Mercedes-Benz A250e 2020: Plug-in power confirmed for luxury small hatch and sedan

Mercedes-Benz will bulk out its A-Class small hatchback and sedan line-up with the new plug-in A250e hitting Australian showrooms in the second quarter of next year.

Fitted with a 15.6kWh lithium-ion battery, the A250e hatchback and sedan will travel around 70 kilometres on a full charge, after which the 1.3-litre petrol engine will take over propulsion duties.

Pairing a 75kW/300Nm electric motor to the internal combustion engine (ICE) also results in a total system output of 160kW/450Nm and a zero-to-100km/h acceleration time of 6.6 and 6.7 seconds in the hatchback and sedan respectively.

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Fuel consumption is pegged at around 1.4 litres per 100km, while carbon dioxide emissions are rated at 32-34 grams per kilometre.

Meanwhile, the battery can be charged from 10-100 per cent in under two hours with a 7.4kW AC wallbox, while a direct-current charger will juice the A250e from 10-80 per cent in around 25 minutes.

The electric motor will also double as the starter for the engine, as the small plug-ins do no feature a separate 12-volt starter.

Despite the added electric vehicle (EV) componentry, Mercedes is promising only a small hit to storage volume thanks to a tweaks to the exhaust plumbing and fuel tank layout.

The switch to an electrified drivetrain also means the A250e adds an ‘Electric’ driving mode to the existing ‘Comfort’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’ settings, while the steering wheel-mounted paddles now adjust the level of regenerative braking aggression.

As with the A-Class vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) multimedia system features, but now A250e owners can pre-set climate control functions with their smartphones due to the inclusion of an electric refrigerant compressor.

Full pricing and specifications will be revealed closer to its launch, but expect the five-door A250e to slot in between the front-wheel-drive $48,800 before on-road costs A250 hatchback and AMG-fettled $67,200 A35.

Similarly, the sedan version is likely to sit between the A250 and A35 variants, with the former yet to be launched and the latter costing $69,800.

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Mercedes also revealed the plug-in powertrain-sharing B250e alongside the A250e pair, but the electrified B-Class is off the table for Australia.