Mercedes-Benz Refreshes GLC350e Plug-in Hybrid

The Mercedes-Benz 2020 GLC350e plug-in hybrid will arrive with refresh that adds new styling, the latest cabin interface, and third-generation plug-in hybrid software that adds torque and improves the all-electric range, the automaker has announced.

The 2020 GLC350e 4Matic EQ Power, as it will be known, gets a larger 13.5-kwh battery pack that's almost 5-kwh better than the outgoing model, which offered an all-electric range of 9 miles. The new model should provide 28 t0 30 miles based on European testing protocols.

The vehicle uses an electric A/C compressor and electric heater to boost its range and allow the vehicle to use climate systems without adding load to the engine. The reworked hybrid powertrain now uses a torque converter and integrated lockup clutch with an additional clutch between the 2.0-liter turbo-four and electic motor. Total system output comes in at 315 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.

A new nine-speed automatic transmission replaces a seven-speed gearbox.

The vehicle will go in sale in the first half of 2020.