2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e Plug-In Hybrid Review: Skip The Options, Savor The Range

The age of the plug-in hybrid will be longer than expected: what was considered by many a stopgap before full electrification, now looks increasingly competitive as infrastructure and enthusiasm for EVs struggles to live up to expectations. That makes it the perfect time for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e 4MATIC to arrive on U.S. dealership forecourts.

Make no mistake, full electrification is coming. It's also perfectly suited to luxury motoring in many ways: smoother, quieter, and cleaner than gas-guzzling counterparts. Yet while some are ready to take the plunge, many drivers can't, or won't, go EV yet. Perhaps they don't have charging facilities at home; maybe their requirements truly make them the regular road-trippers that so many drivers (mistakenly) believe themselves to be.

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A plug-in hybrid, or PHEV, has answers there. In the case of this GLC, a bigger battery and punchier electric motor than its mild-hybrid siblings means 54 miles of EV-only range: more than enough for the average American driver's daily use. Away from the plug, though, this $59,900 (plus $1,150 destination) SUV can be filled up at a regular gas station.

It's an appealing duality, though glance at the GLC 350e, and you'd be hard-pressed to spot it's a PHEV. While the vast majority of Mercedes' engines in the U.S. are electrified in some way, there's an aesthetic gulf between its mild and plug-in hybrids, and its fully-electric cars. While the latter, with the EQ prefix, are aero-smoothed like sleek pebbles, the gas-electric line-up is far more traditional.

That means curvy, but not excessively so. 18-inch wheels are standard, while 19- and 20-inch versions are available; one set each of 18- and 19-inch wheels are hybrid-specific. Mercedes gets points for having at least brighter blue and red options in its paint chart. The $3,450 AMG Line package — fitted to the example you see here — adds 19-inch AMG wheels with black accents, unique lower front and rear bumpers plus fender flares, and a chrome star-pattern grille. A power tailgate with hands-free opening is standard.

Barring those versions blessed by AMG, the 350e 4MATIC sits at the top of the 'Benz-branded GLC tree for power. Combining its 2.0-liter inline-four turbo gas engine with a beefier electric motor takes it to 313 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. In comparison, the mild-hybrid GLC 300 and 300 4MATIC each bring 255 horses and 295 lb-ft to the party.

Interestingly, though, the extra grunt doesn't translate to the speed bump you might expect. Weighing almost 800 pounds more than the non-PHEV probably is to blame, there. Mercedes quotes the same 6.2 second 0-60 mph time for all three versions of the SUV; if you want faster, you'll need at least the AMG GLC 43 SUV, which uses its 416 hp and 369 lb-ft to cut the 0-60 run to just 4.7 seconds. An upcoming GLC 63 S E Performance SUV will be even faster, taking just 3.5 seconds (though it'll also be upwards of $86k).

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Mercedes' drive modes for the GLC 350e differ from its usual cars: the SUV starts in Electric mode (assuming there's battery charge), but there's also Hybrid, Battery Level (which saves whatever charge the 24.8 kWh pack currently has), Sport, and Off-Road, plus a customizable Individual mode.

In Hybrid mode, for example, the PHEV will juggle gas and electric power according to its own criteria; Sport mode keeps the gas engine active, for maximum performance, and will top the battery up when possible too. Mercedes says that, even when the battery meter shows 0%, there'll always be enough electric power tucked away for maximum boost acceleration.

There are no adaptive dampers, to dynamically adjust suspension stiffness, though self-leveling rear air suspension is standard. That's more about keeping the ride height and such even, depending on what you've got in the 24.4 cu-ft trunk — the same as the non-PHEV version — given the battery is tucked under the load floor too. As with a lot of electrified vehicles, Mercedes has dialed in stiffer suspension to handle the extra weight: that can be jarring on lower-quality road surfaces, and even in Sport mode it never encourages taking the corners especially enthusiastically.

Indeed, on the road, the PHEV GLC definitely prefers more relaxed motoring. Electric and Hybrid modes are perky at city pace, and the Mercedes will stick to EV power at speeds up to 87 mph, unless you really hit the accelerator. Then the gas engine fires into life, often whipping all the way to around 4,000 rpm in the process. Sadly, it's not an especially sweet-sounding turbo-four when pushed so hard.

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The paddles on the steering wheel usually handle regen — switching between Off, Normal, and a reasonably aggressive High, as well as an Auto mode which preempts upcoming turns and vehicles ahead to adjust regen levels on the fly — unless you're in Sport mode. In that case, they instead change the gears in Mercedes' nine-speed. 

Auto regen mode remains controversial, particularly in how it physically moves the brake pedal for you; that can be disconcerting, as can it suddenly weighing in to more aggressively slow the SUV depending on traffic ahead. You can, at least, adjust its intensity across three levels, or turn it off altogether.

If not speed, then, where does the 2025 GLC 350e really shine? It's frugality, not fierceness, which has been Mercedes' focus here: fully charged, the SUV is rated for 54 miles of electric-only driving. That's far short of the 207 miles the EPA says a similarly-priced EQB 350 4MATIC SUV could do with its all-electric drivetrain, but top of the class for a plug-in hybrid.

Add a tank of gas, and you get a 64 MPGe rating. Again, not bad at all for the segment, though as with PHEVs generally, the economy math only works out if you actually charge things up. On gas-power alone, the GLC 350e is rated for 25 mpg combined: that's a point behind the lighter GLC 300 4MATIC.

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Rare for a PHEV, Mercedes' plug-in is compatible with DC fast chargers. That tops out at just 60 kW, far behind the automaker's pure EVs; still, 20 minutes plugged-in should be enough to take the battery from 10-80%. At home, or at any other Level 2 charger, the 11 kW onboard charger should take a few hours to fully top-up the GLC 350e. Mercedes includes a mobile charging cable with interchangeable Level 1/2 plugs, so in a pinch — and with patience — a regular AC outlet can slowly add power, too.

Inside, there's a whole lot to like about Mercedes' cabin. MB-Tex faux leather is standard, with various real leather and Nappa leather options, all in a welcome array of colors. If you want your PHEV dashboard to be cool and modern, there's silver and metal weave trim options; or, there are various wood finishes, including the exceedingly lovely natural grain black wood with inlaid aluminum pinstripes (a steal at $200). 

The AMG Line package also includes Mercedes' Sport steering wheel, which looks a little less clunky than the standard version, though sadly the drive mode control pods enjoyed in some AMG-blessed cars are absent, here.

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An 11.9-inch central touchscreen runs the third generation of Mercedes' capable MBUX infotainment, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a surprisingly decent voice control system. A wireless charger is standard — tucked in an ergonomically annoying spot at the front of the center storage bin — plus three USB-C ports delivering 15W. 

The $300 Advanced USB Package bumps that up to six ports, with up to 100W (sufficient to charge a laptop), and throws in a second 12V outlet. Sadly, there's no AC outlet.

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A 12.3-inch digital driver cluster is standard, together with heated front seats, Blind Spot Assist, and Active Brake Assist. Ventilated front seats are $450; the panoramic sunroof is $1,500.

Exclusive Trim ($2,200) expands the ambient lighting, upgrades the audio to a Burmester 3D Surround Sound system, adds a 360-degree camera, and — in the unlikely case that you roam off the asphalt in your GLC — includes a special "OFFROAD" screen with "transparent hood" that shows what's under the SUV. The PHEV can drive up to 67 mph on electric-only power in Off-Road mode. Pinnacle Trim ($4,150) includes all that, plus fancier headlamps, a head-up display, and heat/noise insulating glass.

Honestly, you can probably skip them both, and not be disappointed, though the $1,950 Driver Assistance Package is probably worth checking on the order form. You could make a solid argument that Mercedes ought to include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assistance, emergency stop assistance, lane-keeping assistance, and evasive steering assistance as standard, too.

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At least that package also includes more high-tech talents like automatic lane-change assistance — which can now initiate an overtaking maneuver around slower traffic ahead when adaptive cruise is engaged — active brake assist with turning and cross-traffic support, and trick inflating seat bolsters that can shift the occupant away from the door in the case of a side impact.

All-in, the options took this particular 2025 GLC 350e 4MATIC from the starting price of $61,050 including destination, to $74,970 total.

That's a lot of money, and it puts the GLC up against some serious competition. A BMW X5 xDrive50e starts at $73,100 (plus destination and before BMW's healthy options list); while its 39-mile electric range is less than the Mercedes, its 483 hp and 4.6 second 0-60 mph time make it much faster. For that sort of money, it'd be my pick over the GLC.

Volvo's XC60 Plug-In Hybrid starts just shy of $60k, meanwhile, with 35 miles of EV range, but is slightly faster than the X5, even. The larger and more luxurious XC90 PHEV is about the same price as the BMW, but with more standard equipment, though it falls well behind on electric-only driving with a mere 32 miles of EV range.

It's clear, then, that how aggressive you are with the options plays a big role in how competitive the GLC 350e is. I also can't help but feel like it's most compelling in either pure-electric or Sport mode: the somewhat lumpy activation of the gas engine saps a little of those Mercedes manners. That's not something I said about the S63 E Performance when its V8 was roused, but then again, you spend upwards of $200k on that faintly-ridiculous sedan.

Look beyond that, though, and there's a lot to like about this plug-in SUV. The cabin feels special and tech-savvy, though not overwhelmingly so; you don't sacrifice practicality in return for the electrification. It's EV-only range is impressive, and yet — unlike, say, a more expensive EQE SUV with its lengthier range — there's the undoubtable reassurance that a regular gas station can save your road trip if necessary.

Sure, it's not the speediest PHEV, or the most affordable, and Mercedes' assistance tech can sometimes feel like it's getting in its own way. On balance, though, if you've caught the electric bug but aren't quite ready, willing, or able to go full-EV, and you're not comfortable sacrificing on luxury or badge prestige, the GLC 350e 4MATIC could very well fit the bill if you can show some restraint around the options list.