2027 Mercedes-Benz C300e | PH Review

Can the new 326hp plug-in C-Class really take us to places the EV can't reach?

By Sam Sheehan / Tuesday, 27 October 2026 / Loading comments

You might think that an updated C-Class wouldn’t stand a chance against all-new rivals in the G50 BMW 3 Series and B10 Audi A5, but Mercedes says this is the most comprehensive facelift applied to the model in its history. Everything has been seen to, from the engines and chassis to the interior tech. Yes, the styling has been tweaked too - but thankfully it doesn’t seem to have been anywhere near the Affalterbach design studio.

Mercedes claims that this updated W206 represents a fine-tuning of what came before, and given how good the C-Class has been since this current generation landed in 2021, that’d be no bad thing. Whatever the result, the truth is that barely a few weeks before we find out how the all-new G50 3 Series drives, Mercedes gets one chance to lay down its marker. And here’s a spoiler: it’s a good one, albeit not for the reasons you might expect.

Mercedes’s obsession with its own badge has clearly not faded because while the petrol C-Class doesn’t get the fully closed and very plastic-looking front grille of its electric sibling, it does wear a nose bearing a gazillion stars and illuminated lipstick. Stars have also been added to the upgraded headlights (which are said to project 40% more light while using 50% less energy) and rear lights, although overall, this remains a handsome motor from all angles.

It’s much the same inside, where you’ll find the same basic layout as the pre-facelift model. A digital driver display and angled central infotainment system mean there’s much less screen than in both Mercedes’s electric cars and the Audi A5. Plus, the vents aren’t a gaudy chrome like in the C-Class EV, and there are even physical buttons. The ones on the steering wheel are new - or, more accurately, new to the W206 - as they represent a return of what Mercedes was doing a few years back. Overall, the cabin is comfy, relaxing and generally a pleasure to spend time in.

There are, as you’d expect, tech updates, including a new user interface for the infotainment that’s slick and quick to react. Built-in Google Maps works with the head-up display to project directional augmented reality arrows directly onto the windscreen. There’s also a new facial recognition camera, which takes the place of the old fingerprint system to identify who’s in the driving seat and load up the appropriate profile, but it doesn’t double up as an alternative to the digital key. You still need that to start the car.

If you’re wondering, like the petrol 3 Series, the combustion-powered C-Class is based on a totally different platform to its electric alternative. But that doesn’t mean the hardware hasn’t been tweaked - in fact, as promised, the entire line-up of four-cylinders has received changes, largely to conform to Euro 7 and also to give the W206 fighting power to take on Bavaria’s latest. That doesn’t, however, include any M350- and S5-rivalling straight-sixes. And no, the V8 won’t make it to the C-Class either, meaning no AMG derivative. Boo.

No less disappointing is the fact that the UK loses the two diesel options still offered on the continent. Yes, sales here have long been dwindling, but the oil burners were good motors. It means those wanting the highest fuel economy are left with one obvious choice, the C300e plug-in hybrid, and this is the car we’re driving on the launch in Germany. Naturally, we’d rather be in the more powerful C400e, but guess what: we don’t get that in Britain either.

That said, with 326hp of combined power, the C300e is no slouch. In fact, this is an impressively elastic powertrain with a seamless blend of petrol and electric propulsion. Helpfully, the 9G-Tronic torque converter it’s mated to is a clever, smooth-shifting transmission, meaning the whole mechanical setup feels brilliantly polished. It’s quiet and refined, and muscular when you want it to be. Plus, there’s even a decent on-paper EV range of 66 miles.

And yet the best discovery of our drive is how the new C-Class has benefited from improvements to the chassis. Engineers have tweaked the suspension to unlock more comfort, but it doesn’t seem to have come at the cost of body control. The two-tonne-plus C300e manages to feel light on its feet with a supple ride over bumps (as few and far between as they are in Germany), and yet it doesn’t lean over if you fling the car at a bend or power hard onto the autobahn.

Admittedly, our car’s handling was enhanced by two key options, adaptive dampers and rear-axle steering, which combine to give the C300e a neutral balance. This is no M-devision rival, obviously, but cross country pace isn’t just a point-and-squirt affair. Momentum can be carried into corners and that elastic torque delivery can be engaged as soon as you like. It’s satisfying and efficient. Which is probably what you'd choose for a plug-in saloon.

Obviously, a Benz’s natural state is to be more relaxed, and if you let it settle the C300e’s mechanicals are quiet, thanks in part to more cabin insulation present in the facelift. You can even hand more of the driving over to the car, because the C-Class’s comprehensive tech boost includes Merc’s latest autonomous driving stuff. Steer assist, auto lane change and auto park are all present and genuinely decent. Although given how nice this saloon is to drive, you’d be forgiven for wanting to retain full control.

Will the far-reaching facelift be enough to face off the all-new 3 Series and A5? We won’t know for sure until we get them together. But one thing’s clear, this W206 C-Class stands as evidence that Mercedes still knows how to make a cracking executive saloon. Here’s hoping this remains the case when the next generation finally arrives, if only because by then Mercedes might be ready to install the V8 it richly deserves...

SPECIFICATION | Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300e AMG Line Premium

Engine: 1,999cc, four-cylinder, turbo, with 19.5kWh battery and e-motor
Transmission: 9-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 326
Torque (lb ft): 406
0-62mph: 5.9 seconds
Top speed: 149mph
Weight: 2,154kg
MPG: 117.8mpg
CO2: 55g/km
Price: £57,515