Santosh Iyer, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, said the company continues to see strong demand for its electric vehicles (EVs), with the newly launched CLA BEV fully booked until January 2027. He added that the vehicle's availability depends on global allocation, as the model is seeing high demand across markets.
"I think demand for EVs will continue to be based on availability. Today, if you go to my website, the CLA BEV is sold out till December and into January next year, and the EQS is unavailable again until November and December. The allocations of CLA are a topic even in Europe, it's not just an Indian topic because this car has exceeded everybody's expectations. Since the model is a CBU, its sales in India depend on the global availability of cars,” Iyer told TNIE in an interaction.
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) accounted for 25% of all Top-End Mercedes- Benz sold in the first half of 2026. Top-End BEVs (Rs 1.4 cr above) grew 85% in Q2 CY 2026. Mercedes-Benz BEV penetration doubled to 14% of the total sales mix in Q2 2026, driven by the success of the New CLA BEV and demand for the top-end EQS SUV.
The German carmaker wants to expand its EV portfolio, with more than six EV launches planned over the next 18-24 months. It also expanded its powertrain option in India, by launching the AMG E 53 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in two editions priced at Rs 1.45 crore and Rs 1.48 crore, respectively (ex-showroom, all-India). Mercedes had earlier launched the new S-Class S 450e in India, marking the arrival of the first-ever plug-in hybrid version of the flagship luxury sedan in the country.
The leading luxury car brand expects its sales momentum to continue in the second half of CY2026 despite the high base of last year which was aided by the GST rate reduction. Iyer stated that repeated price hikes due to foreign exchange movement remains a concern for the luxury car market.
On the highly debated ethanol blending (E20) topic, the MD stated that every Mercedes car sold in the country since January 2026 is compatible with E25 ethanol-blended petrol. According to Iyer, they adopted E25 compatibility to future-proof products as discussions continue around increasing ethanol blending beyond E20. He added that the company had similarly made its India line-up E20-compatible from 2020, around three years before the fuel became mandatory.
