Mercedes-Benz C 350 e PHEV arrives

Mercedes-Benz New Zealand has added a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) to the new C-Class range with the arrival of the C 350 e sedan powered by a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain.

It’s priced at $111,200 and is available to order now, covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with the vehicle price including all applicable on-road costs and pre-delivery charges. The optional Charging Package PLUS adds $1300.

The C 350 e combines a compact, thrifty petrol engine with an onboard electric motor, battery and charging system with up to 100km electric range.

The supplied AC eight-metre charging cable can be plugged into a domestic wall socket overnight with more rapid charging options available., including a wall box or public AC charging station at up to 11kW as standard.

Energy can be recouped during deceleration and braking to extend the electric driving range.

The combined output of the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (150kW of power and 320Nm torque), and electric motor (95kW/440Nm) delivers a system total of 230kW and 550Nm. The c350 e can get from zero to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds.

The new-generation W206 C 350 e also has a significant advantage over the hybrid model it replaces from the W205 generation, with the battery pack repositioned to eliminate a step in the boot, which also enables easy through-loading via the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats.

The C 350 e Sedan builds on the impressive specification of its C-Class stablemates, the C 200 and C 300, by adding the Comfort Suspension package, together with self-levelling rear suspension.

It also includes acoustic ambient protection which when driving at low speed in all-electric mode emits external sound designed to alert pedestrians and cyclists.

As the PHEV’s all-electric driving mode boosts overall range, it includes a smaller petrol tank than its

C-Class siblings at 50 litres capacity compared to 66.

The C 350 e shares other features with the luxuriously equipped C 300 Sedan, including leather upholstery, dark-tinted privacy glass from the B-pillar to the rear, and the Driving Assistance Package Plus which includes a suite of active safety and convenience measures.

The cockpit’s focal point is a 11.9-inch portrait oriented central display screen, driven by the latest generation of the intuitive MBUX multimedia operating system, including a premium navigation system, smartphone integration, DAB+ Digital Radio, and a fingerprint scanner enabling personalised settings for each driver.

The driver also gets a 12.3-inch customisable LCD full colour digital display.

Interior packaging includes the sporty AMG Line interior trim, a multifunction sports steering wheel in Nappa leather, dual-zone climate control, electrically adjustable Sports front seats, ambient lighting with a 64-colour palette, front door sill panels with illuminated ‘Mercedes-Benz’ lettering, and keyless entry and start.

The 2.0-litre turbo engine is paired with the 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic transmission for seamless gear shifts, plus Dynamic Select with a choice of four driving modes – ECO, Comfort, Sport and Individual.

All models in the C-Class range are finished in the distinctive AMG Line exterior including AMG bodystyling and exterior ambient lighting with projection of the brand logo, while LED headlights include headlamp assist and adaptive highbeam assist.

Its 18-inch AMG five-spoke alloy wheels are Tantalite grey.

Other standard features of the comprehensive safety systems shared across the C-Class range includes 10 airbags, a 360° camera integrated with active parking assist and Parktronic front and rear ultrasonic sensors, Distronic cruise control including active distance assist, active lane-keeping assist, speed limit assist, and rain-sensing windscreen wipers.

Faster recharging can be achieved with the Charging Package PLUS, which adds a direct current (DC) charging system to the C 350 e for charging at up to 55kW via suitable DC charging stations. This package also increases the rate of charge for AC charging to 22kW when using a powerful wall box or public AC charging station.