Mercedes-Benz Launches First Plug-In Hybrid S-Class In India At Rs 2.20 Crore
New S 450e PHEV offers 115 km electric range as luxury carmaker expands its top-end vehicle portfolio
Mercedes-Benz, India’s largest German luxury car maker, which is betting big on its top-end vehicles (TEV), on Monday expanded its flagship S-Class sedan range by introducing the brand’s first-ever plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant in the country.
The imported S 450e, which is open for bookings at a starting price of Rs 2.20 crore across India, will be available around the Diwali festival in November 2026.
The new car is significant not only because it brings electrification to the S-Class line-up, but also because it offers buyers another powertrain option alongside conventional petrol and fully electric Mercedes models.
“We are seeing an uptick in sales of our top-end vehicles and our flagship S-Class sedan has a major share in it,” Santosh Iyer, CEO and MD of Mercedes-Benz India, told Financial Chronicle on the sidelines of the launch in Mumbai. The top-end vehicle segment includes the S-Class, Maybach range and AMG performance models.
“There is a growing demand among luxury car buyers for a vehicle that offers electric driving capability for daily commutes without compromising long-distance usability,” he said.
“Today, 27 per cent of our total sales comes from our top-end vehicles and this segment is growing in India,” Iyer said, adding that Mercedes vehicles with a ticket size of Rs 1.5 crore are witnessing steady growth. Last fiscal, the Pune-based automaker sold 19,363 cars, achieving its best-ever annual sales in FY26.
“We are eyeing the major Diwali festival season, which generally lifts sales and contributes significantly to volumes,” Iyer noted. He added that the company was considering manufacturing the S-Class PHEV at its Chakan facility near Pune next year.
Iyer said Mercedes follows a flexible, powertrain-agnostic strategy, and bringing a PHEV to the S-Class for the first time in India reflects exactly that.
“There is growing demand for a plug-in hybrid among our top-end customers, and the S 450e PHEV answers it directly. With ICE, BEV and PHEV powertrains now in our line-up, customers have the flexibility to choose the one that suits them best,” he noted.
The new S-Class with a plug-in hybrid powertrain uses a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine paired with an electric motor and a 22 kWh battery pack. It produces 429 BHP and 680 Nm of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Mercedes claims the new S-Class can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. The 22 kWh battery gives it an electric-only range of 115 km. The car is said to deliver an overall mileage of 32.3 km/l under the WLTP cycle.
On the exterior, the new S-Class features a redesigned front fascia with an illuminated grille finished in a gloss-black surround. It is flanked by LED headlamps featuring a new design with star-shaped DRLs. The rear gets sleek wraparound taillamps with three star-shaped LED elements.
Inside, the new S-Class features the Superscreen, which includes a 14.4-inch central touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and an additional 12.3-inch display for the front passenger. These run on Mercedes’ latest MB OS platform. Rear-seat passengers also get 13.1-inch displays and a tablet to control the reclining seats, heating, ventilation, and massage functions.