artificial. Overall, the car is a
competent mid-range performance car but lacks any qualities to thrill
its driver.
Problem is, AMG is overoptimistic about its attractiveness. The new C43
is priced from £64,000, a full £10,000 higher than BMW
M340i xDrive which is quicker, steers sweeter, rides better and comes
with one of the best 6-cylinder motors in the world. Zero difficulty to
choose between the two German rivals this time.
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Published on 12
Jun 2023
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All rights reserved.
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AMG C63 S E-Performance
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New
C63 falls victims to the trend of electrification.
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Weighing over 2 tons
without occupants, the new C63 S E Performance is by far the heaviest
C-class ever built. Ridiculously, it has the fewest cylinder count,
too. While its ancestor 190E was fitted with some hot 4-cylinder
engines, since the line got the C-class name in the early 1990s, its
AMG models sought power from either straight-six, V6 or V8, and most
often the latter. However, in the view of tightening emission limits
and the migration to full electric power, AMG has taken a bold change,
hence the first AMG C63 powered by a 4-pot engine and plug-in hybrid
power.
Undoubtedly, losing a mighty V8 and its sonorous induction and exhaust
note will raise many eyebrows. To compensate, AMG has no choice but to
increase power and performance way beyond its predecessor. Here comes
the eye-popping figures: 680 horsepower in total and 752 lbft of
torque. That's 170 hp and 236 lbft more than the outgoing V8 model!
Translate to speed, it means 0-60 mph cut by 0.6s to merely 3.3 ticks,
beating the new BMW M3 Competition xDrive by a tenth. On the downside,
top speed slides from 180 to 174 mph if you opt for AMG driver package.
Otherwise, it is still capped at 155 mph.
Codenamed M139L, the 2.0-liter turbo engine is not just the
longitudinal version of the M139 unit that powers A45 but is also
benefited from new development, most notably an electrically assisted
turbo that is both larger, hence boosting pressure up to 1.6 bar, and
far more responsive at lower revs. In fact, the same arrangement has
been using on SL43 as well as the lesser C43, but while those versions
rely on 48V electrical system to power the electric turbocharger, the
C63 makes use of its 400V battery system. No wonder it is easily the
most powerful production 4-cylinder ever built, with maximum output
rated at 476 hp at 6750 rpm, while max. torque reaches a new height of
402 lbft at 5250-5500 rpm. That's 55 hp and 33 lbft stronger than its
A45 S sibling.
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680
hp sounds spectacular, but it doesn't feel as much in the real world
due to various factors.
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The electric part of the hybrid equation is plug-and-play, taking
straight from the recent GT63 S E Performance. It combines a 204 hp /
236 lbft electric motor, a 2-speed gearbox (which switches to the
higher gear from 87 mph) and an electronic-controlled LSD in a single
package called Electric Drive Unit (EDU), mounted at the rear axle.
Right above the EDU is a 6.1 kWh lithium battery pack, which gives a
dismal zero-emission range of 8 miles but can supply 95 horsepower
continuously or 204 hp for up to 10 seconds. This means, the C63 S
E-Performance is capable to deliver its maximum 680 horsepower for 10
seconds, or 571 horsepower until the battery dries up, and thereafter
only 476 hp. No wonder its top speed is actually down from the old car.
Up until now, all C63 models have been rear-wheel drive only. With a
lot more power to handle now, AMG decided to install its 4matic+ system
as standard on the new car. As in the case of GT63 S E Performance,
engine power goes through the 9-speed MCT transmission to a multi-plate
clutch, which can vary torque split between front and rear depending on
conditions and drive modes, but normally rear-biased. The EDU's power
can also flow to the front axle through the mechanical linkage,
although that case will be seldom.
With more power and weight to tame, requirement for the chassis is also
lifted. Therefore, it comes standard with active rear-wheel steering,
which turns to opposite direction below 62 mph to reduce turning
circle, or in the same direction above that speed to enhance stability.
The suspension keeps steel springs but gets adaptive dampers with
separate reservoirs. Needless to say, tracks have been widened and ride
height is lowered compared with the regular C-class models, while
steering knuckles are new.
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You
feel every bit of its mass under braking, over bumps or pushing to the
limit.
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All these enhancement and complexity add weight. The EDU and battery
combined to add about 250 kg, and the whole car now tips the DIN scale
at 2036 kg, or 380 kg more than its V8-powered predecessor. A BMW M3
Competition xDrive, itself no lightweight as well, is 256 kilograms
lighter. Rear-drive M3 Competition is over 300 kg lighter.
Apart from more weight and power, the more complex C63 also gains cost.
Now it starts from around £90,000, and with a few options ticked
it could easily surpass £100K, crazy. On the plus side, the
official CO2 emission rating drops from 244 to 156 grams per km, may
save you some money in taxes or fuel bills, but in reality it is no
more frugal than its predecessor.
On the Road
Expectation for a 6-figures price car is inevitably higher. The same
goes for something claimed to offer close to 700 horsepower and
accelerate from 0-60 mph in just over 3 seconds. The question is, can
AMG’s engineers do wonder to mask the negative effect of extra weight
and the loss of V8 thunder? Unfortunately, the answer is negative.
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If
it were Porsche, I suppose they would not have rolled out such an
underachieved product to the market.
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Until now, a big part of AMG experience has been the tremendous power
and sound of its big V8s. The M139L lacks both. On paper, its output
sounds superior to even the outgoing twin-turbo V8, but that 680 hp of
full thrust is available only in Race mode and for merely 10 seconds.
Keep pushing, especially when driving on a track, the output drops back
and, coupling to the extra weight, the C63 doesn’t feel as quick as the
old car actually. The power delivery is also to blame. Despite an
electric turbo, peak torque of the four-cylinder engine does not arrive
until 5250 rpm. It takes a moment to pick up and more revs to pile up
the power, lacking the low-rev grunt and the explosive manner of the
old V8. Meanwhile, it lacks also the high-rev enthusiasm of the V8,
touching the rev limiter all too easily. And the sound? Night and day
difference. It sounds plain at lower revs, getting sportier at the
upper end, yet no more special than a hot hatch motor. In contrast, the
old V8 thrills at whatever rev you give it.
In normal driving, the C63 hides its bulk pretty well. The ride is
quite comfortable in Comfort mode. The
rear-wheel steering helps you to forget its weight in tighter corners.
The body control and traction are also good in everyday driving.
However, push it harder, its handling starts getting out of shape. You
feel its mass under heavy braking, which is more reluctant to shed
speed. The brake pedal feels mushy, the steering is lifeless. Body
control is easier to be unsettled by surface changes and
mid-corner bumps as if the suspension fails to contain its tremendous
weight. Pushing on a track, the extra mass also leads to persistent
understeer in fast corners. It never gets out of your mind. In the end,
you adapt to its limitation, start driving in a measured way, managing
the front end and feeding the brake earlier. You learn not to abuse it,
which is a shame. Even in Drift mode, the new car doesn’t play
powerslide as intuitively as in the old car. The brawny C63 is dead.
If the C63 S E Performance previews the electric future of AMG, then
its future will be really worrying, because a full-electric C63 could
be heavier and quieter still. More worrying is the way AMG engineers
developed it and how its management accepted the outcome. If it were
Porsche, I suppose they would not have rolled out such an underachieved
product to the market.
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