Mercedes GLC 400e Test: Plug-in hybrid for those who don't need to save money

Inhaltsverzeichnis

(Hier finden Sie die deutsche Version des Beitrags)

Mercedes has made provisions for the time when the purchase of a plug-in hybrid will no longer be generously subsidised by tax. In other words, for a time when this drive system will have to assert itself on the market again. The battery is comparatively large at 31.2 kWh, and it can also be optionally charged with up to 60 kW at a DC pillar. These are good ingredients for the most convenient electric use in everyday life. A first drive with the top model GLC 400e.

Three plug-in hybrids in the GLC

All three PHEV powertrains are already familiar from the C-Class. The customer can choose between a diesel and two petrol engines on the combustion side of the plug-in hybrid. The electric motor is always identical with 100 kW and 440 Nm, the system power is scaled via the combustion engines. In the case of the test car, the two-litre four-cylinder petrol engine contributes 185 kW; the combined output here is actually almost the sum of the two drives. The driver has access to up to 280 kW and 650 Nm, which is sufficient for lively driving performance despite a kerb weight of 2355 kg. The factory quotes 5.6 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h, the top speed is said to be 237 km/h.

Confident

In everyday life, there is therefore more power available than can be used in the vast majority of cases. The GLC 400e has an extremely superior engine. Much of the drive noise disappears behind the thick insulation. In this respect, too, Mercedes has succeeded in concealing the switch from pure electric mode to hybrid mode. With 100 kW, which can be called up spontaneously at any time in electric mode, the driver is already well served. In combination with the combustion engine, the car also moves quickly above the recommended speed.

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Mercedes GLC 2022 (5 Bilder)

In daily use, however, it is the speed with which charging takes place that is more pleasing. Even at the AC charging station, a few kilometres of electric range can be collected while doing the weekly shopping. A three-phase charger with 11 kW is standard. If you don't mind the cost at the DC charging station, it hardly takes more than 30 minutes to completely fill an empty battery. These are not sensational values for drivers of electric cars; compared to the PHEV competition, this is downright fast.

Consumption: It's up to you

Mercedes states 0.6 to 0.8 litres in WLTP, but no one should expect that. The decisive factor for real consumption is how diligently the car is topped up. Those who fail to do so must expect values from 8 litres upwards in practice. In purely electric operation, at least 30 kWh/100 km must be planned for over the entire year, including charging losses. So if you are aiming for a low primary energy requirement, you are not only in the wrong car in terms of format. The calculation should work out financially, especially if you can obtain at least one energy source at low cost - for example from your own solar system or from a charging card whose billing is handled by the boss.

The GLC goes astonishingly far off the beaten track, which is something that hardly any owner will ever test to the limits. These are set primarily by the tyres, because maximum grip and suitability for fast motorway stages are diametrically opposed. An interesting extra is the "transparent bonnet". Cameras under the car provide an image on the monitor in the middle of the dashboard, which can be quite helpful off-road.

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Mercedes GLC 2022 (7 Bilder)

Very comfortable

The driving comfort is excellent, especially with the optional air suspension. It filters carefully without completely decoupling. What remains is a pleasant level of feedback. The seats are unlikely to cause anyone backache. They are sufficiently firm, but above all they can be adjusted to a wide range of positions for both young and old. The space in the front and rear is generous. The boot holds between 470 litres, 150 litres less than in the conventionally powered GLC. As in the C-Class, some of the GLC interior materials are remarkably plain. The low point is the rear trim of the headrests, whose appearance is only marginally above a drainpipe.

Very expensive

It is difficult to reconcile this with what Mercedes dictates as a wish list in the price lists. At the time of going to press, there were no prices for the plug-in hybrids, but the premium is likely to be similar to that of the C-Class. There, the difference between a C 200 4Matic and a C 400e 4Matic is around 15,000 euros. If this continues with the GLC, the GLC 400e we drove would come to 72,000 euros - without any optional extras, of course. For a GLC 300e, with less standard equipment, around 63,000 euros would have to be budgeted for. The good news is that if you want to drive the SUV mainly electrically anyway, you can save yourself the extra charge. Because in E-mode, nothing separates the two PHEVs, which makes the expected prices seem even bolder.

(mfz)