Mercedes C 300 de, Diesel meets plug-in hybrid

The C-Class is undoubtedly one of the most important models for Mercedes-Benz and the numbers prove it. The German company recently celebrated 50 million cars manufactured and of these almost 11 million are represented by a total of four generations of “C” – the one we are testing here is the fifth – to which must be added the historic 190 created in-house. 1982 in pencil by Italian Bruno Sacco. In any case, the current C-Class has grown to 4.75 meters in length and remains one of the pillars of “made in Germany” even if this definition is not entirely accurate. This Mercedes, in fact, is produced on three different continents, precisely in Bremen, Beijing and East London in South Africa, where the cars sent to the United States are assembled. But if in North America probably no one has ever seen Diesel “C”, in Europe this engine is still requested by many drivers and the plug-in hybrid variant is more interesting, especially for a certain type of use.

The C-Class’ diesel engine output is based on a new four-cylinder family, all with different levels of electrification. They range from mild hybrids to plug-in hybrids following an unwritten rule that sees all German manufacturers against full hybrids. The 220d and 300d are the best-selling engines: they have 200 and 265 HP of power to which is added another 20 additional HP provided by an alternator generator that uses a 48 Volt electrical system. This technology is accompanied by a common rail that operates at a pressure of 2,700 bar and a two-stage variable geometry turbocharger. The gearbox, however, is the 9G-Tronic automatic that Mercedes develops and manufactures in-house, representing a unique example in the automotive panorama. In PHEV versions like the one in our test, inside the transmission there is a 129 HP electric motor, which brings the power of the system up to 313 HP and allows you to travel up to 100 km (actual) with the Diesel off.

This happens thanks to the 25.4 kWh battery pack – it recharges with 11 kW in alternating current and 55 kW in direct current (optional) – and the best efficiency of the C-Class, both in terms of mechanics and aerodynamics. Driving fluidity is at its highest levels, with thrust that can be very gentle or very full depending on application. Driving dynamics are pleasant and tend to be in keeping with the usual Mercedes comfort at this level. You can feel it in the response of the suspension, which is firm enough without being dry, and in the steering which, although light, makes you understand what is happening under the front wheels. In this regard, we must never forget that the power of the hybrid plug adds 350 kg (300 de weighs 2,160 kg), which can be felt especially when breaking and entering corners. But this is definitely not a sports car, in fact its long-distance nature is clear.

So it’s an impressive interior: here two large displays inherited from the S Class dominate: a horizontal 12.3-inch instrument display and a vertical 11.9-inch one responsible for infotainment. The latter has perfect definition, response speed and touch sensitivity. There are many technological aspects and driver assistance systems that would require a separate discussion; among all we mention the digital light that deforms and directs the light from the headlights through 1.3 million small mirrors. The downside of all this comes down to two aspects: the first is a certain lack of information and lack of intuitive controls, such as the touch controls on the steering wheel which require a certain amount of learning to use correctly; the second is that most of these accessories are optional to add, bringing the price of the C-Class to very desirable figures: the car we tested starts at around 70,000 euros, but with the features available it reaches around 90,000 euros.