Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG competition check

Mercedes has fired its final salvo for 2016 and has decided to end the year with a bang. We welcome the Mercedes C43 AMG – the C-Class which underwent a crash-course at Affalterbach. At Rs 74.3 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, The C43 offers dollops of power along with luxury of a premium sedan. So does the Audi S5 in a similar sinister German demeanour and for Rs 66.2 lakh. For similar kind of money, you also have the brawny Ford Mustang (Rs 65 lakh). So here is how the Mercedes C43 AMG fares against its competition.

Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang is classic American muscle pitched against the clinical German. It gets a huge 5.0-litre V8 motor that powers the rear wheels through a six-speed slush-box. It develops 396bhp of power and 515Nm of torque. It is more powerful than the Mercedes, but the three-pointed star’s trump card is that it gets four-wheel drive and a major focus on driving dynamics. Also, the Mercedes C43 will seat all its five occupants in luxury while the Mustang is best suited only for two. On the other hand, the Mustang is more fun with its burnout-modes and macho image while the Mercedes will be more of a sleeper until you shoot past the Mustang.

Audi S5

The Audi S5 is a four-door sedan like the C43 AMG but scores in the looks department especially with the Sportback sloping roofline. It is slightly bigger in size which means more space inside the car. In terms of comfort, both are performance saloons and hence filled to the gills with creature comforts. You get separate zone climate control, electric panoramic sunroof, power seats, power mirrors and cruise control.

Both the Mercedes and the Audi get turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engines. The Mercedes develops 362bhp of power at 5500rpm and 520Nm of torque from 2000rpm.The engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox that drives all four wheels.

The S5’s triple-litre heart whips out 328bhp of power at an identical 5500rpm and 440Nm of torque. The S5 gets Quattro all-wheel drive to transfer all the power more effectively to the tarmac through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Both the Germans take 4.7 seconds for the 0-100kmph sprint in the straight line.