Underneath its easy-going demeanour is a 1,999cc four-cylinder engine and 100kW electric motor(All photos: Sam Fong/The Edge)
Some plug-in hybrids struggle with a split personality: part-sustainability guru, part-reluctant athlete. That conflict spills onto the dashboard, too, where eco-badges and cheerful efficiency prompts flash like a Fitbit on wheels. But whatever the Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e 4Matic truly is, 10 seconds in its company is enough to realise it is far more socially adept.
Unlike a smug wellness advocate who converses only in mindful catchphrases, it keeps its counsel, gliding through the city on silent electrons before slipping into its petrol-powered stride when the tarmac finally frees up. There is a reason this well-travelled companion, which knows exactly when to chime in and when to let the scenery do the talking, fills up underground car parks from Solaris Mont’Kiara to Santa Monica.
The curves hugging Ipoh’s limestone towers have a knack of exposing a vehicle’s true temperament. The route may be gentle, but it is also unforgiving in its honesty, highlighting shortcomings in damping, balance and drivetrain cohesion. Lesser machines have floundered here — some unsettled by tighter bends, others caught out by sudden patches of uneven surface. The unruffled GLC 350e, however, cruised with that well-rehearsed poise only German engineers have practically trademarked. While many hybrids seem eager for recognition — either for their transitions or ability to juggle between modes — this multitasker, even as the combustion engine joined the conversation, carried on as though it did not need the validation.
Fully electric models tend to shine in controlled environments, but dispatch them on a Malaysian highway with erratic charging stations and tropical heat, and the range estimates can unravel faster than a political promise. Pure petrol counterparts, meanwhile, still sometimes behave like they have not noticed the last decade. A well-sorted hybrid avoids both pitfalls, offering serenity where it matters most, be it threading through congested lanes, edging around packed roundabouts or inching past the tangle of drop-offs along the kopitiams on Jalan Bandar Timah for egg tarts.
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What makes the GLC 350e so convincing is the depth of engineering beneath its easy-going demeanour. Its system pairs a 1,999cc four-cylinder engine producing 150kW and 320Nm with a 100kW electric motor delivering 440Nm, culminating in a combined 230kW (313hp) and peak torque of 550Nm. That is a generous toolkit for an SUV that prefers not to boast.
The sizeable 25.4kWh battery — not merely for eco-conscientious posturing — is responsible for the remarkably long all-electric range. Capable of up to 131km on the WLTP cycle, it makes quiet, emission-free travel through town less of an occasional flourish and more of a daily default. Charging remains straightforward, thanks to the standard 11kW onboard AC charger, which makes both home wall boxes and public stations viable without imposing a rigid routine on the driver. When the moment calls for additional power, the combustion engine works through Mercedes-Benz’s 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, avoiding the awkward surges and disconnected effect that plague lesser PHEVs. All of this contributes to the SUV’s zero to 100kph time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 218kph — figures that suggest the hybrid credentials and performance brief were developed with equal seriousness.
Such technological polish mattered most when theory gave way to the realities of an arduous journey. And ours — accompanied by a playlist featuring the plaintive crooning of Raye that made us feel as if we were on the run, which was as good a reason to be in the car as any — continued well past sundown. Getting behind the wheel after dusk was supposed to feel calmer but the truth eclipsed that expectation quickly. On the way to our next stop, rainy Taiping, the terrain unfurled into a moody ribbon of possibilities: Streetlights arched overhead like celestial Ikea lamps; pick-up trucks swerved in with headlights aimed with the precision of a tactical laser; and the split-second judgement over whether the dark shape floating around was a harmless plastic bag or a plot twist. Through it all, the GLC 350e remained unbothered, its adaptive high-beam system carving out a clean path of visibility and responding with an assurance that made the experience feel far less dramatic than it should be.
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Navigating under a darkened sky also meant Mercedes’ ambient lighting came out to play, like a swanky club we are not cool enough to even queue for. Glowing softly in blues and purples that gave the cabin a curated glitz, the interior — with its blend of Artico man-made leather upholstery, Microcut microfibre, AMG sports pedal, multifunction nappa-leather steering wheel and a large touch-sensitive console — flatter the driver rather than overwhelm. The Burmester 3D surround-sound system with 15 high-performance speakers lent even modest playlists a cinematic sheen, filling the space with exceptional audio richness. Even something as mundane as parking became oddly civilised, thanks to the 360° camera and Parktronic, which stepped in long before our brain decided we were reversing into a bay or brick.
Despite its refinement, there were still the odd details that did not quite stay in lane. The driver’s seat, for its sculpted intent and memory settings, erred on the firmer side. It might be great for posture, but less ideal as the kilometres accumulated and we ran out of comfortable angles. Teaming up with the suspension, the backrest took its job a little too seriously, nudging every so often as though to check whether we were still paying attention. What began as a simple recline slowly evolved into a series of increasingly creative contortions, all in pursuit of that elusive sweet spot that never quite announced itself.
The GLC 350e is not the kind of plug-in hybrid that demands grand adjustments to how you live; it merely rewards an owner who is a touch organised — the kind who remembers to top up at home and has a rough sense of where the next charger might be. If anything, this is a car that is more predictable than innovative — which, in a segment chock-full of gimmicks and first-generation teething issues, offers a refreshing stance. It proves its keep not by trying to dazzle at every opportunity but handling demanding moments with composure and ordinary ones without fuss.
It is not reinventing any wheels here, but a reliable ride is just as perfect a mic-drop as a routine that finally clicks into gear, where detours stay on the map instead of parachuting into your daily life just because someone did not plan ahead.
This article first appeared on Jan 5, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
