Mercedes hybrid cars Discover the hybrid Mercedes range and compare new and leasing deals

Mercedes offers both mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). In fact, most of the company’s regular combustion engine cars feature mild hybrid technology, and the level of assistance is so small that many people don’t consider these to be hybrids at all. That’s why, in this article, we’ll concentrate on the PHEV hybrids offered by the firm.

Mercedes hybrid models: current range

Most of Mercedes’ cars are mild hybrids, but here’s the lowdown on the more sophisticated plug-in hybrids.

Mercedes A-Class

The entry-point into Mercedes’ extensive line-up of plug-in hybrid models is the A250 e, part of the popular A-Class range. It packs a 1.3-litre petrol engine alongside its electric motor, and together, they deliver a combined power output of 218hp. The 16kWh battery is good for a theoretical all-electric range of up to 53 miles, according to official test figures. The A-Class is a good option in other ways, too, with a classy interior, lots of tech and an excellent MBUX infotainment system.

Mercedes A-Class Saloon

The smart-looking A-Class Saloon is also offered in A250e plug-in hybrid form, and predictable since the two cars are only differentiated by a bit of extra metal hanging over the back end, the performance and efficiency numbers are very similar indeed. Sure, the four-door A-Class doesn’t have the convenient boot opening of its hatchback cousin, but it has all that car’s other virtues, such as its plush-feeling interior and fancy infotainment.

Mercedes CLA

Given their similarity in size, shape and, well, pretty much every other respect, it’s not much of a surprise that the Mercedes CLA 250e uses exactly the same drivetrain as the plug-in A-Class. Pretty much all the important numbers are virtually indistinguishable, too, so aside from the more glamorous looks that come courtesy of the CLA’s swoopier roofline, you’re getting much the same package of abilities.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake

At the risk of repeating ourselves, the CLA Shooting Brake (which if you’re not familiar with the name, is a kind of estate car version, but with more elaborate styling) uses exactly the same hybrid system mentioned previously, and there’s very little difference in the important numbers regarding efficiency. However, one important number you might want to consider if you’re going for this stylish estate version, is the boot capacity, which drops from 485 litres in the regular Shooting Brake to 440 litres in the PHEV thanks to the extra batteries.

Mercedes B-Class

We’re stepping up the range a bit in terms of size with the Mercedes B-Class, as this MPV-shaped hatchback is quite a bit bigger than the cars we’ve discussed until this point. Nevertheless, it still has the same 250e drivetrain, and it’s pokey enough to still convince in the bigger car. The efficiency numbers aren’t quite so generous, but they’re closer than you might think given the size difference. And otherwise, the B-Class makes a compelling family car, with a high-quality feel and a sophisticated, comfortable driving experience.

Mercedes C-Class

The Mercedes C-Class range actually offers two plug-in hybrids, one of which is a bit special. The entry-level one is known as the C330e, has a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor that combine to give 313hp, while the 25.4kWh lithium-ion battery allows a theoretical all-electric range of up to 70 miles. The special one, however, is the high-performance Mercedes-AMG C63 Se, which gets considerably more power from both its 2.0-litre petrol engine and its electric motor: 680hp, no less, making it good for 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds. It has a much smaller 6.1 kWh battery, though, so it’ll only do eight all-electric miles on a full charge. The official WLTP fuel economy figures are pretty different as a result: they stand at 565mpg for the C300, and 27mpg for the C63.

Mercedes C-Class Estate

The Mercedes C-Class Estate affords you a little bit more boot space. It is only a little bit, though, because the batteries in the hybrids do eat into your available boot space. For instance, while the boots in the regular C-Class Estate is 490 litres, that drops to 360 litres in the PHEV version, and this figure is less than you get in a petrol Volkswagen Golf.

Mercedes E-Class

The Mercedes E-Class range is another that offers you the choice of two plug-in hybrids, albeit in a rather different way. The E300e uses a very similar petrol-electric drivetrain to that found in the C300 e we just talked about, and in the E, it gives up to 35 miles of electric range, and  up to 188mpg, according to official test figures. 

Unusually, the other PHEV option in the E-Class is the E300de, which uses a diesel-based plug-in hybrid system. It’s a little less powerful than its petrol counterpart, with the diesel engine and electric motor combining to give 306hp, and its electric-only range stands at up to 34 miles, but the superior fuel economy of the diesel engine means that the official fuel economy rises to 217mpg. Do bear in mind, though, that in both PHEVs, the saloon boot drops from 540 litres to 370 litres.

Mercedes E-Class Estate

The E-Class Estate can also be had as a PHEV, but only the diesel-powered one. In wagon form, the E300de gives you up to 32 miles of electric-only running on a full charge, while the WLTP economy figure drops slightly (up to 201mpg) compared with the saloon, due to the bulkier body. Again, though, going for the PHEV will mean you lose some boot space. The regular E-Class Estate has one of the biggest boots in the business at 640 litres, but in the E300 de, that drops to 480 litres.

Mercedes AMG-GT 4-Door

If the 639hp in the regular Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-door isn’t enough for you, then you could specify it as a 63 S E Performance version instead. This supplements the stonking 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine with an additional electric motor, fed by a small 6kWh battery. This gives the car an electric-only range of about eight miles, but it’s not about that. It’s more about upping the already prodigious power output to a staggering 843hp, and trimming the 0-62mph time to just 2.9 seconds.

Mercedes S-Class

The Mercedes S-Class limousine is another Mercedes to offer buyers a choice of plug-in hybrid variants, but this time, it takes a leaf out of the C-Class’ book by offering one sensible one and one insane one. The sensible one is the S580e, but with 510hp from the combination of its electric motor and 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine, it’s still pretty brisk. Nevertheless, the 21.5kWh allows an electric-only range of up to 68 miles and helps towards an official fuel economy figure of 353mpg. The insane one is the range-topping Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance, which as the name suggests, employs the plug-in hybrid technology to maximise performance rather than efficiency. That's why it’ll only do 20 electric-only miles on a full charge of the 13.1kWh battery. However, it’ll also do 0-62mph in just 3.3 seconds thanks to the 802hp it gets from its electric motor and 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

Mercedes GLA

Now that we’ve considered Mercedes’ line-up of plug-in saloons, estates, hatchbacks and coupes, we’re going to take a look at the firm’s plug-in SUVs, and this involves taking a few steps back on the size scale. The smallest one on offer is the Mercedes GLA 250e, and no prizes for guessing that it uses the exact same petrol-electric drivetrain as all the other small plug-in Mercs that carry a similar moniker. The GLA’s slightly bulkier body means it doesn’t go quite as far on electric-only power with a fully juiced battery, but with a range of up to 48 miles, it’s still better than many rival plug-in hybrid cars.

Mercedes GLC

On the face of it, Mercedes GLC buyers look to have the same choice of plug-in hybrid options as E-Class Saloon buyers, so there’s the GLC300 e with its petrol-electric drivetrain, and the GLC300de, with its far less conventional diesel-electric arrangement. However, there’s a key difference with the GLC, and that’s that as part of a recent facelift, the batteries in the PHEV versions have been upgraded from 13.5kWh to 31.2kWh. That means a theoretical electric-only range of more than 80 miles in both cases, which is great for efficiency and for those paying company car tax.

Mercedes GLC Coupe

The same facelift that brought the improvements to the PHEV version of the regular GLC has temporarily seen the plug-in versions of the Coupe discontinued from sale. This won’t be the case for long, though, and Mercedes has already announced similar upgrades for the GLC Coupe. You can also expect a slightly more potent version of the petrol hybrid, called the GLC400e, with 381hp, and a high-performance AMG version with the same powertrain as the C63 Se we talked about earlier.

Mercedes GLE

Buyers of the Mercedes GLE have a single choice of plug-in hybrid, the GLE400e. It won’t surprise you to learn that it’s the same 381hp petrol-electric system found in the GLC with a similar moniker, and with a large 31kWh battery it has an impressive all-electric range of up to 65 miles. That helps towards an official fuel economy figure of up to 282mpg, and all while being able to dispatch the 0-62mph dash in just 6.1 seconds.

Mercedes GLE Coupe

The Mercedes GLE Coupe can also be had in GLE400 e form, and you can expect all the important performance and efficiency numbers to be very similar indeed. You won’t get as much rear headroom as in the non-coupe version, but that’s the price you pay for style.