Hybrid coatings are formed by dispersing inhibitor (benzotriazole) containing functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles throughout a polyester primer. They outperform the primer in corrosion tests both when intact and scratched. Adding the inhibitor directly (without encapsulation into nanoparticles) is found to be less effective. Given the afforded holistic protection, these hybrid coatings represent an excellent model for future coating design.