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Mercedes-Benz C350e Plug-in Hybrid: Luxurious and environmentally friendly
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The Mercedes-Benz C350e Plug-in Hybrid gives the initial impression of being an attractive, elegant and luxurious car. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
The Mercedes-Benz C350e Plug-in Hybrid gives the initial impression of being an attractive, elegant and luxurious car.
However, the car offers much more than just its looks; it is also environmentally friendly car with hybrid technology.
Recently introduced during the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association’s Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2017 in August, the car was the first ever hybrid vehicle with plug-in technology to be presented in Indonesia.
The car’s exterior resembles that of the Mercedes-Benz C 200 Avantgarde, with light emitting diode (LED) headlights. The difference in the hybrid version is that it features blue headlight rings.
As for the wheels, the Mercedes-Benz C350e Plug-in Hybrid uses 19-inch rims with front tires measuring 225/40-19 and back tires measuring 245/40-19.
With its blue color and special hybrid design, the car has a unique brake system, applying regenerative power technology so that when the brakes are activated, they not only reduce speed and engine rotation but also transfer the energy to fill the battery located in the rear of the car.
The back of the car has features that distinguish it from the ordinary C-Class series, like the small letter “e” on the upper left of the trunk, a battery box on the lower right of the bumper and, though nothing looks strange in general, a smaller trunk capacity as the space is shared with the battery.
Inside the trunk, there is a charger cable on the left with a standard adapter and socket for charging at home, just like charging cell phones or other electronic devices. It takes three to three-and-a-half hours for the car’s battery to be fully charged.
To sit in the driver’s seat of a Mercedes-Benz has always been a pleasant experience because of its luxury and distinctive aroma of the car’s upholstery. The space is also comfortable and spacious as the driver can electronically adjust the seat. The air conditioner is directly switched on as the door is remotely opened, creating a cool interior as one enters the car.
When using the ignition key to start the engine for a test drive, it may seem a bit odd to notice that even as the car is ready to go, there is no mechanical sound, as if the car runs without an engine. Driving the C350e Plug-in Hybrid feels very smooth on the highway, even with the gentle swaying in certain road conditions due to the car’s heavier weight.
A hybrid car tends to be heavier because of additional electric motor and battery components.
Nonetheless, the weight poses no constraints to its agile movement. It maneuvers dynamically, like a light-weight vehicle, thanks to the C350e car’s AIRMATIC air suspension technology, the first in the line-up of the class. With this system, suspension is automatically adjusted to the way the car is driven.
The hybrid comes with a 1,991-cc 4-cylinder turbo engine, producing 211 horse power (hp) and a peak torque of 350 nanometers, plus its electric motor’s 80 hp and 340 nm, turning out about 279 hp and 600 nm from both sources, very big for a 4-door sedan.
Unsurprisingly, when passing a freeway, it can register an estimated record of 0-100 kilometers an hour within only six seconds. It is virtually a hybrid sports car.
As a hybrid car bearing the environmentally friendly image, the car’s fuel saving capability is justly questioned. By traveling around Jakarta’s congestion-prone roads, combined with going in and out of toll roads, the car’s fuel consumption is listed at approximately 2.1 liters per 100 km, about twice as economical as all low-cost green cars in Indonesia. By using the pure electric system, the car can still cover a distance of 31 km. It will later switch to the fuel system automatically.
Indonesian customers must wait if they want to purchase it because it will not be available in the market here in the near future.
Should the Indonesian government issue a regulation on low carbon emission vehicles, this eco-friendly sedan may be roaming across Indonesia’s highways before long.
