Last week, we got a peek at the far future of Mercedes-Benz with the autonomous F 015 concept. We also got a feel for what's next for Benz from behind the wheel of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C350e plug-in hybrid.
The C350e is available in Base or Luxury trim levels. Seen here close to fully loaded, the hybrid is loaded to the gills with all of the latest tech and amenities offered by the automaker.
The addition of the battery pack sacrifices a bit of the C-Class' truck space. However, there is still a good deal of room back there and the rear pass-through doesn't appear compromised.
The driver can adjust the performance of the vehicle between sport, sport+, comfort, and eco modes with the chrome toggle. Eco mode has four sub-modes: hybrid, e-mode, e-save, and charge.
The driver uses the new COMAND controller to interact with the infotainment system. The knob can be twisted, nudged and tapped to make selections. Alternatively, the driver can swipe and tap the glossy touchpad.
Though the performance is noticeably augmented by the different drive modes, I was most impressed by the seamless transition from full-electric to gasoline power.
