Mercedes-Benz says it will keep introducing plug-in hybrids in India, positioning them as a bridge to EVs despite limited policy support. …Read More 
Mercedes-Benz India recently also introduced the AMG E 53 Hybrid 4Matic+ in the Indian market. 
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Mercedes-Benz India has said it will keep introducing plug-in hybrid vehicles in the country even without policy support for the technology. The company made the comment as it launched the AMG E 53 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in two variants priced at ₹1.45 crore and ₹1.48 crore, ex-showroom, all-India.
Hybrids still have a role
The company believes plug-in hybrids can help customers who are interested in electrified mobility but are not ready to move to a full EV. Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer said many buyers still have valid concerns that slow the shift to battery-only vehicles.
“Electrification is the long-term roadmap to reach and final destination. But that’s one way to look at the story. The other way is there are still 75 per cent of customers who are not preferring electrification for valid reasons,” he said.
Iyer pointed to charging infrastructure, range anxiety and residual value as some of the biggest hurdles. In his view, a plug-in hybrid gives buyers a way to experience electric driving without giving up the familiarity of a combustion engine. “For us, the plug-in hybrid powertrain helps us to bridge that gap. It offers you a combustion engine, and the pleasure of an EV,” Iyer said.
Policy support not a deal-breaker
Mercedes-Benz India does not see the absence of incentives as a reason to step away from plug-in hybrids. Iyer said the company will keep offering them wherever it sees demand and room to grow.
“Wherever opportunities exist and possibilities exist, we will continue to introduce plug-in hybrid as well,” he added.
The company has already positioned itself across several powertrain options in India, from E25-compliant petrol vehicles to BS-VI phase two-compliant diesel cars and electric vehicles. Iyer said this allows Mercedes-Benz India to stay close to what customers actually want. He also said the company respects the policy focus on EVs, while still wanting to give buyers more time to adapt to hybrid technology.
“But we would like to offer consumers choice and give them the time to live with hybrid powertrain before many of them shift to EV powertrain,” he averred.
Also Read : Mercedes-Benz India records best-ever H1 sales in 2026; AMG sales jump 50%
AMG E 53 as the latest example
The newly launched AMG E 53 Hybrid is meant to show how Mercedes-Benz plans to balance performance with efficiency. Iyer described it as a product that meets AMG buyers’ expectations without giving up daily usability.
“This performance sedan combines genuine AMG performance with plug-in hybrid’s efficiency, balancing an AMG customers need of racetrack performance with practicality of daily usage, perfectly,” he said.
He also said, “The AMG E53 Hybrid furthers our ‘powertrain agnostic’ strategy for India, where customers decide the powertrain of their choice, suiting their requirement.”
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First Published Date: 25 Jul 2026, 11:33 am IST