By now, many of you would have known that the BMW 330e iPerformance plug-in hybrid has officially been launched last Friday with a competitive price tag of RM248,800 on-the-road without insurance. Many have been wondering why its rival, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz C 350 e, has been given indicative pricing that is some RM50k higher – despite also being classified as an Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) – at RM299,000.
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) vice president for sales and marketing Mark Raine has been on the record to set things straight – speaking to paultan.org, he said that the higher pricing of the C 350 e was meant to complement the existing lineup.
“At the moment we have got the C 180 at RM228k, the C 200 at RM248k for the Avantgarde and RM252k for the Exclusive, the C 250 AMG Line at RM287k and the C 300 at RM308k,” Raine said. “So the C 350 e is going to come at RM299k and we’re going to take the C 300 out of the portfolio.
“We’ve carefully thought, should we leave the C 250 in our portfolio? Yes, we decided, because there are obvious reasons why customers would decide to go for the C 250 or the C 350 e.”
Raine also said that while the C 350 e will be more expensive than the 330e, the company did not want to compete with the BMW price-wise, as it has a different strategy of promoting value for money. “In comparison to our direct competitor, the C 350 e is a bit more expensive,” he said.
“That is right, but what we didn’t want to do with this vehicle was to bring a price leader to the market. We didn’t want to bring the vehicle with the most attractive price tag. Our mindset for this vehicle is that we want sell value. This vehicle has so many USPs and is so benchmarked in this segment,” Raine added, referring to the higher amount of equipment that the C 350 e will carry.
Those include most of the kit seen on the C 300, including a full AMG exterior and interior styling package, 19-inch AMG multispoke alloy wheels, a panoramic sliding sunroof, the 590 W, 13-speaker Burmester surround sound system and Thermotronic three-zone automatic climate control. Additional features include Airmatic air suspension, a 360-degree camera system and a climate pre-conditioning system that will allow you to programme the climate control to turn on at a preset time.
Propulsion will come from the ubiquitous 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine in a similar tune to the C 250, making 211 hp and 350 Nm of torque. Providing additional power is an 80 hp/340 Nm electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed automatic transmission, resulting in a total system output of 279 hp and 600 Nm.
As a result, the C 350 e will go from 0-100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds, while combined fuel consumption is rated at 2.1 litres per 100 km on the European NEDC cycle. The car has an all-electric range of 31 km, with a maximum speed of 130 km/h in this mode. Carbon dioxide emissions sit at just 48 grammes per kilometre.
The electric motor is juiced by a 6.2 kWh high-voltage water-cooled lithium-ion battery fitted at the rear of the car, resulting in a stepped boot floor and reduced luggage space from 475 litres to 335 litres. Charging time is around 1 hour 45 minutes through the wallbox or around two hours using a standard 230 V domestic socket. The charging port is located under the right tail light.
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Walawei that many USPs ah. Then give the wallbox free lor.
Belilah Proton. Support our national car means u support Merdeka!
Fuiyoh RM299K = SGD100K only wat???!
So dem cheap where to find…buy now!
The Germans have again pulled another fast one on Malaysians and the world. They cannot be trusted. Like how they looted every other country in the world, they are still doing it today.
It is a new form of colonisation. Last time you steal paintings, gold and wealth of countries like Poland, France etc, now you sell cars overpriced to all over the world.
Low spec but high in price.
Mercedes name now busuk. Over the Merdeka holidays, so many diehard Merc fans now jumping boat to BMW. They can see how dirty Mercedes is. Gomen give incentive, they sapu the incentive as higher pay and bonus.
Real dirty company. If BMW can sell their 330e cheaper than the 350e, despite global prices of BOTH cars being the same, it shows MBM is cheating Malaysians buta buta.
I for one also now don’t want to buy the C200 I am eyeing. I rather buy any BMW as it is a matter of principle.
MBM is like VGM and VW…a bunch of liars and cheats.
I WENT TO MERC IPOH BRANCE TO BUY AN ITEM. THAT GUY JUST WENT INSIDE N DISAPPEARED MORE THAN HALF AN HOUR. I WENT HOME. THIS IS A BIG CONCERN TO BUY A GERMAN PRODUCT
Which idiot will buy C350 when you can get equvilent E300 for about the same price? BMW 5 siries is about the same price as C350.
People better be careful about hybrids and plug ins. Looks cheap but think carefully before you buy one. Based on the Audi A6 Hybrid, the hybrid electronics gave the most problems. Also did you know A6 Hybrid battery cost Rm49,500? Shocked?
Paul Tan should ask BMW and Mercedes to give the price of the battery. Dont always think got warranty nothing to worry about. Always think, after warranty, can i afford to do repairs?
U can save on petrol but when the hybrid electronics give you problem, all your savings will be wiped out. It is not just battery rosak, the hybrid electronics are very complex and any small thing is around rm10k
People tend to buy plug in or hybrids to save on fuel. But do you know hybrids depreciate so much?
And this happens once the warranty is over. New buyers are scared to touch hybrids cause of the high parts prices. This is evident from the Toyota Prius prices. Now, you can get a low mileage 2013 Prius for RM70k. That is a steep fall from the RM150k price. And RM250k price when tax incentive withdrawn.
Remember with hybrids and plug ins, when warranty expires, prices fall. And German hybrid batteries are not like Honda hybrid batteries which cost RM6k.
German hybrid batteries cost the price of a Myvi. Audi A6 Hybrid Battery is RM49,500. Those owners who have few months warranty left on the year end 2013 models are now desperate to sell their cars.
All those jumping to buy the 330e, think very carefully. Whatever you save on petrol is wiped out from your depreciation. Those people who bought Prius all say they never saved on petrol at all cause their cars are so low in value when they sell.
You must have missed the memo. The incentives are meant to encourage adoption of these vehicles; with more electric hybrids on the streets the cost and ease of maintenance and support will be better. Of course the early adopters will feel some pain but thats why the luxury marques are leading the way – their customers are not dirt poor so as to worry about maintenance day in day out.
Talk so much. Just buy Proton lah. Why buy overpriced foreign overlord cars?
What rubbish. Rich people do bother about maintenance. Infact most multimillionaires in Malaysia count every sen. They are not bodoh. I know people with rm30 million in bank also send to bengkel because they find AB or MBM too pricey to service the car
This car sure fail. I rather buy a 2nd hand BMW
An excellent condition 2011 BMW 740li for RM150k. Last time RM880k. I still save RM150k which I can use to buy full 4 year warranty.
The warranty will cost me RM20k. I still have RM130k to fill up petrol.
Mercedes C350e vs BMW 740li? Clear winner is BMW lah
Don’t buy brand new. U kena tipu big time.
No need to come here to give lesson, work harder to earn a better car, like those who can afford.
Which idiot said e300 is same price as c350e
what he means is, MBM is giving RM85k on their E300 Bluetec Hybrid to clear stock.
So, it works our cheaper than this junk C350e.
But what amazes me is this. Even after MBM is giving RM85k on their W212 E class, they are still making a huge profit from each discounted car. No manufcturer will clear stock below their cost.
Can you imagine how much profit they make on normal days? I think this C350e also, they are making a clean RM100k on each car sold.
Dude did u woke up on the wrong side of the bed or what? E300 BlueTec is phased out and the 520d/520i combo does not have the same spec as the 350e even though they cost a bit more. The 350e Airmatic suspension alone is a big upgrade over the semi air suspension in the F10 and don’t get me started about the standard surround camera or the Burmester sound system on the 350e that isn’t even available on any of the F10 models which only has reverse camera and a hi-fi sound system.
I beg to know, which E300 are you referring to? The BlueTec Hybrid version or the latest model? Coz the latest model is a 2.0 Turbo whereas the previous E300 BlueTec Hybrid has been discontinued to make way for the new model
E300 has been discontinued,idiot.
Pegi jer beli old gen E300 ngan 5Siri.
Unker X usah bebel kat sini….
Yes E200 or 520d, if you choose gasoline or diesel.
If you really want a PHEV, top up a bit and make a smart choice of X5 PHEV. Ask yourself why people are buying a few biji one go. Biji is for small things; poor man says sebuah atau dua buah kereta.
Prev E-class hybrid was how much?
A6h at 288k?
Optional panoramic sunroof is at less than RM10K; 330e has a non-panoramic ordinary sunroof.
10 airbags?
Only youngsters care about difference of one second.
Sure, but that’s the outgoing W212 E-class you’re talking about, which isn’t worth buying now that the W213 is here.
Top up just a bit more and you can get a proper E-class or 5-series, both of which are a class higher.
Alternatively, if you can top up further a bit more, you can get an X5 PHEV; X5 is generally perceived as one class higher than E-class or 5-series.
Mercedes decided not to undercut their own sales unlike BMW. At the current moment, there is practically no reason to buy the 320i isn’t it (being so ‘little’ difference between the two). Mercedes ensures they still rake in the profits exploiting the people who are still willing to pay.
Proton for me for sure
So it is about pricing and not cost. You make more profit this way. Clever fellow.
That’s why he got the VP post…
Getting closer and closer to UMWT; Honda ultimately conquered Toyota in Malaysia.
If tax relief is given, we definitely want big part of it to be passed to consumers.
BTW, I always wondered about the pricing of XC90; I don’t like its interior colour scheme.
Impression and reputation are important.
High price high RV lo
Good. More sales for BMW. Test drove the 330e at their event last weekend. Very impressed with the car and it is high spec too, sunroof, heads up display and the charging point is not at the rear but the side. Mercedes is just like UMW, overcharging and suck their customers.
Isnt the eev incentive meant to allow you to offer lower prices? Thats the whole point of the program! This is so unconvincing mbm!!
Erm…the BMW comes with 5 years unlimited warranty and free service for 100,000km which ever comes first.. Peace of mind for another year esp for the darn battery which I assume would cost a bomb to replace… in spite of the added features, the maths does add up? MBM is just being plain greedy. I was actually looking forward to the 350e…till I saw the price.
What a bold statement.When others are trying to sell their cars at lower price.. so customers are paying rm50k merely to complement.not due to its cost.
This Raine fella maths is pretty poor…the C350e is 20% more expensive vs the 330e…not just a bit more expensive.
MBM is kalang kabuting after XC90, 330e and X5 hybrid launched with competitive price…the launch of this c350 is like slapping merz itself…MBM need to clear all its bad management for launching too much models in malaysia ( almost 30 models, i wonder whether they study 80/20 before )…how to clear all these stock? no choice but have to sell c350 at rm299k and later give discount rm50k to shyok kita orang malaysia…lol
No 5 years warranty and No free service for 5 years but dare to place more than RM220K.
Is somebody in Malaysia Government receive “Derma” from Mercedes and award them EEV?
Malaysia Government should should revoke EEV for all mercedes models. Please report to MACC to allow the agency to innitiate investigation.
BMW 330e over this overcharged scam any day !
Proton over overpriced BMW or Merc any day!
This is MBM being greedy and trying to maximise profits. They should have allowed their customers to enjoy the benefits of tax reduction. I am somewhat surprised as until now they have been more competitive pricing wise. Maybe it’s the success getting to them. Whatever the case, as a consumer I’m disappointed with the pricing. At below RM300k, the market is quite price sensitive. So hopefully the 330e will do much better. Kudos to 330e. The only downside is that BMW could have actually priced it St RM248k+ with MSport.
Don’t worry. Please allow Merc to sell the C350 at higher price. We will import more of this car and we believe we can offer at less than RM200K next year.
Feels like Merc don’t want to really sell this car… just as an option in their portfolio. They should know very well how Naza Wheels – Used car division is eying this…
I suspect Mercedes Benz Malaysia is not passing all the tax savings to its consumers.
At RM300k, this car is not cheap at all.
Only idiots and people with nowhere to spend their money would make the unwise decision of choosing this over the BMW 330e. Yes the 330e might not come with an M Sport kit but try adding the kit yourself and you would still find the overall price cheaper than the Merc.
The car is expensive, buy why call people idiot is they can afford to buy? Mind to share what non idiot car u are driving?
Giving non-sense reasons to make more profits.
The EEV incentives should pas
Giving non-sense reasons to make more profits.
Why d hell wanna take away C300? Gosh, it is such a beauty.
Why buy this when you can have a new Persona for 1/5 of the price?
The reason of how Benz malaysia make the decision of the price of their products is “so so so” reasonable.
In other words, the ones who can afford both a C350e and a 330e aren’t going to complain about RM50k (more actually when you add regular service costs) and MBM knows that.
Smart move MBM, you know your target market and don’t want to play with anyone else.
Government gives tax free incentive, The Germans pocket the difference. Instead of going to the coffers of the Malaysian government the extra profit goes to Stuttgart.
Government gives tax free incentive, The Germans pocket the difference. Instead of going to the coffers of the Malaysian government the extra profit goes to Stuttgart. Perhaps should give the AP holders to bring this car in on a parallel import basis. See if they can tech MBM a lesson
Why airmatic!? I would rather them reduce the price and remove airmatic. While i understand that it would increase ride comfort, the price of replacing the airmatic absorber is very expensive, unless of course Mercedes has found a way to reduce the cost of the airmatic suspension.
From what I understand, with the w212 E400, Mercedes Malaysia didn’t have the Airmatic installed because people were turned off by it. So why did they put it in their base model?
Import airmatic suspension on own, much more cheaper if not mistaken is around $1200 or $1500 usd.. Maybe buy bulk more cheaper
The whole reason the incentive was introduced is for the savings to be passed on to consumers.
Saving from fuel subsidy as a form of encouragement for buyers to migrate to energy efficient vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz instead takes advantage of the government tax exemption by RAISING the price. Yep, regardless of whatever excuse they give.
As usual, with Malaysians, the brouhaha it will just boil over. We are not like the western people who would’ve boycotted this brand just to teach them a lesson.
Will the media, lawmakers, authority, people in general say anything about this? You may not buy a Mercedes, but this form of cheating certainly does not sit well with the rest of the world.
Nobody gives a shit on fuel economy and saving the world.
The only concern is, i want to drive BMW / merc and how cheap can it be, even if you offer with 3 cyclinder 660cc but price it at 180k people will trip over each other to buy.
as long cheap.
Proton much cheaper but got anyone rushing to buy?
It better come with full specs or not we’ll boycott I swear
Sadly it won’t – it doesn’t get the Driving Assistance Package Plus option (which is standard on the C250 in Australia).
It’s amazing really, no thanks to Malaysian consumer buying habits. Malaysian consumers just want the looks and the badge, and don’t care about what features the car has.
At the very least, MBM should make it an option, if not standard.
Think of driving aids as insurance – accidents are called accidents for a reason, they can happen anytime. These driving aids are just there to reduce the likelihood of an accident (be it the car driver’s fault or other car driver’s fault).
At that price, MBM, pls remember to include autonomous drive features.
Very difficult to justify the price tag that is 50k more than the 330e. But in terms of luxury, the Merc do stand out.
stop buying all these overpriced cars, malaysians are already taking too much loans..
Malaysians are stupid. They don’t know Proton is the best
We want to impress the neighbours before festive seasons start . Thats what the festive celebrations are for hehe
Well some people can afford it, so who are we to stop them?
Looks like Albert has figured out how to bypass bora bora and re-hijack my nick again. Oh well, let the fun begin. His toyota junks still cant beat my untested uber Biza.
Who buy this really give more free profit to MB.
Their margin is higher although benefit from tax as EEV vehicles.
This pricetag move is to maintain the badge resale value obviously.
MBM is experiencing a false sense of security. Last year they sold 3000 more units than BMW Malaysia…guest what? Getting arrogant and complacent… They forgot that the once mighty and another arrogant auto company called UMW Toyota was dethroned by Honda last year. Thanks to consumer power and the internet!