2016 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG 4Matic: Can’t Wait Until Autumn

FARO, Portugal – In a few months, Mercedes-Benz is going to scratch the C400 from its catalogue, even though this sedan has only been offered for a year. How does that make you feel? Sad? Shocked? Disappointed? Were you saving your money to buy one?

Well, take comfort, even rejoice, because this fall a brand-new model is going to replace the C400, and it’s superior in every way. The C450 AMG 4Matic is more dynamic, nicer looking, more classic and much more fun to drive than the brave C400. Obviously, it will be more expensive – we don’t know how much more yet – but believe you me, it will be well worth the additional amount.

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These two cars share the same fifth-generation C-Class architecture that was completely updated for 2015. They are both powered by the same 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 and paired with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and 4Matic all-wheel drive.

But that’s where the similarities end. The magicians at the AMG performance division got their hands on the C450, and they definitely don’t settle for adding a little spoiler, bigger wheels and slapping two or three logos here and there.

AMG’s quiet magic

The C450 AMG 4Matic, to use its full name, is more than worthy of the increasingly respected – even feared – AMG acronym. Remember that the AMG workshop also designed the turbocharged V6 that helped the Mercedes-Benz team dominate the Formula 1 championship outrageously last year.

The C450 isn’t a true AMG performance car like its siblings, the C 63 and C 63 S, which we also had the chance to drive at the launch in Portugal. Rather, it’s part of the new Sport collection that aims to make AMG creations accessible (in terms of price and versatility) to a broader range of buyers.

This is a response, of course, to BMW, its great rival. BMW’s M Sport has entered the fray to back up the pure M versions. Audi, whose S versions support the RS versions, is also in the mix.

If you think it’s all smoke and mirrors on the part of AMG, consider this: Engineer Ralf Haug, whose team has the task of refining the handling of all AMGs (with the exception of the new GT), talks as passionately about the C450 as the C 63 that we had roaring about the track in the Algarve the previous day. And he’s completely right.

For starters, the C450’s 3.0-litre biturbo V6 with direct injection produces 367 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 383 lbs.-ft. of torque at only 2,000 rpm. That’s 38 and 29 more, respectively, than you get under the hood of the current C400 and is enough to go from 0-100 km/hr in 4.9 seconds, accompanied by the wonderful sound of the engine – though it’s more high-pitched than the baritone hum of the C 63’s V8. The lighter and less restrictive sport exhaust that equips the C450 deserves some credit for the V6 biturbo’s power and torque.

Where are the corners?

However, the finesse and precision of the C450’s handling is apparent when it takes corners on the serpentine asphalt ribbons of the Portuguese countryside. It takes on curve after curve without the slightest hesitation or abruptness, and is a marvel of balance, especially for an all-wheel drive sedan.

Its first secret is its all-wheel drive system that transmits 67% of the torque – that’s fully two-thirds – to the rear wheels, not to mention an antiskid system that brakes the interior front wheel to reduce or eliminate understeer when the need arises. We never felt the slightest reaction or indication that the front wheels were engaged through the AMG sport steering wheel, whose leather-covered rim is just about perfect for the contour and texture.

The second secret consists of the suspension and drivetrain components that the C450 shares with the athlete of the family, the C 63. Ralf Haug said that his team had carte blanche to choose its components at AMG and that it didn’t hold back. For example, the bearings are firmer and chosen with great care. The Bilstein dampers offer three different settings that are linked to the driving modes or can be selected separately from the console.

However, you'll have to select Sport + mode to really take advantage of the C450’s capabilities. This setting hones the steering, suspension and accelerator and makes them complement each other wonderfully. In Sport mode, the ride is decent, but not exceptional. Flip the "Dynamic" switch on the central console another notch to change to Comfort mode, and everything seems to respond in slow motion by comparison, especially after driving at a good pace in Sport + mode on a road peppered with curves – just the way we like it.

No compromise or pretense

In the C450 AMG's passenger compartment, you'd think you were in a C 63 or E 63. It’s an easy mistake to make, as everything is there and there are no compromises. There's the sport steering wheel, big gauges, aluminum pedals, as well as the impeccably sculpted, moulded and very firm front seats. The seats have the same contrasting colour stitching also found on the leather on the door panels and the double lid for the central armrest.

The central console has the same black lacquered finish and the five large air vents are encircled by the same aluminum rings. I’m not crazy about the new touchpad that hangs over the big scroll wheel of the umpteenth generation of the Comand control interface. It’s imprecise and distracting when driving. And the air conditioning controls are still too small, but I’m a sucker for the three big classic dials. They still haven't found anything better.

From the outside, the C450 AMG looks great with its grille's huge air intakes, an aluminum colour or black strip under its spoiler, its large headlights with LED indicator lights and its black rearview mirrors; all that in a staunchly understated package for a sport sedan. It is Mercedes-Benz, after all. 18-inch alloy rims come factory standard and there's the choice of a series of optional 19-inch rims, fitted of course with larger tires.

Not everyone will like the constellation of polished aluminum dots in the front grille but, if nothing else, they serve to distinguish the C450 from its hyperactive sibling, the C 63. The AMG logos on its front fenders are also very discreet. The tail end is almost identical, with the small spoiler in assorted colours at the top of the trunk, vertically-cut air inlets on either side of the bumper and three-grooved air extractor in the centre. However, its four exhaust tips are smaller, more streamlined and grouped into two pairs of two.

Under the hood, the biturbo V6 is hidden under an immense black plastic cover made more attractive by a large V-shaped red aluminum moulding. Diehards will notice the absence of the plate that usually bears the engraved signature of the technician who singlehandedly assembled the engine, as is the tradition at AMG. Costs had to be cut somewhere, I guess.

What is certain is that the C450 AMG 4Matic will refresh the fifth-generation C-Class, which is still young. It acts as the heart of the line-up, while the fiery C 63 sits at the top of the food chain. What do we have to do, however, to convince Mercedes-Benz to import the superb C450 AMG 4Matic wagon? Start a social media campaign? Throughout the launch in Portugal, I kept imagining that I was driving the wagon instead of the sedan.