Mercedes-Benz C 300e plug-in hybrid released

Mercedes-Benz Australia has slipped the C 300e into the market some months after the launch of the updated 205-series C-Class range around this time last year.

But the plug-in hybrid model, a foretaste of things to come, has ditched the 19-inch wheels of its predecessor, the Mercedes-Benz C 350 e for 18-inch wheels, and the 60kW electric motor of the old model is succeeded in the new variant by one producing 90kW and 440Nm.

The price for the Mercedes-Benz C 300 e has risen to $79,200, but the new model now has a 13.5kWh battery, versus the 6.4kWh battery used by the C 350 e. That has resulted in an electric-only range of 52km from the fully-charged battery, which Benz says is nearly double the range of the C 350 e.

The larger capacity of the new battery has contributed to a new fuel consumption figure of 2.1L/100km, a small but significant improvement on the previous figure of 2.4L/100km.

Like the earlier model, the C 300 e features pre-entry climate control, Air Body Control suspension for active ride height and levelling, a charge cable, Driver Assistance Package (including Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC automated cruise control with predictive speed adjustment for bends, junctions and roundabouts), leather upholstery and KEYLESS GO with hands-free bootlid opening.

Other changes across the C-Class range include a new C 200 Sport Edition variant and an upgrade across the C 200 stratum from the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine to a 2.0-litre engine – also turbocharged – matched to the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission as standard.

The C 200 Sport Edition is a limited-time offer available across all C-Class body styles except the Cabriolet and packed with the following features: Distronic adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats with memory function, Adaptive Highbeam Assist (sedan only, standard on coupe), rear privacy glass, 19-inch AMG alloy wheels and the AMG Line exterior package (standard on coupe).

The C 200 Sport package adds $7700 to the price of the sedan and wagon variants, and $7200 to the price of the coupe, but Mercedes-Benz Australia is offering drive-away pricing as a further retail incentive.

Both the C 300 e and C 200 Sport Edition are available to order now, with local deliveries to take place later in the year.

In addition to the larger engine for the mainstream C 200 models (150kW and 300Nm for a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 7.0L/100km and a 0-100km/h time of 7.1 seconds), the C-Class range now features Live Traffic Information as standard.

For vehicles upholstered in black, the interior door handles are now also black, rather than the previous chrome finish. Similarly, the chrome-finish air vents are now black.

Mercedes-Benz is no longer supplying a micro USB/Apple Lightning cable kit with each C-Class sold, but sedan and wagons now provide an additional USB port for the rear-seat occupants.

A new exterior colour, ‘Graphite’, replaces the previous ‘Emerald Green’. Cargo nets that were installed in the rear footwells of the coupe and Cabriolet models are no longer provided.

Mercedes-AMG C 43 models now feature high-gloss black inserts for the side skirts and the C 63’s Selenite Grey Magno (a Designo colour option) is no longer available.

Prices for the C-Class range are now as follows:
C 200 Sedan – $64,500
C 200 Sedan Sport Edition – $69,900 (drive-away)
C 220d Sedan – $66,000
C 300 Sedan – $72,700
C 300e Sedan – $79,200
C 43 Sedan – $109,741
C 63 S Sedan – $162,542
C 200 Estate – $66,923
C 200 Estate Sport Edition – $74,623
C 220d Estate – $68,700
C 300 Estate – $75,142
C 43 Estate – $112,242
C 63 S Estate – $165,142
C 200 Coupé – $69,200
C 200 Coupé Sport Edition – $74,900 (driveaway)
C 300 Coupé – $86,800
C 43 Coupé – $113,841
C 63 S Coupé – $167,642
C 200 Cabriolet – $89,842
C 300 Cabriolet – $103,742
C 43 Cabriolet – $127,041
C 63 S Cabriolet – $185,941

Along with the changes to the C-Class, Benz has also updated E-Class and S-Class, with Live Traffic Information now standard across both ranges.

For the E-Class, AMG floor mats are now made from a velour material, the door lock pins are now black (previously chrome) and sedans and wagons are now fitted with steering wheel buttons lifted from the E 63S.

Coupes and convertibles are no longer fitted with cargo nets in the rear footwells, and a new colour, Brilliant Blue, replaces Aragonite Silver and Diamond Silver.

The E 300 coupe and convertible adopt the 190kW engine, now the sports exhaust system has been dropped. All E 300 variants now produce the same engine output as a result.

The Mercedes-AMG E 63 migrates to a new ‘slippery’ drive program in lieu of the former Eco program, aimed at enhancing traction on low-friction surfaces. ‘Emotion Start’ is a introduced ot AMG models for full-engine sound on start-up.

S-Class models also gain velour AMG floor mats, and the S 63’s Eco program is also replaced by the ‘Slippery’ mode, with the high-performance model also gaining the ‘Emotion Start’ option.