Mercedes is temporarily giving the boot to its PHEVs
The folks from Stuttgart are discontinuing the brand's current PHEV models while it develops a third-generation system that will feature "EQ" branding.
If you've had your heart set on a plug-in hybrid from Mercedes-Benz , then we have some sour news for you pal, according to Autocar: they're going away.
Well, that's only mostly true. Mercedes is pulling its PHEV C-Class, GLC and GLE-Class models from the market as it readies their new, next-generation replacements, which are due out next year. So, yeah: not all doom and gloom, but something to be aware of, if you're in the market.
The outgoing PHEV models are being replaced with EQ-branded models that feature Mercedes' nine-speed transmission and electric motor all in one unit. The electric portion has been upgraded to produce 121 horsepower and a whopping 325 pound-feet of torque in addition to whatever the gasoline engine does.
This move is an early step in Mercedes' grand plan to make its entire lineup more efficient, in an effort to compete with advanced hybrids from Japan and Sweden. We only hope that this will lead to the unicorn that is an all-electric S-Class.