Mercedes-Benz now offers a plug-in hybrid version of its compact crossover SUV, the 2025 GLC 350e 4Matic. In it, you get 54 miles of EV driving range.
Mercedes-Benz recently announced another plug-in hybrid, this time joining the line-up of the GLC compact crossover. Mercedes launched the third-generation of the GLC in 2023. I came away quite impressed with it after reviewing a GLC300 4Matic.
POWERTRAIN
The 350e starts with four-cylinder power up front, just as it does in the 300. In the 350e, it makes a less impressive 201 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft of torque. But, where the 300 receives a bit of help from a mild-hybrid system, this 350e makes use of a larger electric motor that produces 134 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft of torque on its own. Nice.
Working together, the driver can harness 313 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft of torque, which is distributed to all four wheels. Mercedes estimates that’s enough to propel the GLC 350e from rest to 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds. Keep your foot in it and you’ll eventually hit 130 mph. In fact, the 350e will hit 87 mph under just electric power.
To carry the 350e, the electric motor extracts its energy from a 24.8 kWh battery pack. And, if you start with a full charge, the EPA certified the 350e to travel 54 miles as an EV before depleting the battery. Once that happens, Mercedes installed a 60-kW DC charger to fully recharge in about a half hour.
Keep it charged before trips and you will see 60 MPGE in the city, 70 on the highway, 64 combined. Let the battery drain and those numbers drop to 23/28/25 (city/hwy/cmb), or a little worse than the GLC 300 4Matic mild-hybrid achieves.
TRIM LEVELS
Mercedes will sell the 350e in three trims, Standard, Exclusive, and Pinnacle. Even the standard level gets a healthy amount of equipment. It starts with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 11.9-inch center display. You can connect your smartphone wirelessly to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And charge it wirelessly too. Base trim also gets the digital key, rain sensing wipers, and heated front seats.
Moving up the Exclusive grants you a better sound system, ambient lighting and other niceties. The Pinnacle trims adds a head-up display, heat and noise insulated glass, and more. Of course, plenty of options exist to raise the price, but you can leave the dealership in a 350e starting at $61,050. Another $1650 gets you in an Exclusive, the Pinnacle requires another $1950. Less than I expected. And you can do so, right now. The GLC 350e already started arriving at dealers.
A while ago, I drove the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450e 4Matic midsize crossover SUV and quite enjoyed its smooth and quiet ride. But my test car crept quite close to $100K. And, frankly, I personally do not want to drive something that big. If the GLC delivers the same levels of smooth and quiet. And does so in a smaller, less expensive package? It will make it a very attractive way to transition to a plug-in hybrid machine.
