Photo: CarPix
Have you ever imagined that one day a Mercedes-Benz would come boasting a better fuel economy figure than the best-selling eco-friendly vehicle out there? Neither did we, but it seems like the upcoming C-Class Plug-in Hybrid will shame the Japanese green machine from Toyota with a staggering mpg figure.
Numerous voices hinted that the present generation W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will be offered in a PHEV variant sometime in its production life, but that piece of info has been finally confirmed by Ralf Rossmanith, the head of development for the C-Class Estate. Speaking to the Australians from Motoring, the Mercedes official has also declared that the upcoming C350 Plug-in Hybrid emits less than 50 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven in testing environments.
That figure roughly translates to a scarcely believable fuel economy of 2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers or 117.6 mpg for our U.S. readers. The gasoline-electric powertrain employs an internal combustion 2-liter four-pot with 211 horsepower and 350 Nm on tap as well as an electric motor rated at 68 horses. The 279 horsepower drivetrain is good for a 600 kilometer (372-mile) cruising range according to Rossmanith, while the lithium-ion battery has enough juice for 30 clicks (19 miles) of pure-electric drive.
The pluggable Mercedes-Benz C350 PHEV is expected to be launched later in the year or early 2015, but we wouldn't hold our breath when it comes to that jaw-dropping fuel economy figure. We expect the production-ready model to boast a fuel economy of 3 liters per 100 kilometers (78.4 mpg) tops. Moreover, this tree-hugging variant of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class will most definitely command quite a hefty sticker price, so only time will tell if you're better off buying a similarly priced 60 kWh Tesla Model S.
That figure roughly translates to a scarcely believable fuel economy of 2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers or 117.6 mpg for our U.S. readers. The gasoline-electric powertrain employs an internal combustion 2-liter four-pot with 211 horsepower and 350 Nm on tap as well as an electric motor rated at 68 horses. The 279 horsepower drivetrain is good for a 600 kilometer (372-mile) cruising range according to Rossmanith, while the lithium-ion battery has enough juice for 30 clicks (19 miles) of pure-electric drive.
The pluggable Mercedes-Benz C350 PHEV is expected to be launched later in the year or early 2015, but we wouldn't hold our breath when it comes to that jaw-dropping fuel economy figure. We expect the production-ready model to boast a fuel economy of 3 liters per 100 kilometers (78.4 mpg) tops. Moreover, this tree-hugging variant of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class will most definitely command quite a hefty sticker price, so only time will tell if you're better off buying a similarly priced 60 kWh Tesla Model S.
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