The Mercedes Benz C350e was the brands first C Class hybrid to be introduced in the local market back in 2016 but now Mercedes had teased a replacement car for the C350e in the form of the C300e, but will it ever hit the local market? Initially there was little to suggest so but could things be changing? Nevertheless, here are the updates that we could see.
Updated exterior.
The new C300e boasts a new AMG line exterior that comes with updated 19 inch AMG rims, a bespoke 84 independently operated LED headlight that is far more effective compared to the previous lighting technology used by Mercedes-Benz. Other than that, Mercedes-Benz has also added a new electronic operated panoramic sunroof, so yes it’s something we can definitely deem elegant.
Updated interior.
New to the interior is the updated 10.25 inch central display and the 12.3 inch instrument cluster as seen on the other existing C Class variants. Also there are the steering wheels that feature the touch sensors on the spokes that we have come to love. The seats are leather as usual, but what’s new here is the updated pre-installed memory seat with an all new black ash wood trim to compliment it.
A more powerful engine with an improved battery pack.
Coming with a new 2.0l I4, the figures this car produces is simply staggering. Combined with its electric motors, it pushes out 320bhp with 700nms of torque. There’s a new 9G-tronic gearbox replacing the old car’s 7G-Tronic box, and it enables the C300e to complete its century sprint in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 250kph. That too on a limited speed due to safety reasons of course. And with its new and improved 13.5kWh battery pack, it can now run up to 52kms on an all electric mode. Some inside info claim that this battery pack could be much cheaper to replace on the long run compared to that of the C350e, thanks to in house design and regional manufacturing, but that remains to be seen.
Conclusion.
Despite rumors of not bringing in the car, new source of info claim that it could possibly hit the local market after all. It does have the right type of kit, and thanks to our countries tax laws, will be lucratively priced thanks to PHEV exemptions. And thanks to some update to the hybrid battery pack, it could be cheaper to run too. What are your thoughts on the Mercedes Benz C300e? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
-Deva Hariharan Shanker
