Just last week it was announced that Mercedes-AMG->ke187 was going to debut its new C43 4Matic Coupe at the Geneva Auto Show->ke228 in March. Now, just a day before its official debut, Mercedes has announced the Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic Cabriolet. Like the Coupe, the Cabriolet comes with a fairly powerful V-6 engine, AMG->ke8 performance 4Matic all-wheel drive, and a 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. Of course, the Cabriolet comes with one feature the coupe doesn’t – a retractable top.

We were expecting to see a C43 Cabriolet->ke1593 soon, but we didn’t expect it to debut at the same time as the coupe version. Tobias Moers, the Chief Executive of Mercedes-AMG, said, “The AMG product portfolio will continue to grow rapidly this year, making the world of Driving Performance more diverse than ever. Our new product line continues to expand at a fast pace and, with the C 43 4Matic Cabriolet, we are offering a younger target group yet another alternative to discover the fascinating world of AMG.”

So, we know there is eventually more coming to the product line, but before that happens, let’s take a closer look at the new C43 drop top. Surely it's bound to pose some good competition for those wanting to obtain a performance-oriented convertible. ->ke144

Continue reading for the full review

Exterior

As you can see, the C43 Cabriolet shares a lot of the same exterior styling as the C43 Coupe. That same Front fascia is carried over with those distinctive corner vents and mesh-filled air dam. On the sides, the light-alloy wheels and finish are accented by chrome trim that wraps around the waistline of the cabriolet and gets thicker as it wraps around to the back of the drop top roof. The “BITURBO-4MATIC” badge has also been added to the front fenders, just like we saw on the C43 Coupe.

Around back there are certain changes that had to be made to incorporate the drop top. The deck lid is significantly shorter to accommodate the door and storage space for the top. This design will surely cut down on cargo room storage in the rear, but I think that is a fair price to pay if you enjoy soaking up some sun as you drive. Outside of the different decklid, the rear is the same. The horizontal, corner vents on the rear fascia are the same, and that grey-colored rear diffuser that accents the chrome exhaust outlets was also carried over from the Coupe. Mercedes did a good job keeping the Cabriolet just as sporty as the coupe. It’s nice to see it didn’t have to compromise exterior styling too much to accommodate the drop top.

An optional “Night” package is also available with the C43 Cabriolet that brings dark-tinted thermal insulation glass for all rear windows, a gloss-black front trim insert, black exterior mirror housings, high-gloss black beltline trim around the windows and the chrome plated exhaust outlets.

Interior

Inside, the C43 Coupe is upholstered in Artico man-made leather and Dinamica microfiber. The dash, beltlines, door panels, center console, and armrests are also wrapped in Artico to give the car a sportier ambiance inside. All that leather is held together with red contrast stitching. Like the C43 coupe, the Cabriolet also has design red seat belts and black floor mats that have red edging.

The instrument cluster has two tube-shaped round dials, and a 4.5-inch color display in the middle. The background of the instrument cluster is done in a checkered-flag design, and the speedometer reads up to 173 mph. Optional features specific to the Cabriolet include AirScarf neck-level heating, a fabric soft top that can be operated at up to 31 mph, and automatic closing of the boot separator. The soft top is available in black, brown, red, and dark blue.

Outside of these options, the interior is every bit the same as the interior we saw on the C43 coupe. It’s not a bad design, and does look to be rather comfortable, so I don’t see too many folks having a complaint about that.

Drivetrain

The C43 Cabriolet is powered by a 3.0-liter, biturbo, V-6 that produces 367 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via a 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. The 9G-Tronic has been specially tuned for use in the C43 models with shortened shift times and the ability to downshift more than one gear at once. The responsiveness of the engine and transmission is altered by each driving mode available. Sport and Sport Plus modes make for a more powerful and emotional shifting, while Eco, Comfort, and Sport modes experience faster shift times. In manual mode, the transmission is shifted via paddles on the steering wheel. Special tuning allows the transmission to remain in the selected gear even with the engine at the red line.

Just like the C63, the C43 Cabriolet has AMG’s ride control system with adaptive three-stage adjustable damping and a mode select button. The 4Matic all-wheel drive system is rear-biased with 69 percent of engine torque sent to the rear wheels and 31 percent going to the front wheels. This bias sets the C43 Cabriolet up for some fun cornering without the risk of understeer. All told, the C43 Cabriolet can hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and has an electronically limited speed of 155 mph. Not bad for a V-6 drop top.

Safety

The C43 Cabriolet comes standard with a three-stage electronic stability system, along with newly developed steering knuckles, spring link supporting joints, and elastokinematically adapted links, just like the Mercedes-AMG C63. The rear axle is also configured for higher driving dynamics. The sports suspension system has three-stage adjustable damping. This setup provides precise and direct suspension feedback from the road and increases the C43’s agility during cornering. Sport steering also helps to make the C43 more agile, and can be adjusted between “comfort,” “sport,” and “individual” mode. These adjustments are made automatically depending on what driving mode is selected, or can be customized in individual mode.

To help bring the C43 to a stop in a hurry, the car is equipped with internally ventilated compound brake discs that measure 14.17 inches in the front and 12.60 inches in the rear. In addition to these features, the C43 Cabriolet also has all of the standard safety features included in other C-class models.

Prices

We expect the C43 Coupe to hit your pocketbook somewhere in the $50,000 range, so the C43 Cabriolet will probably come in somewhere between $55,000 and $60,000. We’ll update you when prices are released closer to the C43 Cabriolet’s official launch.

Competition

BMW M4 Convertible

The BMW M4 Convertible is a bit more expensive than what we expect the C43 Cabriolet to go for, but it is as close as you can get with an M car since BMW has said there will be no M2 convertible. With its 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine, the 425 horsepower M4 can hit the 60 mph sprint in just 4.4 seconds. It offers up a sporty exterior and luxurious interior that comes par with luxury, performance convertibles in this segment. The M4 starts out at $74,200, which is at least $10,000 more than where the C43 will probably start out at, but then again, it more powerful and faster. In this case, you’ll get what you pay for. If you want more power and faster sprint times go with the M4, but if you’re more interested in the comfort and luxury, the C43 might be your best bet.

Read our full review on the M4 Convertible here.

Jaguar F-Type Convertible

The Jaguar F-Type Convertible was first introduced in 2013, and so far it really hasn’t changed much, but it does offer a six-speed manual which actually makes the convertible version a little more desirable than the Coupe. The F-Type convertible is powered by a 3.0-liter, supercharged, six-cylinder that delivers 380 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The sprint to 60 mph only takes 5.3 seconds, and top speed comes in at a whopping 171 mph. The downfall to the F-type convertible is its price. The base price starts out at just over $80,000 and can reach much higher if you decided to indulge in all of the extra options available. It may not compete all that well with the C43 as far as pricing goes, but it would be fun to line up the F-Type and C43 convertibles for a good run around the track.

Read our full review on the Jaguar F-Type here.

Conclusion

I’m surprised to see that Mercedes is coming out with the C43 Coupe and Cabriolet at the same time. To be honest, I expected to see the C43 Cabriolet debut about six months after the Coupe – just to help encourage more interest in the convertible model before it officially goes on sale. For the most part, the C43 Cabriolet is nothing more than the coupe with the top cut off and a shorter decklid, but it still retains its own style. Personally, I think the convertible should have been toned down a little more in the front as convertibles are meant to be more for cruising than being aggressive on the road. Either way, the C43 will surely be a hit for those looking to get their hands on a performance drop-top without spending the $80,000 that some other models command.