There are few silver linings to the COVID-19 pandemic, but free-flowing traffic is certainly one of them!
For the essential workers who still must commute each day, driving to work has suddenly become much easier. The same applies to the trucks delivering our surging e-commerce orders. Removing so many cars from the roads has even led to cleaner air, clearer views, and more room for outdoor recreation, even in major cities.
And for the rest of us? Well, maybe it's time to go car shopping again as there’s definitely no better to enjoy the highways surrounding your suburb than now! And the following are some of the top picks from the myriad of automotive releases in our neck of the woods for you to consider.
This article was first featured in The Peak Malaysia's 2/2021 Issue
Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 de
Many PHEVs use a combination of petrol and electric power to get a similar economy to a diesel engine, but Mercedes has utilised diesel power instead of shunning it. As a result, the GLE 350 de is said to manage up to 99 km of pure electric range, and the GLE 350 de 4Matic has a WLTP-certified fuel consumption of just 1.1 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions of 29 g/km – a figure unmatched by most plug-in hybrids. Powering the SUV is the OM654 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine making 194 PS and 400 Nm of torque. It’s augmented by a 100-kW electric motor which draws power from a 31.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. Thus equipped, the 2,580-kg PHEV will sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds. Top speed is rated at 210 km/h, or 160 km/h in pure electric mode.
