Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Introduces Malaysian-Assembled AMG Cars
We don’t like regurgitating press releases, but this is one time when it cant be said any other way- Mercedes-Benz is the first manufacturer to produce luxury performance cars in Malaysia. That’s right, for the first time ever, the German marque will be producing two full-blown AMG cars (C 43 AMG & GLC 43 AMG) in their assembly plant up in Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia. Why is it a big deal for AMG enthusiasts?
Local assembly also means it comes with a price reduction, and in the case of these two models, it’s a huge slash in price, compared to its fully-imported (CBU) models that were introduced last year. How much of discount are we talking about here?
Let’s start with the smaller of the two AMGs, the Mercedes-Benz AMG C 43. Where it used to be shy of half-a-million Ringgit, this locally-assembled (CKD) variant is now going for an official price of JUST RM408,888. When we did some checking, it translates in an odd RM90,000 slash. The GLC 43 AMG on the other hand, is now priced at RM468,888, a whole RM70,000 lesser than the imported unit. Uh-huh, it’s a huge price reduction and with it housing a hand-built, AMG engine, it wont get any better than this, not for a long while at least.
If you’ve tested these two cars before, you’ll know how well-suited its 3.0-litre V6 bi-turbo engine is in either model, be it the sedan or SUV. Our favourite of the two is of course the C 43, because of how well the 9G-TRONIC transmission regulates the total power output- 367hp and 520Nm of torque. It can be a scintillating drive when you handle the C 43 well. And even if you don’t find the handling superior, the sheer power from that big V6 engine will keep you awake from start to finish. But it’s not just the engine experience that is coming to the Malaysian public at a bargain. It’s the AMG tech and overall goodies.
With these two new additions to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s CKD line-up, one can acquire the magic of Mercedes’ in-car AMG software for cheap (well, relatively). These cars are governed by an AMG computer that works on double-time to manage the engine and the AMG Performance 4MATIC drive system. The latter is an all-wheel drive system that comes right off the race track mind you, but has been tuned to serve urban usability.
If all that ins’t enough, the C 43 and GLC 43 both come with an interior theme that lives and breathes AMG. Inside, you’ll see a cockpit that has a flat-bottomed multifunction sports steering wheel, sports seats with enhanced lateral support and of course, an AMG-heavy instrument cluster complete with its own AMG menu. Needless to say, the seat covers, door centre panels and also the upper part of the dashboard and beltlines are finished with red topstitching, a feature which is typical of the 43-series models.
It might seem redundant and some might even argue this case as a simple product offensive by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia to bolster their current success in the premium segment. We however, would like to point out how good a deal a portion of Malaysia just got served with and if you’ve always been hesitant about getting into the AMG galore, this might just help make the decision a lot more easy for you, seeing as the AMG 43 range, is seen as the entry-level AMG car.
