Mercedes A 250 e and B 250 e plug-in hybrids now on sale

• B-Class PHEV starts from £35,280
• Both models offer low tax costs
• Combining electric and petrol modes offers quick acceleration

The Mercedes B 250 e plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is now on sale, bolstering the brand’s range of electrified models. It comes two months after the Mercedes A 250 e went on sale, a car that uses the same powertrain and underpinnings. The first customers should get their hybrid B-Classes before the end of the summer.

Prices, specs and release date

Currently, the cheapest way to access this powertrain is in the Mercedes A-Class saloon, where the sole AMG Line trim level costs £32,780. The hatchback starts at £200 more, but has four trim level options, with the most expensive costing £37,480. Hybrid Mercedes B-Class buyers get three trim levels to choose from, starting at £35,280 and moving up in increments of £1,500.

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The B 250 e range starts with AMG Line Executive, which gets heated front seats, Artico leather upholstery, the MBUX infotainment system, wireless phone charging and Apple/Android connectivity. AMG Line Premium adds a bigger instrument screen, augmented reality sat nav, keyless go and 64-colour ambient lighting, while top-spec AMG Line Premium Plus has a panoramic sunroof, upgraded LED headlights and memory front seats.

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Engines, fuel economy and performance

All three models use a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 75kW electric motor and a 15.6kWh battery. Together they produce 215bhp and propel the cars from 0-62mph in 6.6-6.8 seconds, depending on which model you buy. Top speed is 146mph for the Mercedes A 250 e hatchback and the B 250 e, and 149mph for the A 250 e saloon, although this reduces to 87mph if you’re running on electric power alone.

Up to 42 miles of electric range is claimed for the B-Class (you may get slightly more from the A-Class pair), and Mercedes claims efficiency figures of over 200mpg and super-low CO2 emissions. That’s good news for company-car drivers, as all three attract a Benefit-in-Kind rating of 6%, meaning 20% taxpayers are liable for just £12 per month.

Charging time

Charging from a 7.4kW AC wallbox tops the battery up from 10 to 100% in under two hours, while 10-80% on a DC charger takes just 25 minutes.

To save fuel and boost range, the Mercedes A-Class and B-Class hybrids can use sat nav data to choose when to use electric and when to use petrol power, or a combination of both, and it can save the battery to be used later in the journey. There are five battery regeneration settings and three driving modes, which let you adjust how much the battery recharges and how much of the journey is run on electric power.

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As with many plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, you can remotely pre-heat or cool the interior from a smartphone. With the Mercedes Me Charge card or the Mercedes Me app, you can access most types of electric car charge points with one payment process. The A250e and B250e models all feature Mercedes’ latest ‘MBUX’ infotainment system, comprising of two screens placed side-by-side on the dashboard.

Mercedes is aiming to have 20 electrified models by late 2020.

Read our Mercedes A-Class and Mercedes B-Class reviews, or see where the A-Class features on our list of the UK’s best-selling cars in 2019.