This Mercedes-Benz GLC plugin hybrid is an interesting proposition in that it’s a diesel hybrid and not the more usual petrol.
As far as I can recall only Peugeot/Citroen have experimented with this kind of powertrain in the past and the reason they’re so rare is that diesels traditionally aren’t all that economical until they’re fully warmed up. Add to that the almost pariah status of diesels these days and it’s no wonder most makers choose to base their hybrids around petrol power.
But let’s take a look at a diesel hybrid and what it has to offer. Presumably anyone buying a car like this is interested in fuel economy and it’s hard to argue about the economy of electric power. In this GLC, a full charge gets you around 50km of EV range in the real world and that’s enough to tip around town for the day for most families.
When you need to go further, I’ve found that a large SUV and petrol power makes for horrendous fuel economy, negating any savings you might make elsewhere. Not so with this car, as I easily saw sub 7 l/100km figures throughout my week, whether on motorways or doing more local mileage.
So even though you have the extra weight of the battery and motors to carry around, it really had no detrimental effect on fuel economy over a standard diesel.
When the diesel engine finally kicks in, it’s barely perceptible and the cabin is so well insulated you’d be hard pressed to detect that the engine is turning over. When maximum performance is called for, both engine and motor can be called on to achieve acceleration of 0-100km/h in just 6.2 seconds, thanks to a combined power output of 306bhp. That power is easily put down onto the road thanks to the standard 4Matic four wheel drive system and the nine speed automatic fitted to all GLCs.
As for the rest of the GLC, it’s as you’d expect, with a sumptuous interior dominated by a large central screen for the infotainment system. The driver’s instruments are clear and ideally placed and are fully digital so can be customised. Given the quality of materials on display, the cabin is a very pleasant space to spend some time.
There’s plenty of room in the front and for rear seat passengers but I suspect the batteries rob some luggage space, which may be an issue.
LED headlights are standard as is the latest MBUX infotainment system which can be controlled by natural voice. It even learns more about your habits and preferences the more you use it, making it as easy to use as possible.
Normally, you’d expect to pay a lot more to have a battery and an electric motor in addition to your internal combustion engine but thanks to the vagaries of the VRT system, that’s not the case here.
The GLC range starts from €59,865 for the 220d. This diesel hybrid 300de, thanks to its much lower VRT rate starts from €62,300, making it the clear winner of the two. Even though there’s €2,500 between the two cars, the hybrid’s extra punch, potential for much greater fuel economy and extra equipment easily makes up the difference.
