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We didn't see this one coming, and it's a pleasant surprise. An ad for the Mercedes-Benz E 300 Bluetec Hybrid has appeared on our sister classifieds site oto.my, posted by a sales advisor from Cycle & Carriage. The E 300 Bluetec Hybrid is set to be the first diesel hybrid car to be commercially available in Malaysia, unless Peugeot or Citroen spring a surprise.
Joining the E 200, E 250 and E 400 in the local non-AMG W212 facelift range, the E 300 Bluetec Hybrid is powered by a 204 hp 2.1 litre four cylinder diesel engine paired with a 27 hp electric motor. The latter is sandwiched between the engine and the seven-speed automatic transmission.
With a massive 500 Nm of torque from 1,600 rpm, this E-Class is no slouch, and the big exec does 0-100 km/h in a brisk 7.5 seconds. But the main selling point here is fuel efficiency, combining the best economy qualities of diesel and hybrid in one package. Claimed combined FC is 4.3 litres per 100 km, or 23.3 km/l. 20 km/l in something so powerful - who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?
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To highlight the E 300 Bluetec Hybrid's economy potential, Mercedes-Benz had an Africa to UK in one tank challenge in June, when UK motoring journalist Andrew Frankel (Autocar UK readers would know him) drove 1,968 km from continent to continent.
Frankel averaged 3.1 litres per 100 km, completing his journey with a remaining range of 160 km on the on-board computer. This indicates a max range of 2,129 km per tank of diesel with the optional 80 litre fuel tank - Malaysian cars will get the standard 59 litre tank.
The icing on the cake is the E 300 Bluetec Hybrid's estimated price - at RM338,888, it will be the cheapest W212 on sale here, undercutting the RM367k E 200. Doesn't say in the ad, but the attractive price hints at local assembly, and CKD hybrids get tax breaks. To compare, the other diesel exec in town - the 184 hp/380 Nm BMW 520d - is priced at RM354,800. Interested? We hear that it will launch in Q1 2015.
Mercedes-Benz E 300 Bluetec Hybrid in the Africa to UK in one tank challenge
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