Paris Motor Show 2016: Mercedes-Benz GLC350e Plug-In Hybrid Showcased

The company already has the GLE 550 e SUV, C 350 e and S 550 e sedans in its plug-in hybrid line-up. The GLC350e is the fourth and this matches BMW's four plug-in hybrids. The GLC 350 e is part of the new GLC-Class. It borrows styling cues from the GLE-Class as also the C-class (on which it is based)

Powering the GLC 350 e is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which is teamed with an electric motor and 8.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The combined power on offer is a massive 320bhp, while the torque figure stands at 560Nm. The seven-speed automatic transmission transmits power to all four wheels through a version of Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel drive system.

The plug-in hybrid, then is a fairly quick car as 0 to 100 km/h is dealt with in just 5.9 seconds while the top speed is rated at 235Km/h. Mercedes says it also has a 33 km electric-only range, while a full recharge from a Level 2 AC source should take about four hours.

The GLC350e plug-in hybrid comes with a selection of driving modes, which includes Hybrid mode, all-electric E-Mode, an E-Save mode that maintains a specific level of battery charge, and Charge mode, which uses the gasoline engine to recharge the battery pack for later use.

Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e Rear

That's thanks to extensive use of aluminum and high-strength steel, as well as fiberglass-reinforced plastic for components of the Air Body Control air suspension system the GLC is lighter too and this benefits the plug-in hybrid variant too.

While we wait to see what Mercedes-Benz India has in its plans, we really hope this plug-in hybrid is part of it. We hope to see greener cars come to India.

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