2017 Mercedes-AMG E43 headed to New York with 396 hp

[BoRINg]

Perhaps you read our first drive of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and thought: This E300 seems nice and all, but I’d like a little more power than the mandatory 2.0-liter inline-four brings to the table … and I’m more interested in taking the wheel than I am in letting the semi-autonomous Drive Pilot system do the driving for me.

Fear not! The 2017 Mercedes-AMG E43 is on its way.

The sport sedan, which will make its grand debut at the 2016 New York auto show, starts with everything we liked about the E300 and then adds more of what we felt the base sedan lacked. Chiefly, more power.

Thanks to its 3.0-liter V6, the E43 produces 396 hp (at 6,100 rpm) and 384 lb-ft (from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm). That’s interesting territory output-wise, being substantially less than ostensible competitors like the CTS Vsport or Audi S6. However, it’s substantially more powerful than the E300 -- and also more powerful than the C43 (née C450 AMG Sport), with which it shares a 362-hp version of that V6 motor. 

Like the E300, it gets a nine-speed automatic transmission, but shifts are said to be quicker -- especially in the car’s sport and sport-plus modes. Other AMG exclusives include a sport-oriented Air Body Control suspension system and a “more direct” steering ratio (exact specs haven’t yet been released).

AMG Performance 4Matic all-wheel drive is the only way to go with the E43; according to the automaker, the design of the new nine-speed transmission enables transfer case modularity, so engineers had more freedom to modify the system to suit this car’s performance mandate. The system consequently has a front/rear torque bias of 31/69 percent.

So, everything’s been boosted: Displacement! Cylinders! Responsiveness! Output! Rear-biasedness! Even the curb weight’s up, to 4,145 pounds, due in part to the mandatory all-wheel drive. Don’t worry about that last one too much, though: 0-60 time decreases, and substantially. The E43 does the sprint in a stated 4.5 seconds, compared to the E300’s estimated 6.4 seconds.

AMG didn’t neglect appearances, either, from the diamond grille to the lip spoiler on the trunk lid. You can upgrade the standard 19-inch five-spoke wheels for 20-inchers if you wish, but to be honest, this is a pretty under-the-radar treatment for an AMG product.

Again, the E43 will make its first appearance at the New York auto show later this month. It's expected at dealers in early 2017. Pricing, fuel economy and a full list of specs will come closer to the on-sale date.

And if its 396 hp doesn’t quite do it for you, remember: There’s an E63 on the way, too.