Diesel Isn’t Going Away: Mercedes-Benz India | Exclusive Interview | autoX Awards 2025
Luxury buyers are changing — and Mercedes-Benz is changing with them. In this candid conversation with Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, Dhruv Behl digs into how the brand is responding to shifting customer expectations, evolving powertrain preferences, and an increasingly complex market landscape.
By Team autoX
Luxury buyers are changing — and Mercedes-Benz is changing with them.
In this candid conversation with Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, Dhruv Behl digs into how the brand is responding to shifting customer expectations, evolving powertrain preferences, and an increasingly complex market landscape.
Why is the E-Class E450 being chosen as a driver’s car?
Why does diesel still account for nearly 40% of sales despite the EV push?
And why does Mercedes-Benz believe that returning to iconic design and driving feel is critical to staying relevant?
Santosh Iyer also explains the thinking behind the Mercedes-Benz–Hurun Wealth Report, what it reveals about where growth in India is really coming from, and how the brand is preparing for its next product offensive in 2026 amid supply and policy uncertainty.
