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This is the new Mercedes-Benz C 350 Plug-In Hybrid, Stuttgart’s second plug-in hybrid vehicle after the S 500 Plug-In Hybrid, and the first to feature a four-cylinder engine.

The C 350 Plug-In Hybrid uses a 2.0 litre direct injection turbo engine that does 211 hp and 350 Nm of torque on its own. The engine is paired to a 80 hp, 340 Nm electric motor sandwiched in between the engine and the seven-speed gearbox in place of the torque converter. There’s also an additional wet start-up clutch. Combined system output is 279 horses and 600 Nm.

The performance numbers are interesting – the 100 km/h sprint is hit in 5.9 seconds for the sedan, and 6.2 seconds for the estate, while combined fuel consumption is rated at just 2.1 litres per 100 km on the NEDC combined cycle. Combined CO2 emissions are rated at 48 g/km for the sedan, 49 g/km for the estate. Zero emissions driving is available with the combustion engine turned off.

The electric motor is powered by a 6.2 kWh high-voltage water-cooled lithium-ion battery installed in the rear of the car near the rear axle. The battery weighs about 100 kg. As a result, boot space is less compared to a regular C-Class, but the boot floor is still flat unlike other hybrid cars like the A6 Hybrid. The sedan has a capacity of 335 litres, while the estate has 350 litres.

It’s a Plug-In Hybrid – the charging port is below the right tail lamp. The battery can be charged in about 1 hour 45 minutes at a wallbox installed in your home or a public charging point. The public charger specs are 230 V, 16 A, 3.7 kW single-phase. Using a standard domestic socket, a charge time of around two hours is achievable, assuming the car is able to draw 230 V and 13 A, 3.0 kW.

Both the Avantgarde and Exclusive faces are available, so you’re not limited to how your C 350 Plug-In Hybrid looks like on the outside. As you would have figured above, it’s available as both a sedan and an estate body, and will go on sale in March 2015.