Mercedes-Benz has introduced the C350e plug-in-hybrid to the local market and it’s manufactured in South Africa!

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class range has expanded with the addition of the C350e plug-in-hybrid model. The C350e is produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in East London for local and export markets.

“The successful manufacture of the C350e sedan at our award winning Mercedes-Benz East London plant to exacting world-class standards, is another milestone in our illustrious 68-year history of engineering excellence,” says Arno van der Merwe, CEO Mercedes-Benz South Africa & Executive Director Manufacturing.

What is it?

In short, the Mercedes-Benz C350e is a high-performance plug-in hybrid sedan. The C350e combines a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine (155 kW/350 Nm) with an electric motor (60 kW/340 Nm) to produce a combined output of 205 kW and 600 Nm of torque. A 7-speed automatic transmission drives the rear wheels with four modes available to the driver including Individual, Sport+, Sport, Comfort and Economy. In addition to this, the driver also has the choice of four driving modes including Hybrid, E-mode, E-save and Charge.

The electric motor supports the combustion engine to deliver the necessary performance, but it’s also able to convert braking energy into electrical energy, storing it in a 6.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. The battery can be charged using an external power source and weighs about 100 kg. The battery unit is stored under the rear axle and takes about 1h45min to induce a full charge using a 230V/16A wall-box or up to two hours using a 230V/13A standard domestic socket.

Despite the presence of the battery, the C350e still offers 335 litres of boot space. In terms of performance, the derivative can travel a distance of 31 km in all-electric mode and can sprint from zero to 100 kph in 5.9 seconds before reaching a top speed of 250 kph. Mercedes-Benz claims a fuel consumption figure of just 2.1 L/100km.

Standard Features

The Mercedes-Benz C350e plug-in-hybrid features the sporty Avantgardeexterior equipment line as standard. If you wish, the Exclusiveand AMG-line treatments are available. Meanwhile, the C350e is fitted with H7 halogen headlights as standard, while two LED variants can be had as an option (static LED and LED Intelligent Light System). For added comfort, while driving, Airmatic air suspension with self-levelling is standard too.

The C350e is fitted with a wide range of safety and assistance features typically found on other C-Class models. Attention Assist and Collision Prevention Assist Plus is fitted as standard. The infotainment system offers Internet, Bluetooth and telephony functionality.

Mercedes-Benz C350e – Price in South Africa

Customers are free to order the C 350 e from any Mercedes-Benz dealership in South Africa and customer deliveries can be expected in August 2016.

Mercedes-Benz C350e R804900

The price includes a 2-year/unlimited warranty and a 6-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.

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