What to Look Forward to in the 2016 Mercedes C350 Hybrid

SALEM, Ore. - April 20, 2015 - PRLog -- German automakers' past attempts to produce hybrid derivatives of their premium vehicles have been less than successful; it's been a struggle to provide the performance their owners expect by using an efficient but inherently performance-limiting electric motor. The 2016 Mercedes lineup contains the first vehicle to accomplish this difficult feat. The Mercedes C350 is sleek, elegant and ready to drive. It's everything an enthusiast would expect from a Mercedes Benz, and it offers the efficiency of its most advanced hybrid technology yet.

The Mercedes C350 is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that achieves 241 horsepower. It sits alongside a 6.2-kWh battery pack that powers an 80-hp electric motor. The combination produces 275 horses and 443 lb-ft of torque. It accomplishes this while still allowing for emissions-free driving for up to 20 miles. The C350 moves from zero to 60 mph in only 5.9 seconds, but unlike its hybrid predecessors, the 2016 Mercedes can reach 80 mph on electric power alone.

Mercedes Benz puts the driver in control by offering five custom transmission modes in the C350. The seven-speed automatic can be set to individual, sport, sport plus, comfort and economy. Four power choices on the Mercedes C350 also allow the driver to adjust the ratio of gas and electric energy used. They are: e-mode, hybrid, e-save mode and charge mode. The first two choices are self-descriptive. The e-save mode limits electric driving to maintain the present level of battery charge, while the charge mode uses the engine to recharge the battery while driving.

Mercedes Benz has engineered an interesting feature into the C350 to encourage drivers to use less fuel. It’s an accelerator pedal that, in electric mode, creates a resistance point that tells the driver when the car is on the verge of switching on its gasoline engine. Conversely, the pedal sends out impulses when the gasoline engine can be switched off.

The addition of the C350 Hybrid to the 2016 Mercedes lineup makes it whole. Offered in base and luxury trim levels with rear-wheel drive only, the Mercedes C350 plug-in will be sold only in those states with California-emissions requirements beginning in the fall of 2015. Official pricing is yet to be released, but expect the C350 plug-in to start at around $50,000.

For more info, be sure to visit http://www.mercedesofsalem.com.