With the S500 Plug-in Hybrid already on the market as the luxury car->ke505 with the lowest official fuel consumption in the world, Mercedes-Benz->ke187 is gearing up to introduce no less than nine other similar models between 2015 and 2017, of which the C 350 Plug-in Hybrid is first to arrive courtesy of its unveil at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. Despite originally having thought that the C-Class in plug-in hybrid guise will wear the C350e moniker because of Mercedes' recent change of nomenclature - with the "e" signifying that the model in question can also run purely in electric mode – it seems that the Stuttgart carmaker decided to keep the "Plug-in Hybrid" designation since it is more descriptive for the time being.

Following in the steps of its bigger and more luxurious brother, the Mercedes-Benz C 350 Plug-in hybrid sports two distinct means of propulsion that can run either independently or together in order to achieve a better fuel economy and even zero emissions. In theory, you will be able to drive it exclusively in electric mode if all your driving is done in the city, as its 6.2-kW battery offers a range of 19.3 miles.

Despite being named "350," the model actually sports a two-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, a version of which also powers the 2015 C300.. An electric motor's 80 horsepower combined with the turbo four give it 279 horsepower in total, which is not too shabby for a car that can easily break the 100-mpg mark. In case it wasn't obvious, the "350" moniker is actually used because together with the electric motor it develops a similar power output with a naturally-aspirated, 3.5-liter engine.

Updated 01/12/2015: Mercedes unveiled the all-new 2016 C 350 PLUG-IN Hybrid at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Click past the jump for the new details.

Updated 01/23/2015: We've added a series of new images from the car's official debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Check the new images in the "Pictures" tab.

Click past the jump to read more about the Mercedes C-Class Plug-In Hybrid.

Spy Shots

Exterior

Unlike most electric cars in recent times, plug-in hybrid vehicles have what some may call an advantage in terms of exterior design, with no specific details that flaunt their non-standard means of propulsion. Sure, look closely and you will observe an extra filler cap somewhere on the car, while geeky connoisseurs will spot other details as well, but other than that, plug-in hybrids look the same as any other car powered by only an old internal-combustion engine.

The 2016 Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-in Hybrid makes no exception to this rule, with the only exterior difference compared with a regular C-Class being an electric socket cap on the rear-right corner of the car and some mild aerodynamic enhancements. By the latter I also mean that the model will not be available with the AMG line body kit. Contrary to what was previously expected though, it seems that the model will be available with both engine grilles and not just the one that looks like Bane's mouth piece – which also has active shutters. Other than that and the letters on the trunk, have fun guessing the mileage of a C350 Plug-in hybrid when you see one on the street.

Interior

Just like the one on the S500 Plug-in Hybrid, the C350 Plug-in hybrid's interior design keeps the model's type of propulsion a secret to its occasional passengers, at least until they realize that the car can move without making any engine sounds. As with the regular C-Class, the plug-in hybrid variant benefits from what is arguably the best interior in the entry-level luxury car segment. Created by a Mercedes-Benz design team situated at Lake Como, who until recently only designed concept cars for the German brand, it sits very close in terms of quality with that of the S-Class.

With a swooping center console that can also be had in matte-wood and with aluminum knobs and buttons spread around the dashboard, the C-Class interior steps it up at least two notches compared to its predecessors. Thanks to an increase in overall size, it also offers more passenger space, while the C350 Plug-in Hybrid will only compromise the luggage compartment with the over-sized battery pack situated on top of the rear axle. Instead of the standard 480 liters (17 cubic feet), the luggage compartment of the model only measures 335 liters (11.8 cubic feet), or about as much as a compact hatchback.

Drivetrain

As expected, the C350 Plug-in hybrid sports a two-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder on the internal-combustion front, paired with a modified version of the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. As far as the electric motor is concerned, it takes its power from from an externally-rechargeable battery pack with 6.2 kWh of stored energy that sits right on top of the rear axle. The internal-combustion engine offers 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, so together with the maximum of 80 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque developed by the electric motor situated between the engine and the transmission, you are looking at a rather fast green car.

Technologies previewed by the recently-launched S500 Plug-in Hybrid also made their way onto the C350 Plug-in Hybrid, and by that I mean regenerative braking system, a haptic accelerator pedal and no less than five operating modes, with both means of propulsion working either together or independently to make the car as efficient as possible. The all-electric range of the model is somewhat similar to that of the aforementioned S-Class – 19.3 miles to be more precise -- while combined fuel economy sits at 112 mpg.

Drivetrain Specifications

Prices

Having in mind that the S500 Plug-in Hybrid costs exactly the same as a regular S500 in Germany, the starting price of the C350 Plug-in Hybrid should be similar to that of the C400, despite the fact that it offers two less cylinders and a slightly lower power output. Having said that, expect the first ever plug-in hybrid C-Class to start at a little under $50,000 in the United States when Mercedes-Benz delivers the official numbers in the Fall of 2015.

Competitors

BMW 328e

This is where it gets really interesting, as not only is BMW also working on a plug-in hybrid variant of its entry-level luxury sedan, but if its own press release is to be believed, it will be much less powerful than the Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-in Hybrid, while offering a slightly better fuel consumption. Dubbed 328e, the BMW model was recently previewed by the Bavarian car maker in the form of a pre-production prototype with the camouflage still on, and BMW's marketing machine revealed some of the specifications we can expect.

Also powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder working either independently or in tandem with a transmission-based electric motor, the BMW 328e will only offer "approximately 242 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque" when both power sources are active. Its all-electric range and combined fuel economy are expected to be a little better than the Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-in Hybrid though, with BMW suggesting a range of around 22 miles in EV mode and 117.6 mpg. The good news for BMW fans continues with the front positioning of the electric charging socket, which makes more sense for people who park their car front first into the garage. That is also where they end, as in terms of performance it will stand no chance against the close-to-300-horsepower C350 Plug-in Hybrid and its 5.9 seconds required to reach 62 mph.

Conclusion

There aren't many ways to get around the fact that the internal-combustion engine could be closing in on its final chapter of life, but investing in a plug-in hybrid revolution seems to be a pretty good life-extending option. This is what Mercedes-Benz will try to achieve in the upcoming four years, with no less than nine plug-in hybrids to be introduced along the recently-launched S500 Plug-in Hybrid and C-Class Plug-in hybrid. The C350 Plug-in hybrid is the first one of the bunch, but that doesn't mean that it will have an easy job on its hands, as BMW will also unveil a direct rival of its own in 2015. Either way, the simple fact that more cars like this will exist in the nearby future makes my heart fill with hope. Why? Because they offer the best from two very different worlds.

You can have an emission-free EV to drive in the city and the performance, range and especially sound of an internal combustion engine on the open road. What is there not to like about it? Until all-electric cars will inevitably become the norm, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will try and make the best of what's left in terms of efficiency with internal-combustion engines. The C350 Plug-in hybrid is, therefore, not just a marketing gimmick, but a telltale of things to come.