German carmaker PT Mercedes-Benz Indonesia launched a rebellious coupe in the form of the CLA 200 in Jakarta on Thursday, breaking a long tradition of two-door body style for coupe cars.

The new coupe has a closed four-door body, blurring the line between coupe and sedan. Mercedes-Benz launched the CLA 200, instead of the CLA 250 that has been launched in other countries.

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Mercedes-Benz Indonesia sales and marketing director for passenger cars, Stephan Moebius, said that the four-door coupe style was well-suited to Jakarta's road conditions, as the city is known for its traffic problems regulation about reducing car journeys.

'[It is] only the CLA 200 that fits Indonesian standards, such as fuel and capacity,' he said.

Mercedes-Benz Indonesia president and CEO, Claus Weidner, admitted that the mid-luxury car market in Indonesia is very small and segmented.

While declining to reveal the sales target, Weidner was upbeat that it would be reached.

'We are just focusing on our product and we are not thinking about [our] competitors. I think competition in business is good,' he said.

'The majority of our customers are from Jakarta,' he added.

Indonesia is ranked as Mercedes-Benz' fourth largest market for the class in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Two variants of the CLA 200 are being offered to car enthusiasts. The CLA 200 Urban has a price tag of Rp 639 million, while the CLA 200 Sport is ready to roll for Rp 699 million. (nvn)

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post

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