Mercedes-Benz introduces C300e PHEV in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: It seems like Mercedes is on a spin these days in Malaysia. First, the German automaker officially unveiled the S560 e Plug-in Hybrid, and this was followed by the premiere of the EQC EV. Well, it was at the same ASEAN premiere event where we meet the all-new C 300 e.

It was only last week when Mercedes launched the PHEV sedan in Thailand, where it will go on sale as a locally assembled model. However, that’s not the case with Malaysia, as there is no hope of C300e arrival here. Also, with the company officials revealing that there are no plans to introduce the updated W250 hybrid, the car might never make it to our shores.

The reason for this as per Mark Raine, MBM VP of sales and marketing is that the car would not be price competitively in Malaysia. As the current tax and price resolution is way different than before. The C300e PHEV would be 30% expensive over the petrol version (without tax incentives).

Moving to the specs side, the car is powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol mill that churns out a maximum power of 208 hp at 5,500 rpm along with a peak torque of 350 Nm from 1,200 to 1,400 rpm. The electric motor, on the other hand, offers 121 hp of power. Paired to a 9G-Tronic 9-speed automatic gearbox, the combined system output rests at 315 hp from 4,500 to 5,500 rpm and 700 Nm of torque. The available C 350 e, on the other hand, makes 257 hp and 600 Nm.

On the performance front, the PHEV can cover the 0 to 100 kmph run in 5.4 seconds (0.5 sec faster than the previous gen model), the top speed remains the same as before at 250 kmph.

The C300e PHEV gets the same 13.5 kWh lithium-ion battery that we saw in the recently launched S 560 e. Another same thing is the long all-electric range of approx. 50 km (31 km provided by C350e).

Mercedes-Benz C300e PHEV feature list -

• AMG Line exterior kit
• 19-inch AMG five-twin-spoke alloy wheels
• Multibeam LED headlamps
• Airmatic suspension
• Panoramic sliding sunroof
• Black leather upholstery
• Black roof liner and open-pore black ash wood trim
• Audio 20 radio navigation unit
• Burmester sound system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support, smartphone integration, and wireless charging