Driving the Plug-In Hybrid Version of Benz’s Bestseller

It’s safe to say we were impressed with our first experience testing the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 on U.S. roads. “An incredible value at any trim level,” Matthew Chudzinski wrote after putting one to the test earlier this year. “We hate to refer to a luxury vehicle as a bargain, but this one really is,” he continued. But are American buyers being offered the best version of the three-pointed star’s top-selling vehicle in the world?

Right now, Americans are limited to just one powertrain when they order a newly updated Mercedes GLC-Class model—the mild hybrid 255-hp, 295-lb-ft 2.0-liter turbo-four, with the option of rear- or all-wheel drive, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. European buyers, by contrast, have a further eight powertrains from which to choose, ranging from the 201-hp, 236-lb-ft version of the mild hybrid four-banger in the entry-level GLC200 to the mind-melting 671-hp, 752-lb-ft hybrid setup that will hurl the AMG GLC63 S E Performance (due to arrive here in 2024) from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and to a top speed of 171 mph.

The best all-rounder of the new GLC lineup is arguably the GLC300d, which is powered by the 269-hp, 406-lb-ft mild hybrid version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel that sees service in a wide range Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs in Europe. The GLC300d has almost identical performance to the gas-powered GLC300 we get in the States, taking just a tenth of a second longer to get to 60 mph but with a 2-mph-higher top speed. More impressively, though, the little four-cylinder turbodiesel does that while delivering 33 percent better fuel economy.

Diesels, however, are off the menu in the U.S., a legacy of the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal. So, scratch the 300 d. Of the rest of the GLCs—leaving aside the manic AMG versions—one of the more intriguing models in the lineup looks to be the GLC300e 4Matic, which combines a 204-hp version of the gas engine that powers the U.S.-market GLC300 with a 134-hp e-motor and 31.2-kWh battery in a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a total system output of 313 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Why is the GLC300e intriguing? Well, check those power and torque numbers, for a start. And then there’s the battery, big for a plug-in hybrid, so the 300e has a pure electric driving range around 60 to 70 miles to a charge. It looks good on paper. But how does it work on the road?

On a 304-mile run, starting with a full tank of gas and the battery showing 81 percent charge, and running in Hybrid mode the whole way, our GLC300e 4Matic test vehicle returned an average of 34.8 mpg. The battery had powered the car for a total of 52 miles before its charge was shown as being completely depleted at the 71-mile mark, 60 miles of which had been highway cruising at 70 mph.

Later, on a 68-mile drive that began with no charge in the battery, it averaged 29.6 mpg over a mix of city and highway running. (By way of comparison, the EPA numbers for the GLC300 4Matic are 22/31/26 mpg city/highway/combined.) Even with the battery’s state of charge showing zero percent, the 134-hp e-motor continually helps the internal combustion engine, using energy harvested from regeneration braking and liftoff, the short bursts of instant-on torque reducing the amount on throttle needed for acceleration. And over the miles, that help adds up.

Weight is the GLC300e 4Matic’s Achilles’ heel. According to Mercedes-Benz’s own figures, that big battery means the PHEV GLC weighs a hefty 948 pounds more than the GLC300. The 23 percent more power and 38 percent more torque helps overcome the 22 percent greater mass, at least in a straight line from a standing start. But on winding roads with the battery depleted to the point that the e-motor can’t put its shoulder to the wheel for too long, the 300e 4Matic feels a little sluggish at times, particularly in the default Hybrid drive mode.

There’s a solution to that. It’s called the GLC400e 4Matic, which marries the same e-motor and battery pack in the 300e 4Matic to a 248-hp version of the 2.0-liter gasoline engine to deliver a powertrain with a total system output of 375 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. As the GLC400e 4Matic weighs the same as its less powerful sibling, that extra grunt cuts 1.2 seconds from the 0-60-mph time, making it the quickest of the GLCs apart from the AMG models. More important, the internal combustion engine’s increased torque should make the compact Benz feel livelier on the road when the battery’s spent.

The downside, of course, is that when the more powerful internal combustion engine is doing most of the work, it uses more fuel. Mercedes-Benz’s own figures suggest that on the European test cycle the GLC400e is about 17 percent less energy efficient overall than the 300 e. That said, because it weighs the same, the driving range on pure electric power is identical.

When we first saw the new GLC last year, there was talk the GLC400e 4Matic was under discussion for launch in the U.S. in 2024, but there’s been no formal confirmation from Mercedes-Benz USA. Based on European pricing, the GLC400e 4Matic would likely retail for about $57,000. That’s a big uplift from the $50,250 (including destination) for a regular GLC300 4Matic but not outrageous in the context of the $55,850 Mercedes charges for the GLC300 4Matic Coupe. More significantly, that would price the PHEV GLC right on the all-electric-powered EQB300 4Matic, a smaller SUV that it can match for smooth and quiet EV driving around town.

The killer app of the plug-in hybrid powertrain is it turns the GLC into an urban warrior that can beetle 67 miles around the ‘burbs on pure electric power. If you have a home charger and keep the battery topped up, you could potentially do your daily commute, drive to the mall, and handle the school run for months without the internal combustion engine firing up. But that internal combustion engine means the little Mercedes can also take on a 670-mile overnight dash from Denver to Des Moines at a moment’s notice.

You can criticize PHEVs as a jack of all trades, master of none. There are pure EVs that are more energy efficient and more powerful and have much more range. There are lighter ICE vehicles that are more fun to drive and will go much further on a gallon of gas. But it’s important not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

The plug-in hybrid Mercedes GLC is a compromise that works, a compact luxury SUV that almost seamlessly bridges the gap between ICE and EV. Based on our experience with its less powerful sibling, the Mercedes-Benz GLC400e 4Matic would be a compelling option for most Americans who rarely take their SUVs out of the urban jungle.