Glorious five-star Merc is truly sublime

I know the hairy-chested out there among you might scoff at a kick-ass Mercedes which is not as performance-oriented as you might like.

I mean who’d really want a mere AMG E43 with a 401bhp three litre

twin- turbo when there is an E63 with a 563bhp four litre twin-turbo V8 to drool over instead.

Sure the attraction of all those horses and all that wailing and noise and smoking rubber might sound very lairy, mean and appealing, but what’s on offer from the ‘lesser’ AMG Merc is an altogether more velvety experience when pitched against its more muscular sibling.

It packs a big punch, sure, but it is

not the automotive wrecking ball the AMG E63 is. It is a lot of other things, however.

The E43, aside from its performance credentials, is also yet another signpost that Mercedes has finally inveigled itself into a position where it is at last reaching the standards so long enjoyed by rivals over at BMW and Audi in terms of driver satisfaction.

There is no argument that the

Stuttgart giant always made excellent luxury cars, but they were not always terribly enjoyable, or even good, to drive.

Indeed, by the standards of the opposition Mercedes had heretofore fallen short of both Munich and Ingolstadt and that fact cannot but have been

an embarrassment for the top brass at Unterturkheim.

While Mercedes had the badge and the reputation for luxury, over the last two decades it became abundantly clear that its two chief rivals beat it solidly when it came to driver engagement.

Those wrongs have been righted.

The evidence is here for everyone

to see. What we have in the E43 is a microscopic version of what has been achieved with the regular E-Class.

We’ve tested pretty much everything in the range by now and the testimony is conclusive: Mercedes is the top of the pile in the medium executive segment.

A corollary of that fact is that the

performance version of the car — or this one at least — has stepped up

several notches too and the E43, now

effectively the entry-level model in the AMG E range, is a car which will be causing fluttering concern among its rivals.

Certainly, it is not the be-all and

end-all performance machine to beat all others, but it is something of a monster it is own right, while also displaying a level of sophistication, passenger friendliness, comfort levels and

driver engagement — characteristics which were not all in the same place previously.

One or more of those traits characteristics might have been there, but not all of them at the same time.

And what of this E43? Well, from the diamond grille at the front to the AMG spoiler lip at the rear, the E43 exudes muscle, if not quite menace. Start her up and 2996cc bi-turbo V6 burbles into life with a potent pulse that suggests both muscle and menace.

With the engine, gearbox, suspension and look all having been given the AMG once-over, one would have said that all was good in the E43’s world.

But the thing about the car is that Mercedes’ performance division has not overlooked the requirement for

luxury here and it is actually the harmonisation of muscular menace and opulence that makes it such a striking car.

But, even though it might be lavish to look at, live with and luxuriate in, it will also kick ass in an incredibly impressive fashion.

Some facts and figures — there’s 402bhp on tap, 520 Nm of torque, 0-100 km/h is achieved in a blood-curling 4.4 seconds and the top speed is limited to 200km/h.

Unsurprisingly, the twin turbo V6 is not the most fuel efficient unit you’ll see this year with a return of 8.2 l/100 km (34.1mpg), but that’s not bad, all things considered.

The emissions level, 192 g/km, is not terribly of-its-time either bringing in an annual tax bill of €1,200. But, hey, if its frugality and environmental friendliness you want, get a Suzuki Swift.

No, this is a fully pumped and testosterone filled experience. The cost of it and the costs of running it, therefore, come with the territory.

There are four driving modes, two of which — Eco and Comfort — are for the driver who wants maximum efficiency and relaxed driving. The other two — Sport and Sport+ — are for the tyre shredders among us who want all the gratuitous engine snarling as well as the popping and banging you get on over-run.

Indeed, if you want to impress your friends or even just give yourself a boost after a hard day’s work, click the E43 into Sport+ mode and glory in the soundtrack.

With a fantastic and very precise nine speed ‘box, which can simply be left in ‘drive’ for the Eco and Comfort subscribers, or for the Sport and Sport+ personnel utilised via the paddle shifters, and full time four wheel drive (although nearly 70% of the grunt goes to the rear wheels normally) you’ve got a driving prospect which is both thrilling and sure-footed at the same time.

The handling is awesome and while the ride — especially if you’re in the hotter driving modes — is a tad on the stiff side for some of our rural surfaces, that is a trade-off you have to accept for the excellence of the handling package.

With very precise and direct steering, a very lively throttle response and an almost complete absence of turbo lag, this is a truly well sorted performance car. But the thing is that if you want it to be serene and relaxed, it does all that too.

And it is practical as well, what will all the roominess of the regular E-Class and all the added luxury that an AMG model adds to the mix.

Throw in a raft of safety kit and a very sophisticated adaptive cruise control system and you’d have to conclude that the car is better equipped than most jet fighters — and it is pretty close to being as quick as them as well.

And, with stuff like the 12.3” media display and all the navigation, mapping and connectivity tools it incorporates, this baby is also one of the most driver-friendly I’ve come across in this realm.

I could bleat on for weeks on end about the greatness of this car — oh and by the way such greatness does come at a cost — but the fact of the matter is that Mercedes has created something truly sublime here and in doing so has restored itself to the top of the class with a car that is truly a steel claw in a velvet glove.

And that is why it gets a five star rating. We don’t dish out too many of them, so that should give you an idea of how special it is.