genius or madness For some time we have seen how different manufacturers bet on combine electric motors with diesel engines. A priori they are all advantages. We have seen diesel hybrids, such as those that PSA (Citroën and Peugeot) had at the time. Currently there is a growing supply of diesel micro-hybrids. And there are even diesel plug-in hybrids, such as the case at hand today.
Combine the diesel frugality and the use of energy that allows electricity to be stored in a battery, to use it to support the internal combustion engine with an electric motor or even make it able to move the vehicle by itself, seems like a brilliant idea.
That has been precisely one of the keys to the success of the SUV for which it is worth waiting for 2023. An SUV that today is in fourth position on the list of best-selling plug-in hybrids in Spain (accumulated from 2022 to October inclusive). And a model that has just been renewed to stay as one of the best-selling high-end SUVs in Spain.
Mercedes-Benz offers a rare combination, a plug-in hybrid associated with a diesel internal combustion engine
An SUV worth waiting for in 2023
Mercedes-Benz has just renewed one of its most popular products whose success lies, above all, in the existence of plug-in hybrid mechanics – diesel and gasoline – and two bodies – “SUV” and Coupé. 3 out of 10 units of the Mercedes GLC registered in Spain are plug-in hybrids.
The Mercedes GLC has just been renewed and we have already had the opportunity to test it. In the video that appears at the end of this article you can check our verdict, with the impressions of my colleague Sergio.
Today It can be purchased with two gasoline and two diesel enginesall of them micro-hybrids (in parentheses we show you the additional power provided by the electric motor), as well as a gasoline plug-in hybrid. New engines will be incorporated next year, including a diesel hybrid, although At the moment the Mercedes GLC range is articulated as follows:
- GLC 200 4MATIC (petrol) of 204 CV (+23 CV): €58,228.45
- GLC 300 4MATIC (petrol) of 258 CV (+23 CV): €65,253.46
- GLC 220 d 4MATIC (diesel) of 197 CV (+23 CV): €60,925.45
- GLC 300 d 4MATIC (diesel) of 269 CV (+23 CV): €68,525.45
- GLC 300 e 4MATIC (gasoline plug-in hybrid) of 204 CV (+136 CV) and 130 kilometers of electric autonomy: €74,997.84
The Mercedes GLC will continue to have a diesel plug-in hybrid, which will arrive at dealerships next year
Diesel SUV with 100 kilometers of electric range
But the most original engine, and perhaps interesting for many buyers, will be incorporated over the next year. The 4MATIC Mercedes GLC 300 offers us a diesel SUV, plug-in hybrid, with a 197 hp diesel engine and a 100 kW electric motor that, combined, allow this SUV to deliver 335 hp of power. But the most interesting thing, without a doubt, is that he enjoys an electric autonomy that allows you to travel between 112 and 128 kilometers (according to WLTP) without consuming a drop of diesel.
As we told you, we will have to wait until next year for reservations and sales of this plug-in hybrid diesel SUV to begin. It is foreseeable that it will rank as the most expensive engine in the GLC range, only surpassed by the sportier versions of Mercedes-AMG. To this day its price has not yet been confirmed.
The model that we can buy, without having to wait until next year to buy it, is the Mercedes GLC Coupé with a plug-in hybrid diesel engine. This bodywork has not yet been updated and still has in its range a Mercedes GLC Coupe 300 of 4MATIC of 306 CV for €72,617.
