WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ GLC PHEV

SUVs and crossovers continue to be more popular than ever these days, and that's pretty much the case for a brand like Mercedes-Benz as well. While the core sedans like the C-Class continue to sell relatively well, its range of SUVs is where the money's at right now. Fresh out of the oven is the all-new GLC, which has received a full redesign for this model year.

In the North American market, the GLC currently sells as the GLC 300, which has a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. For now, this is as much electrification as you could get in a GLC, but if you wait a little longer--and your patience lasts you through the second half of 2024, you'll have the added choice of a plug-in hybrid as well.

The GLC PHEV Will Arrive This Year

The Mercedes-Benz GLC has become the brand's second-best-selling model. With 40,253 units sold last year, it's only second to the larger GLE with 57,696 units sold. There's no room for Mercedes-Benz to screw up the GLC, but with the availability of a plug-in hybrid, the GLC's appeal will only get stronger as time passes by.

Increased Efficiency, More Power

Dubbed the GLC 350e 4Matic, which will be a 2025 model year, this plug-in hybrid variant of the GLC will utilize the same 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine as the GLC 300. Only for this model, that same engine is augmented with an electric motor that produces 134 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.

This electric motor gets its energy from a 24.8 kWh battery, which is enough for a pure electric range of 81 miles (WLTP rated). The GLC 350e 4Matic, however, has not yet been rated by the EPA in both fuel economy and electric range, but as a PHEV, it's safe to assume it will be much more efficient than the GLC 300.

When combined with the 2.0-liter turbo gas engine, the total system output of the GLC 350e is 313 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, which is much more than the 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

However, if you were expecting that added performance to make for a faster GLC, then that's where you're (probably) wrong. The 24.8 kWh battery, after all, contributed to its yet-to-be-specified curb weight. We're yet to get the 0-60 mph figures for the GLC 350e, but for your reference, the 0-60 mph in the GLC 300 happens in 6.2 seconds.

Let's Talk Charging

A 24.8 kWh battery is quite big for a plug-in hybrid, which is why the GLC comes with DC fast charging capabilities--something that's not that common among plug-in hybrids. In the case of the GLC 350e, the vehicle accepts up to 60 kW of DC fast charging, which is enough to charge the batteries from 10 to 80 percent in just 30 minutes.

Of course, you can expect triple-digit DC fast charging speeds in a plug-in hybrid since that's pretty much overkill for a battery that's about one-fourth or one-third of what a pure electric vehicle (EV) has. Now, if you are using AC charging, the GLC 350e can support up to 11 kW, which is good enough for a zero to 100 percent charge in around two hours and 20 minutes. Still pretty fast for a plug-in hybrid.

Mercedes-Benz GLC PHEV Specs

(Data sourced from Mercedes)

Everything Else That's Offered In The GLC 350e

Apart from the plug-in hybrid powertrain that's more powerful than the GLC 300, this variant will also come with a few added features to justify its price and existence next to the GLC 300. From the words of Mercedes-Benz's press release, they say that the "extensive standard offerings of the GLC 300 4MATIC SUV will carry over to the plug-in hybrid while adding more new standard features to further enhance the electric experience".

Elegance Is Standard, Sportiness Is Optional

The Mercedes-Benz GLC is characterized by a clean and curvaceous sheet metal that perfectly combines elegance and sophistication. Exterior LED lighting comes as standard, and with every luxury car, there are plenty of ways to make your GLC truly yours. The GLC's attractiveness also depends on how much money you can splurge, because as you cherry-pick nicer colors or bigger wheels, expect the final price to be much higher than the base retail price. Oh, and speaking of retail prices, these have not yet been announced at the moment.

Like the GLC 300, the GLC 350e will follow a similar trim structure which consists of three variants: Standard (Premium), Exclusive, and Pinnacle. At the very least, you get 18-inch wheels, which are upgradable to 19s or 20s. You also get LED headlights with automatic high-beam.

At the same time, adaptive Digital Light matrix LED lights are offered in the Pinnacle variant. 11 paint options and 13 upholstery options are also offered, regardless of the three trims. The AMG Line or AMG Line with Night package that gives the GLC a sportier look is an optional extra regardless of which of the three trims you go for.

An Interior That's Tech-Focused Yet Traditional

One thing that we still appreciate about the GLC is that Mercedes-Benz has not yet gone overboard with screens for its interior. The EQS, for example, is a hot mess of unnecessarily large screens that only make the interior look tacky as opposed to elegant. With just a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11.9-inch main infotainment screen that's both powered by the MBUX infotainment, this means that you won't just be starting at a large glass piece, but also an actual dash with room for nice materials and a large expanse of decorative inlay that can range from aluminum and/or wood.

Thankfully, right off the bat, the GLC 350e comes with plenty of interior luxury features as standard. Apart from the aforementioned MBUX screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front seats with 16-way power adjustment and heating, a Digital Key, 64-color ambient lighting, and MB-tex faux leather upholstery. As you step up to higher trims, features such as a Burmester 3D surround sound system is added, along with enhanced ambient lighting, illuminated door sills, and even stuff like a windshield-projected head-up display.

Mercedes-Benz GLC PHEV Trim-wise Specs

(Data sourced from Mercedes)

Mercedes Is Offering A Vehicle That's Right For The Moment

While Mercedes-Benz already has a broad range of EQ-branded EVs, the arrival of the GLC 350e couldn't have come at a better time. Yes, we are on a path towards electrification, but current market wants and needs have spoken. Hybrids are what Americans currently want--not EVs.

EV Sales Growth Has Slowed, Hybrids Are On Demand

As we've written numerous times in recent months, while EV sales continue to grow, that rate of growth has slowed down over the past few months. This means that there will be brands that will experience growth more than others, while some will even experience sales declines.

In the case of Mercedes-Benz, while full-year 2023 sales of its EQ vehicles have grown compared to 2022, quarter-on-quarter results from Q3 to Q4 of 2023 saw sales of the EQS sedan and EQS SUV decrease by 40.8 percent and 25.9 percent, respectively.

While we don't know how many plug-in hybrids Mercedes-Benz has sold from 2023 versus 2022, the move to offer a plug-in hybrid GLC will put the brand in a good position to experience solid growth as hybrid sales growth outpace EV sales growth. More than 1.2 million EVs were sold in the United States last year, which represents a 46 percent growth and 7.6 percent market share.

How about hybrid sales? Well, that rose by 65 percent to more than 1.2 million sold (the bulk of which comes from Toyota), which represents an eight percent market share. Combine it with plug-in hybrids like the GLC 350e, and nearly 1 in 10 cars sold in 2023 are a hybrid.

Why You'll Also Love The GLC 350e

If you've decided to join the numerous happy Americans who have chosen hybrids as their path towards electrification, then you'll enjoy the GLC 350e's capability of being an EV for your daily driving needs to work or the grocery, whilst having the peace of mind and reassurance of an internal combustion engine (ICE).

At the same time, you'll enjoy the supple and comfort-oriented demeanor that our friends from CarBuzz experienced with the GLC 300. Just don't expect it to have the sportiness of a BMW X3, but if comfort and relaxation are all you need, then that's what the GLC 350e is set to offer in spades.

2024-03-23T11:00:46Z dg43tfdfdgfd