To avoid Turkey’s special consumption tax, Mercedes offers a Turkish-market Mercedes CLA 200 with output reduced from 272 PS to 218 PS.
There are several European countries that impose additional taxes on vehicles with large-displacement engines or high power outputs. In Italy, an extra tax applies to cars producing more than 185 kW (252 PS), while in Turkey the threshold is set at 160 kW (218 PS).
In Turkey, a special consumption tax is levied on cars with more than 160 kW of power. As a result, premium car manufacturers often offer specific versions with outputs below 218 PS to avoid this costly tax. Mercedes has therefore introduced the Mercedes CLA 200+ EQ specifically for the Turkish market.
The Mercedes CLA 200+ EQ is not derived from the entry-level Mercedes CLA 200 EQ, which features a 224 PS rear-mounted motor and a 58 kWh LFP battery. Instead, it is based on the Mercedes CLA 250+ EQ, which comes with a 272 PS rear-mounted motor and an 85 kWh NMC battery.
As a result, the Turkish-market Mercedes CLA 200+ EQ has its output reduced to 218 PS from 272 PS, while retaining the same 85 kWh net battery as the CLA 250+. Curiously, despite its lower power output, the WLTP energy consumption is rated at 13.5 kWh/100 km, compared with 12.5 kWh/100 km for the 272 PS CLA 250+ sold in the rest of Europe.
The 0–100 km/h sprint takes 7.6 seconds, compared with 6.7 seconds for the CLA 250+, while the top speed remains identical at 210 km/h.
Although Mercedes successfully avoided the consumption tax through the lower power output, the CLA 200+ EQ still costs around €78,000 in Turkey. By comparison, in Germany the Mercedes CLA 200 (58 kWh battery, 224 PS motor) costs €49,421, while the CLA 250+ is priced at €55,728—a difference of more than €20,000.
For the same reason, the Mercedes EQE is also sold in Turkey in a detuned version called the EQE 280, which produces 218 PS and 550 Nm of torque. In contrast, the Mercedes EQE 300 available across the rest of Europe delivers 265 PS and the same 550 Nm. Both models use the identical 90.5 kWh battery.
The EQE 280 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.0 seconds, compared with 6.9 seconds for the EQE 300, while top speed remains unchanged at 210 km/h.
In Turkey, the EQE 280 comes standard with the AMG Line package, which slightly reduces WLTP range to 622 km due to its larger wheels. In Europe, the EQE 300 offers a WLTP range of up to 664 km.
In Germany, the EQE 300 starts at €67,187, while the Edition AMG Line package adds another €12,138. In Turkey, however, the EQE 280 with the AMG Line package starts at the exorbitant price of €102,000, even without being subject to the higher consumption tax bracket.
