(Bloomberg) -- When I recently test-drove the Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e 4Matic, the first hybrid of the German brand’s midsize GLC range, it was in a certain context.
Electrics haven’t been doing well across the board. China’s cheaper offerings domestically and in Europe have taken a chunk out of Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s earnings. So the company needs its hybrids and luxury combustion cars to stay competitive.
In July, Mercedes announced a fresh product offensive: a bunch of models like this GLC meant to change the narrative after an initial round of EVs that had disappointed expectations. Combustion-engine vehicles are the focus of the effort, since buyers “keep reaching for our high-tech combustion-engine cars,” Chief Executive Officer Ola Källenius said.
Which brings us to this hybrid, a car that lands somewhere in both worlds. And after a week of driving, I can attest to this: While the GLC 350e isn’t much to look at, it ably combines Mercedes’ advanced electric technology with the reliability and ease of the tried-and-true combustion engine—all wrapped in the brand’s refined, luxurious packaging. No, it’s not sexy and exciting, but it gets the job done, and honestly sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
The Essentials
The GLC 350e comes with a 313-horsepower, 406-pound-feet-of-torque plug-in-hybrid powertrain that combines a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with an electric motor. This is a familiar hybrid drivetrain; it’s also found in the GLE 450e 4Matic SUV and S 580e 4Matic sedan.
Inside, the cabin remains unchanged from the nonhybrid GLC, with lots of cushy options like heads-up display, a panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, illuminated door sills, ventilated seats and leather trim.
Most notable to me when I got inside was that the GLC carries the third-generation MBUX (Mercedes’ proprietary infotainment system), with its 12.3-inch digital gauge display and 11.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. There are about a million driver-assistance programs associated with the system, such as speed, steering, and braking and blind-spot assistance, as well as something called route-based speed adaptation, which will reduce the speed of the car by referencing map data ahead of curves and other changes in road routes.
Another one, exit warning, is especially obnoxious. It offers “enhanced protection” when getting out of the car, including a warning light displayed in the exterior mirror if a car or bicycle is driving past the vehicle, and an additional warning sound and flashing door light if you open the door. (No thanks.)
There’s no level-three autonomous driving like the kind I tried here, but it does have a driver-assistance package, which includes an automatic lane-change feature if you want the car to do the act for you. (I didn’t.)
Still, the infotainment system is the best you can buy, and the nanny systems were easily deactivated. If you prefer buttons or knobs rather than screens to adjust things like heat or the radio, it will be easier to simply avoid Mercedes vehicles in general. Such trusty controls are absent here.
Pricing on the GLC 350e starts at $59,900, with the highest variant, “Pinnacle Trim,” starting at a very reasonable $63,500. That one offers things like heat- and noise-insulating glass and a heads-up display. It’s at dealerships now.
The Good
The best thing about this car is its exceptional fuel efficiency, which means it saves gobs of time and hassle.
The GLC 350e will achieve 54 miles of electric-only driving and will deliver 60 MPGe in the city and 70 MPGe on the highway, according to US Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Charging to full takes roughly 30 minutes on a DC fast charger.
My real-world experience exceeded those expectations. I used the car to drive from Los Angeles through blanched October desert out past Palm Springs to La Quinta for a wedding so chic it was covered in British Vogue. Leave it to the Brits to wed amid green hydrangeas, peach dahlias, ranunculus and eucalyptus, plus hand-painted, personalized dinner plates and the spirit of Vivienne Westwood, who would surely have given her blessing.
The morning after, I tooled around town, hopping out to kick the tires on an old burgundy 1960s Corvette with chrome bumpers and flames on the hood. Very cool. Then I drove back to LA, a round-trip of 245 miles, plus the extra tooling. And I drove it from my home in Hollywood to the Bloomberg newsroom in Century City for a couple days afterward, an 18-mile commute per day.
I filled up the fuel tank once that whole time. It was heaven.
The Bad
This dowdy rig (yes, I place its looks in the negative category) lacks the iconic lines of the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon—you’d miss it with your eyes open. And it certainly can’t match the sharp-steering, concise-braking and balanced control of the Mercedes-AMG GT63. Instead, it meanders down the road with spongey braking and handling that feels novocaine-injected—which is to say, numb.
The zero-to-60 spring is a downright pedestrian 6.2 seconds. You can almost pedal a bike faster than that.
Sport mode didn’t make much of a difference, so it was just as well to get the most fuel efficiency by leaving it in hybrid mode—hybrid alternates between electric power and gasoline, depending on driving conditions. Battery hold is another mode, which prioritizes maintaining the state of charge of the battery; electric mode drives the car, battery-only, at speeds up to 87 mph. An off-road mode will drive electrically on rough terrain, Mercedes says, though to be honest, I didn’t try it out and it doesn’t seem a likely use case.
There is nothing about this appliance that is especially memorable (besides the new grille with tri-star logos arranged slightly differently) when compared to any other hybrid SUV in the segment (those from Audi, Lexus, Alfa Romeo, take your pick). It’s good if you want to blend in, but the other side of that is you may just walk right past it in the parking lot—even when you’re looking for it.
If You Remember One Thing
Curious about electric vehicles? You don’t have to go all EV all at once. Capable hybrids on proven powertrains like the GLC 350e are the perfect way to dip your toe into the world of electrics to see if you want to take the plunge, or not.
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