Mercedes-Benz C 350e 2022 Review

The new 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 350e isn’t like any old plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

PHEVs used to have the most frustrating powertrains going around. Drivers would boil with rage as their claimed 30km of EV range melted into half that in the real world. And so, few of them were ever charged at all.

That’s not the case with the new-generation Mercedes-Benz C 350e, with its combination of a big battery, a more efficient electric motor and a detuned version of the incoming C 300’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

But while the fourth-generation PHEV powertrain is the star, there is much to like in the C 350e beyond the whirring bits. The only differences are some added screen graphics for the electric and PHEV powertrain maps, to show people where the energy is being spent.

When it arrives in Australia in the first half of 2022 to join other members of the new-generation C-Class launch cast – the C 200 and C 300 that arrive late this year, with the Mercedes-AMG C 63 and others to follow – the C 350e plug-in hybrid should come standard with the new Digital Light headlights with 2.6 million pixels, which are options on lower-tier models.

The C 350e (which will be badged C 300e overseas, as shown here) will also bypass the entry-level 10.25-inch digital screens in the cabin in favour of the 12.3-inch options, too, and it will have a colour head-up display.

There are no changes to the hardware for the vertical multimedia centre screen, though it’s likely to simply use the 11.9-inch version instead of the 9.5-inch unit in the C 200.

If the idea behind the safety suite of the new-generation C-Class was to keep it away from crashes in the first place, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 350e does all of that and adds some significant protection for the new battery just in case that all fails.

It takes the full safety suite found on the incoming Mercedes-Benz C 200 and C 300, including the active cruise control that automatically stops from up to 100km/h, lane keeping systems, active steering systems, rear-axle steering and an airbag in the rear of the front seats to prevent the front occupants banging their heads together.

The highlight is the battery, and what Mercedes has done to mitigate the usual PHEV traps with it.

At 25.4kWh, it’s a significant battery – even bigger than the original BMW i3 EV battery (22kWh) – and it has been packaged to have its own protection system, yet it avoids the stepped floor of the last-generation C-Class PHEV.

The first C-Class PHEV had just 6.2kWh of energy storage and the last one was 13.5kWh. So this new one is a big change.

It has three stages of regeneration in the EV mode, all of which are controlled via paddles on the steering wheel, and it has its own graphics on the multimedia displays to demonstrate range, energy consumption and a range of other EV stuff.

Over urban drives, the C 350e will prioritise the EV mode, and it will use a combination of real-time traffic reports, topographical data and mapping to decide which powertrain to use at any given time.

The biggest advance with the new-generation PHEV is the boost in lithium-ion battery capacity to 25.4kWh, and that gives the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 350e a 100km range.

That’s in the real world, too, measured on the tougher WLTP test cycle.

It’s easily strong enough to drive as an EV, too, with 440Nm of torque from zero revs and 95kW of electric power, and that’s enough to deliver an EV top speed of 140km/h.

Even as a pure EV, the WLTP test shows it consumes between 20kWh and 23.5kWh of electricity per 100km, which is highly competitive against pure EVs.

It can be recharged at up to 55kW on a direct-current charger, or 11kW via alternating current, so it can be fully charged in half an hour on DC power.

There are 96 pouch cells in the battery pack, which has its own internal cooling circuit, and Mercedes-Benz claims it can recover energy at 100kW or more.

The 2.0-litre inline four has been detuned to 150kW and 320Nm (compared to 190kW/400Nm in the C 300), but together with the electric powertrain (producing 45kW/440Nm) the C 350e punches out 230kW of power and 550Nm, so it’s as strong as it needs to be.

It delivers – wait for it – a WLTP combined consumption figure of between 0.7 and 1.1 litres per 100km, depending on the options plonked into the car, so it emits between 14 and 24 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 350e takes all of the best qualities of the new-generation C 200 and amplifies them.

Besides the added weight, there are few changes to the C 200 sedan’s chassis, so it retains the 4751mm overall length, the 2865mm wheelbase, and the width and the height remain the same. It retains the four-link front suspension, the multi-link rear and the rear-axle steering, too.

Its ride quality is brilliant at soaking up bumps with disdain, keeping the body flat in corners and providing a whisper-quiet cabin.

It has different springs to the combustion cars to cope with the extra weight, and the dampers have been retuned as well.

The temptation is to switch it directly into the sportiest hybrid mode, but the C 350e defaults into EV mode when it’s started and it’s so peaceful that it’s hard to switch over.

Punchy from low speed, the EV mode is at its strongest up until about 75km/h, and then it accumulates speed, rather than hitting hard.

There are three different one-pedal driving options (which is good because a lot of people aren’t good at it), and we didn’t actually use any hydraulic brakes for the first 50km or so of our drive.

It’s so good at the EV caper that there’s simply no reason not to use it for most of the driving situations you’ll ever find.

The exception to that rule is driving quickly, and then the petrol engine chimes in (loudly, disappointingly) to add the oomph, and again it’s convincing.

There’s plenty of speed there, and while Mercedes-Benz hasn’t yet quoted a 0-100km/h time, it’s likely to be at least the equal of the C 300 (6.0sec).

The new C 350e takes everything the C 200 has and adds a level of silence it could never hope to equal, plus a level of relaxation that would be the envy of a lot of very expensive limousine drivers.

It stops superbly, corners far, far better than most people will ever need, and the steering is direct and comfortable.

The weight is obvious in the twisty bits, but the backing off and easing through bends is much more of a Mercedes way to corner anyway.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 350e takes the new C 200 and adds some remarkable abilities.

In reality, it’s a viable substitute for a pure EV in day-to-day driving and commuting, with long-range potential on weekends.

The range works now for most lives, and while it’s not a rocket ship in EV mode, it’s more than fast enough for most people, most of the time.

The letdown, again, is the coarseness of the four-cylinder engine, which is exacerbated by the total silence it interrupts, but you hear it less often so that’s a good thing.

It’s a car with remarkable breadth of ability and there’s really nothing not to like, at least until the pricing is finalised.

It will probably have a remarkable price, too, given the technology, but it’s a very, very good piece of machinery.

How much does the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 350e cost?
Price: $90,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: First half 2022
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric plug-in hybrid
Output: 230kW/550Nm (combined)
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 0.7-1.1L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 14-24g/km (WLTP Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested