PT Mercedes-Benz Distribution Indonesia revealed that sales of its E-class vehicles have overtaken last year’s favorite, the C-class, in the January-April period this year.

Mercedes president director and CEO Roelof Lamberts told an iftar (breaking-of-the-fast) gathering in Jakarta on Wednesday that in total the German carmaker’s sales had increased by 21.5 percent to 1,285 units.

“Out of the 1,285 cars, 26 percent came from the E-class,” Lamberts said.

Mercedes recently introduced the E350 EQ Power during the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) where the vehicle won two awards, Best Sedan and Best Electric Vehicle.

EQ Power is a technology used in the E 350e Plug-in Hybrid model, a sedan in the German carmaker's mid-range E-Class line that combines the 9G-TRONIC plug-in hybrid transmission and the latest generation of electric motors.

The automotive industry last year suffered from slow growth. According to data from the Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers (Gaikindo), domestic car sales last year reached 1.079 million units, up just 1.6 percent from 2016.

Industry players this year have predicted a more positive outlook. (yan)