Only a premium brand could do this. Combine an expensive diesel engine with an equally expensive electric motor to create a plug-in diesel hybrid.
As you know, diesel engines and electric motors are the two most expensive solutions today. The diesel engine because of the exhaust gas treatment systems (and beyond) and the electric motors because of the batteries they need.
well, the Mercedes-Benz E 300 from Station have these two solutions under the hood. A 2.0 Diesel engine (OM 654) with 194 hp and an electric motor with 122 hp, for a total combined power of 306 hp and 700 Nm of combined maximum torque.
A marriage consummated by the well-known 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, which offers an excellent response to all requests. Whether in a calm tone or on one of those "shorter" days when we look more often at the clock hand than at the speedometer — which we strongly advise against. And thanks to the battery capacity of 13.4 kWh, the Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrid achieves an autonomy in electric mode of around 50 km, both in the limousine version and in this Station (van) version.
What is it like to drive this Diesel PHEV van?
Don't be fooled by the bourgeois size of this Mercedes-Benz E 300 de Station. Despite its dimensions and weight, this executive family van is capable of putting many sports cars in the right direction in a chance encounter at a traffic light or on a highway.
We are talking about a Diesel PHEV van that is capable of covering 0-100 km/h in six seconds and reaching a top speed of 250 km/h. But despite these numbers transporting us to the universe of strong sensations, the only strong feeling we have aboard this van is that we travel in complete comfort and safety.
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Dynamically, Mercedes-Benz E 300 de Station does nothing more than its obligation: to respond to all our commands in a safe and decisive manner.
Real savings. Under what conditions?
All. Whether with the batteries charged before a trip, or with the batteries depleted to ride in 100% electric mode, the Mercedes-Benz E 300 from Station always has a moderate appetite.
In electric mode it is possible to reach a maximum speed of 130 km/h, which we do not recommend if the intention is to extend the battery charge as much as possible. However, in everyday life — on routes with cities and some expressways in the mix — it is possible to drive for 50 km without requesting the services of the 2.0 Diesel engine.
On longer journeys, just using the combustion engine, at the same pace, it is possible to reach averages below 7 l/100 km. Is it an excellent solution? No doubt. We have performance and fuel economy. But for more than 70 thousand euros it will hardly be a solution available to everyone.
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The only disadvantage compared to conventional E-Class Stations is found in the luggage compartment. Due to the placement of the batteries, the bottom of the suitcase has a step. Still, it maintains an interesting load capacity: 480 liters.