@wheelsaustralia 129
Hugging it out
My wife scornfully refers to the E43’s active seatbelts as
‘huggers’.AfirmsqueezefromthePre-Safesystematevery
start-upranksnearthetopofherirritationslist,andwas
enoughtohavehercursingatthecarandatmefornotworkingouthowtoturnitoffsooner.Aftersomeminutes
ofnavigatingthedigitalmazeofsettingslookingfor the
appropriatecheckbox,maritalblisswasrestored.Her
favourite feature? The centre console’s analogue clock...4
333
002535 WEEK 4URBAN COUNTRY SPORTS FAMILY MOTORWAY
Date acquired:April 2017
Price as tested:$159,900
This month:1014km @ 12.8L/100km
Overall:1014km @ 12.8L/100kmMERCEDES-AMG E43
but people in the street have already started
to notice it more than I expected them to.
Aussies have responded to AMG in recent
times like no other people on earth, and as
the E43 and I have formed a bond, I can’t say
I blame them. Even in standard spec with
nary an option to speak of, the thoughtfully
designed and beautifully made cabin with its
perforated leather and finely machined alloy
touchpoints feels expensive and luxurious,
without laying it on too thick or feeling in
any way twee.
Most of our first month has been spent in
traffic, and I’m not ashamed to say I’ve left
the car’s Dynamic toggle thumbed to its most
relaxed. Even with AMG-specific calibrations
for the steering, gearbox and suspension,
the E43 finds a way to pamper its passengers
when trundling around slowly. The cabin
is whisper quiet, bar some tyre noise, and
driving like this is almost effortless.
The E43 inherits a metric shedload of high-
tech paraphernalia from the E400 on which
it is based, including Merc’s class-leading
driver-assistance technologies. A longer steer
in the coming months will be the best way
to explore its capabilities, but I’m already
fascinated by the way the systems are
psychologically preparing me for the future.
Two, ultra-sharp screens perched up front
form the portal into a world of submenus and
preferences that verges on overwhelming.
Sifting through them means learning how
to operate buttons and wheels on the centre
console and touch-sensitive pads on the front
of the steering wheel, and I’m worried I’ll saygoodbye to it without ever figuring it all out.
But the critical stuff is obvious; one button
for the nine-speed auto’s manual mode and
another to firm up the air suspension. Flick
the drivetrain to its more aggressive settings
and the E43 does duality of character with
aplomb. The flexible V6 elicits a satisfying
induction growl when dialled up, and is
faster and more exciting than its relatively
subdued exhaust note suggests.
There will be time to press into the E43
in the months to come, but as an everyday
tool it has consistently left me feeling better
getting out than I did getting in. AMG has
built performance cars for grown-ups since it
first set up shop, and in that regard the E43
might just hit the nail squarely on the head.
RYAN LEWISNEW
ARRIVAL