Mercedes C350 Plug-in Hybrid does 134mpg: Detroit 2015

The Mercedes C350 Plug-in Hybrid has been revealed at the Detroit Auto Show with a total output of 275bhp and 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds.

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The Mercedes C350 Plug-in Hybrid has arrived at the Detroit Auto Show, the second Mercedes plug-in Hybrid to hit the market (following the S500 plug-in) as one of ten plug-in hybrid models Mercedes is planning to reveal in the next two years as it seeks to use electric power to boost economy and performance.

The C350 Plug-in Hybrid will be available as either saloon or estate and in either Exclusive – with traditional MB grill – or in Avantgarde with the sport grill treatment.

But the stuff that matters is under the skin, and that’s the 208bhp 2.0 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine from the C250 and n 80bhp electric motor that sits in the gearbox housing.

The combined 275bhp and 442lb/ft of torque goes through a tweaked version of Mercedes’ 7G-Tronic seven speed auto to the back wheels – with an automated clutch that reduces drag when running in EV mode – and can get to 62mph in 5.9 seconds (6.2s for the estate) if you chuck the beans at it.

And if you can resist sticking your right foot to the carpet – and a haptic throttle that discourages you from going so, particularly in EV mode, helps – you could get somewhere towards the C350’s official economy of 134.5mpg.

There are five driving modes to choose from – Economy, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual – and another four operating modes – Hybrid, E-mode, E-save and Charge – so there’s a good chance you’ll probably pick the wrong combination for what you want, but you should be able to do up to 19 miles in EV mode – enough for most commutes in to Cities.

The Mercedes C350 Plug-in Hybrid will arrive in the UK in summer 2015, by which time Mercedes will probably have decided how much they’re going to want for it.