Review: Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 & C 63 Cabrio

Review: Mercedes-AMG A205.I C 43 & C 63 Cabrio (2016-18)

Overview

Released in Australia in August 2016, the Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 and C 63 were high-performance convertibles. Manufactured in Bremen, Germany, the Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 and C 63 Cabriolets were powered by 3.0-litre V6 and 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engines.

Biturbo M276 V6 engine

The Mercedes-AMG C 43 was powered by the 2996 cc M276 V6 petrol engine which had an aluminium alloy block and cylinder head, ‘Nanoslide’ cylinder wall coatings, a forged steel crankshaft, an IHI turbocharger for each cylinder bank which provided peak boost pressure of 1.1 bar, double overhead camshafts (chain-driven), independent intake and exhaust camshaft adjustment, four valves per cylinder, direct injection via piezo injectors at a pressure of up to 200 bar, a variable-resonance intake manifold and a compression ratio of 10.7:1.

To reduce fuel consumption, the M276 engine had an ECO start/stop function which enabled it to shut down when the C 43 was stationary in traffic. Furthermore, the C 43 Cabriolet could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and had an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

Biturbo M177 V8 engine

Assembled by hand in Affalterbach, the 3982 cc M177 V8 engine had a cast aluminium closed-deck block, ‘Nanoslide’ cylinder wall coatings, zirconium alloy cylinder heads, two turbochargers mounted within the engine’s ‘V’ providing maximum boost pressure of 1.2 bar (17.4 psi), double overhead camshafts, variable inlet and exhaust valve timing, four valves per cylinder, direct fuel injection via piezo injectors, a compression ratio of 10.5:1 and dry sump lubrication. With its ‘Race Start’ function, the A205 C 63 S can accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds.

Like the biturbo M276 engine, the M177 V8 engine had an ‘ECO start/stop’ function. Furthermore, the clutch of the AMG Speedshift transmission could open when the ‘Comfort’ drive mode was selected to decouple the engine from the drivetrain if the driver lifted their foot off the accelerator at speeds between 60 km/h and 160 km/h.

Like the Mercedes-AMG C190 GT , the C 63 Cabriolet S was fitted with dynamic engine mounts which could adapt their stiffness according to driving conditions and style. As such, softer mounts were used to improve comfort by reducing noise and vibration.

9G-Tronic transmission

For the C 43 Cabriolet, Mercedes developed unique software for the 9G-Tronic transmission to deliver faster gearshifts. The transmission had a multiple downshift function and the driver could select from Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Manual modes for different transmission gearshift mapping and shift speeds. In ‘Eco’ mode, the clutch could disengage to decouple the engine from the powertrain when the driver released the accelerator and the C 43 was travelling between 60 km/h and 160 km/h; when this occurred, engine speed was reduced to idle and the driving resistance was reduced by the compression and frictional forces of the engine in over-run mode.

In the ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport Plus’ modes, the 9G-Tronic transmission provided:

• A double-declutching function; and,
• Ignition adjustments for faster gearshifts.

In Manual mode, the driver could change gear using the paddles on the steering wheel and the transmission would stay in the selected gear until engine speed reached its rpm limit.

4MATIC all-wheel drive system

For the Mercedes-AMG C 43, the ‘4MATIC’ all-wheel drive system utilised a centre planetary differential and multiple-disc clutch, with the single-stage transfer case flange-mounted on the nine-speed ‘9G Tronic’ automatic transmission. In normal conditions, the 4MATIC system provided a 31:69 front:rear torque split.

AMG Speedshift dual clutch transmission

For the A205 C 63 S Cabriolet, the seven-speed ‘AMG SPEEDSHIFT’ dual clutch transmission enabled the driver to select the following modes:

• Comfort: for ‘soft’ gearshifts and a ‘more restrained engine sound’. In Comfort, the clutch of the transmission opened to decouple the engine from the drivetrain if the driver lifted off the accelerator at speeds between 60 km/h and 160 km/h. In Comfort mode, the electronically-controlled dampers provided softer settings and power steering assistance was increased;
• Sport: provided faster gearshifts, greater throttle response and stiffer suspension settings;
• Sport +: provided greater throttle response, increased idle speed to 800 rpm (from 600 rpm), and enabled the adjustable exhaust flaps to open sooner. The transmission also provided faster gearshifts, double declutching and partial cylinder suppression under full throttle by retarding ignition and injection under full throttle for even faster gearshifts. In Sport +, the ECO stop/start and ‘sailing’ functions were disabled;
• Individual: enabled the driver to vary individual parameters for the engine, exhaust system, damper and transmission settings; and,
• Race: ‘Race’ provided maximum throttle response, the transmission would maintain an optimum engine speed in the lowest possible gear when driving at racetrack speeds and the electronic stability control system allowed ‘wide drift angles’.

The driver could also engage ‘momentary M mode’ by nudging the ‘up’ or ‘down’ gearshift paddle once. In ‘momentary M mode’, the driver could use the gearshift paddles to change gears, while automated up and downshifts only occurred at the rpm limits.

Chassis and dimensions

The Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 and C 63 Cabriolets were based on the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz W205 C-Class sedan and the front of the bodyshell and floor were designed to provide sufficient rigidity for a convertible. While the Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 was 4708 mm long, 1810 mm wide, 1413 mm tall and had a 2840 mm long wheelbase, the C 63 had flared wheel arches which made it 64 mm wider at the front and 67 mm wider at the rear; overall length also increased to 4750 mm.

The Mercedes-AMG C 43 and 63 Cabriolet had multi-layer acoustic soft tops which could be opened or closed in less than 20 seconds and operated at speeds of up to 50 km/h. After opening, the roof folded down and was stored in a compartment in the boot. Boot capacity for the C 43 and C 63 Cabriolets was 360 litres with the roof up and 285 litres with the roof stowed away.

Suspension

The Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 and C 63 Cabriolet had four-link front suspension with independent steering knuckles and a wider track for greater stability, and five-link rear suspension with independent mounts and increased negative camber. The ‘AMG Ride Control’ suspension included electronically-controlled, three-stage adaptable dampers which provided variable damping force according to road conditions, driver behaviour and the selected drive mode.

Steering

The Mercedes-AMG C 43 and C 63 Cabriolet had rack-and-pinion steering with variable, electric power assistance; its steering ratio was 14.1:1.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 and C 63 Cabriolet S included dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front thorax/pelvis airbags, windowbags which are integrated in the top edges of the front door panels, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, cornering brake control and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

Beyond this, active safety technologies for the Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 and C 63 Cabriolet S included –

• Pre-Safe Brake with pedestrian detection (autonomous emergency braking): using two 24 GHz sensors behind the front bumper which had a range of 30 metres and a 77 GHz radar which had a range of 200 metres, Pre-Safe Brake operated at speeds between 30 km/h and 200 km/h, and at speeds below 70 km/h if the vehicle was approaching a stationary queue of traffic. Around 2.6 seconds before the anticipated moment of impact, an audible warning would sound and a red warning would appear in the tachometer. Around 1.6 before the calculated impact, the first stage of Pre-Safe Brake would initiate partial braking autonomously with around 40 per cent of the maximum braking power (approximately four (4) m/s²); the Pre-Safe occupant protections system would also be activated. If the driver then applied the brakes, maximum braking force would be made available. If the driver failed to react, Pre-Safe Brake would – in its second stage – initiate autonomous emergency braking (i.e. maximum braking power) around 0.6 seconds before the unavoidable collision to reduce the severity of the impact. The pedestrian recognition function enabled Pre-Safe Brake to detect pedestrians when driving at speeds of up to 50 km/h;
• Pre-Safe: in dangerous driving situations, Pre-Safe would prepare the vehicle by tensioning the front seat belts and closing the windows;
• Pre-Safe Plus: could anticipate potential rear-end collisions and warn following traffic by flashing the rear hazard lights at high frequency. The Pre-Safe Plus system would then deploy occupant protection measures and apply the vehicle’s brakes to prevent secondary accidents;
• BAS Plus with Cross-Traffic Assist: used a 24 GHz radar sensor with a range of 30 metres and a 77 GHz radar sensor with a range of 200 metres to monitor the distance to the vehicle ahead and would warn the driver if there was a risk of a collision. Brake Assist Plus could detect vehicles when travelling at speeds up to 200 km/h, and stationary objects when the driver was travelling at 7 km/h to 72 km/h. Significantly, Brake Assist Plus could calculate the necessary brake force assistance to prevent a rear-end collision, build up that pressure in the braking system and provide it as soon as the brake pedal was depressed for ‘the best possible deceleration’. The Cross-Traffic Assist function could operate at speeds up to 72 km/h and used the stereo camera and radar sensors to detect traffic that was crossing in front of or behind the vehicle. If detected, the driver would receive visual and audible alerts;
• Collision Prevention Assist Plus (radar-based collision warning with autonomous braking and adaptive Brake Assist): used radar sensors to monitor the distance to the vehicle ahead. If this distance decreased such that there was a risk of a collision, the driver would receive a visual warning (when driving at speeds over 7 km/h) and an optical warning (when driving between 30 km/h and 250 km/h). At speeds below 105 km/h (200 km/h in conjunction with Distronic Plus), Collision Prevention Assist Plus would initially provide partial autonomous braking to reduce vehicle speed and alert the driver. At speeds between 7-250 km/h for moving objects and 7-50 km/h for stationary objects, adaptive Brake Assist would calculate the braking force required and prime the braking system for when the driver depressed the brake pedal. If the driver did not respond and a collision was unavoidable, then maximum braking force would be applied to reduce vehicle speed. At initial vehicle speeds of up to 40 km/h, rear-end collisions could be prevented;
• Distronic Plus (adaptive cruise control with brake warning): an ‘adaptive’ cruise control system which used two short-range radar sensors positioned behind the front bumper to monitor the road up to 30 metres ahead, and a long-range radar located behind the radiator grille which had a range of 200 metres. Operating at speeds up to 200 km/h, Distronic Plus used an electronic control unit to analyse the information from both radar systems to calculate the engine, automatic transmission and braking parameters required for proximity control. As such, Distronic Plus could automatically apply the brakes to prevent the vehicle from becoming too close to traffic ahead (the time interval could be specified) and accelerate back to the set speed when traffic allowed. To accelerate from rest, the driver only needed to operate the Distronic stalk on the steering column or briefly depress the accelerator pedal. With Distronic Plus, automatic deceleration of up to four (4) m/s²was possible. If Distronic Plus detected that heavier braking was required, a warning light would illuminate in the instrument cluster and be accompanied by an audible warning. Furthermore, the electronic proximity control system could be activated independently of Distronic Plus at speeds over 30 km/h to alert the driver if they were approaching another vehicle too rapidly;
• Steering Assist with Stop&Go Pilot: operating in conjunction with Distronic Plus and at speeds up to 130 km/h, Steering Assist used a stereo camera located behind the windscreen to detect road markings, while the Stop&Go Pilot operated at speeds up to 60 km/h and enabled the system to use the vehicle in front or road markings as a means of orientation. If the vehicle was detected to be drifting out of its lane, Steering Assist would warn the driver and provide steering intervention to keep the vehicle in its lane;
• Active Blind Spot Assist: active at speeds above 60 km/h, a corrective braking force would be applied to the wheels on one side of the vehicle if the driver attempted to change lanes when a vehicle was detected in the driver’s blind spot;
• Active Lane Keeping Assist: could prevent the vehicle from unintentionally drifting out of the lane by applying the brakes on one side of the vehicle; and,
• Attention Assist: operated at speeds in excess of 80 km/h and assessed driver behaviour and steering movements for signs of drowsiness; if detected, the driver would be provided with visual and audible warnings.

As standard, the Mercedes-AMG A205 C-Class Cabriolet had an ‘active bonnet’ which, in the event of a pedestrian collision, triggered a pyrotechnic charge to raise the height of the bonnet and provide additional clearance to ‘hard points’ within the engine bay.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the Mercedes-Benz A205 C-Class Cabriolet received a five star safety rating which included an 89 per cent adult occupant protection rating and a 79 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the frontal offset test, protection of the front occupants was generally rated as good, although lower leg protection for the driver was rated as adequate (i.e. a slight risk of serious injury). In the side impact test, driver protection was rated as good in all body areas; in the more severe pole test, however, chest protection was rated as weak (i.e. a significant risk of serious injury).

Wheels, tyres and brakes

The Mercedes-AMG C 43 Cabriolet had 19-inch five-twin-spoke alloy wheels with 225/40 7.5J x R19 front and 255/35 8.5J x R19 rear tyres; the C 43 Cabriolet was also fitted with 360 mm by 36 mm ventilated front brake discs and 320 mm by 24 mm ventilated rear discs.

The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Cabriolet had forged alloy wheels with a matt black finish, fitted with 9.0J x 19-inch 255/35 R19 front and 10.5J x 20-inch 285/30 R19 rear tyres. Furthermore, the C 63 S Cabriolet has 360 mm by 36 mm front and 360 mm by 26 mm rear brake discs, all of which are internally ventilated and perforated.

Features: Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 Cabriolet

The Mercedes-AMG A205 C 43 Cabriolet was similarly equipped to the Mercedes-Benz A205 C 300 Cabriolet , with standard features including the COMAND Online infotai Nment system which had a 21.3 cm TFT colour display, digital radio tuner (DAB+), HDD navigation with live traffic updates, CD/DVD player, MP3/WMA/AAC compatibility, 10 GB music register, Bluetooth interface, voice recognition (‘Linguatronic’) and internet access.

Other standard features for the C 43 Cabriolet included a 590 watt Burmester surround system with thirteen speakers and a nine-channel digital sound processing amplifier, dual-zone climate control air conditioning (‘Thermatic’), leather upholstery, power adjustable and heated front seats with memory settings, cruise control, a head-up display, front and rear parking sensors, dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with gearshift paddles, 50:50 split folding rear seats, remote central locking with proximity key, power adjustable and heated door mirrors with folding function, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, push-button start, an auto-dimming rear view and driver’s side door mirror, an electrically operated park brake ambient interior lighting, AMG floor mats, AMG sports pedals, black roof liner, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer, anti-theft alarm system with tow-away protection and interior surveillance, and an immobiliser.

The C 43 Cabriolet was also fitted with the following Mercedes-Benz technologies:

• LED Intelligent Light System with Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus: allowed the main LED beam to remain on when traffic was approaching since a portion of that beam could be masked out to avoid dazzling other drivers. Also included five selectable programs: motorway mode, cornering light function, camera-based active light function, roundabout light function and enhanced fog light function;
• AirScarf neck-level heating: circulated warmed air around the head and neck areas of the occupants from the head restraints;
• Active Parking Assist: could identify parallel and right angle parking spaces – at speeds of up to 35 km/h – and automatically steer the vehicle into the space while the driver controlled vehicle speed; and,
• AIRCAP automatic draught-stop: consisted of an extendable wind deflector with a net that was set into the roof frame and an extendable draught-stop behind the rear seats; and,
• A 360 degree camera system which could show the C-Class Cabriolet and its surroundings from different perspectives.

Features: Mercedes-AMG A205 C 63 Cabriolet S

Compared to the C 43 Cabriolet, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Cabriolet S was distinguished by its digital TV tuner, Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, ‘Air Balance’ air ionisation system, AMG performance steering wheel in nappa leather and microfibre (‘Dinamica’), AMG illuminated door sill panels and IWC analogue clock. Visual cues for the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S included its AMG Night Package and AMG bonnet with power domes.

As standard, the A205 C 63 S Cabriolet was fitted with an electronically-controlled rear differential lock to improve traction on acceleration when cornering.

Specifications

• Specifications: Mercedes-AMG A205 C-Class Cabriolet (January 2017)

Related links

• Daimler Media: the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 Cabriolet (March 2016)

Review: Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 43 & C 63 Cabrio (2018-on)

Overview

The Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 43 was released in Australia in August 2018, with the A205.II C 63 S following in January 2019. Mechanical changes for the Mercedes-AMG A205.II C-Class Cabriolets were as follows:

• For the C 43, peak power increased to 287 kW due to the fitment of larger turbochargers that provided maximum charge pressure of 1.1 bar; and,
• The C 63 S was fitted with the nine-speed ‘AMG Speedshift MCT 9G’ transmission which had a wet start-off clutch. The multiple downshift function allows ‘more spontaneous bursts of speed’, and a double-declutching function is available in the ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport+’ drive modes.

Visually,

• The Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 43 could be identified by its AMG radiator grille with twin-louvre design in matt iridium silver, ‘powerfully sculpted front apron’ with additional flics and ‘side air curtains’ to guide airflow, silver chrome finishes for the attachments on the cross fins and the trim element on the front splitter, and a new rear apron with round twin tailpipe trim elements; and,
• The Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 63 S could be identified by its AMG-specific radiator trim with vertical louvres in high-gloss chrome, redesigned transverse fin for the outer air inlets, rear diffuser board, a ‘lateral air curtain look’ for the rear apron to improve airflow and remodelled twin tailpipe trim elements in high-gloss chrome.

Inside, the Mercedes-AMG A205.II C63 S was equipped with a new performance steering wheel that had a round controller with an integral display beneath the right-hand steering-wheel spoke, plus two vertically positioned colour display buttons beneath the left-hand steering-wheel spoke. The AMG drive programs could be selected directly via the controller.

Safety equipment

The Mercedes-AMG A205.II C-Class Cabriolet introduced improved camera and radar systems. For example,

• The forward-facing camera had a maximum range of 500 metres, including 90 metres in 3D; and,
• The vehicle’s surroundings would be scanned by radar across a distance of up to 250 metres to the front, 40 metres to the sides and 80 metres to the rear.

For the Mercedes-AMG A205.II C-Class Cabriolet, ‘Collision Prevention Assist Plus’ was effectively renamed ‘Active Brake Assist’.

Features: Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 43 Cabriolet

For the Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 43 and C 63 S, standard features were extended to include:

• A 12.3-inch (1920 x 720 pixel) fully digital instrument display;
• Heated front seats (previously reserved for the C 63 S);
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration;
• Wireless mobile phone charging; and,
• Multibeam LED headlamps which had:
  • 84 high-performance LED chips in each headlight module;
  • Four control units which calculated the ideal lighting using information from the forward-facing camera to avoid dazzling other drivers (‘Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus’) and from the navigation system – this included swivelling the light beams into bends (‘Active Lighting System’); and,
  • An ‘Ultra Range’ high beam that produced a brightness above 1 lux over a distance of more than 650 metres. At speeds above 40 km/h and when there was no other traffic, the ‘Ultra Range’ high beams were automatically switched on.

For a complete list of features for the Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 43 and C 63 S, please refer to ‘Specifications’, below.

Features: Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 63 S Cabriolet

As part of the COMAND Online infotainment system, the Mercedes-Benz A205.II C 63 S had an ‘AMG Track Pace’ function. When driving on a race track, AMG Track Pace recorded:

• Over 80 vehicle-specific sets of data ten times per second; and,
• Lap and sector times, which could be displayed in conjunction with the difference to a reference time.

The Mercedes-AMG A205.II C 63 S introduced ‘AMG Traction Control’ which enabled slip at the rear wheels to be controlled in nine stages. Furthermore, ‘AMG Dynamics’ was a new feature of the AMG Dynamic Select drive programs. According to Mercedes, AMG Dynamics used the electronic stability control system to adjust torque distribution at the rear axle for torque vectoring.

Specifications

• Specifications: Mercedes-Benz A205.II and C205.II C-Class (July 2018)