In the new era of diesel-emissions concern, Mercedes-Benz buyers seeking the brand’s the most fuel-efficient offering must remember to plug in their car every night. The latest model to offer that feature is the 2018 GLC350e, the automaker’s second plug-in-hybrid crossover and one of many more electrified models on the way.
The GLC350e 4Matic has been available in Europe since the fall of 2016 but won’t arrive at dealers in the United States until this summer. Pricing starts at $50,985, a $7940 premium over a comparable GLC300 4Matic, but that can be tempered with a $4460 federal tax credit. The EPA hasn’t released estimates for fuel economy or range, although the German version claims up to 21 electric miles on the optimistic European cycle, or double what the mid-size GLE550e achieves in U.S. tests. Charging takes less than 2.5 hours with a Level 2 connection.
You could say the e stands for extra: a net 320 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, up considerably from the GLC300’s 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. But there’s extra weight, too, as the 8.7-kWh lithium-ion battery, 114-hp electric motor attached to the transmission input shaft, and various electronics required to distribute all that energy add 563 pounds, according to Mercedes, for a 4564-pound curb weight. Even so, Mercedes-Benz estimates the GLC350e is 0.2 second quicker to 60 mph, at 6.2 seconds (we measured 5.9 seconds in a GLC300 4Matic). Using just the electric motor, the ...