Mercedes GLC 300 e and GLE 350 de Plug-in Hybrids priced for the UK

Mercedes has announced prices for the GLC 300 e petrol-electric plug-in hybrid and GLE 350 de diesel-electric plug-in hybrid, at £49,687 and £61,360 respectively.

How exactly a diesel-averse car buying public will react to a diesel plug-in hybrid with a big electric range is a bit of a puzzle; will they eschew it and perceive it as just another ‘dirty’ diesel, or will they embrace it as the acceptable face of diesel? Mercedes are about to find out.

Revealed last year, the Mercedes GLE 350 de is now on sale in the UK – with prices from £61,360 – and it really does seem to offer the best of both worlds.

Mercedes has fitted the 350 de with a relatively modest 2.0 litre diesel with 192bhp and 295lb/ft of torque, and it is mated to an electric motor in the nine-speed auto ‘box adding a further 134bhp and 324lb/ft of torque for a total output of 315bhp and 516lb/ft of torque.

But the key is the size of the battery Mercedes has fitted to the 350 de – a whopping 31.2kWh – which, although it nicks a bit of boot space, delivers an EV range of up to 61.5 miles. Which should be getting on for 50 miles in the real world.

The downside is you’ll need to treat it like an EV and plug it in every night if you want it to perform, but the upside is you’ll probably be able to run it as an EV most days, only needing the ICE for a blat or a long journey.

The 350 de comes in AMG Line, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus trim, with prices topping out at £68,360 (before options) for the top model.

As well as the arrival of the 350 de plug-in hybrid, Mercedes has also updated the more traditional GLC 300e 4Matic petrol-electric plug-in hybrid, which now gets a bigger battery – 13.5kWh, up from 8.7kWh – to deliver an official EV range of 26.7 miles, with prices from £49,678 and the same trim level options as the 350 de.

Both the Mercedes GLE 350 de and 350 e are now on sale in the UK, with first customer cars expected in the summer.