Mercedes E180 and BMW 520i with 1.6-lt engine. If you are thinking, I made a typo you are wrong. Mercedes E180 is powered by a 1.6-lt engine and BMW 520i is available with 1.6-lt engine but in Turkey. Most of the EU countries do no experience the same high level of custom duties and taxation of import cars. However, countries like Turkey impose high level of taxation on larger engines and this shrinks the automotive market.
So the best solution to save your market is to introduce 1.6-lt engines. Mercedes E180 features the 1.6-lt available on C-Class with 156 HP and 250 Nm of torque. Engine is coupled with a transmission 7G-Tronic that is also available to see at British Museum. Thanks to heavy weight of E 180 (1.6-tonne) this car needs 9.7 seconds to 100 km/h or try not to reach. On the other hand, E180 does not have a limited top speed of 250 km/h, because it runs out of breathe at 220 km/h. Despite my critism, I would definitely buy one. E-Class safety and technology packed with a smaller engine and this creates a room to avoid high taxation.
The story is the same with BMW 520i. 520i with 1.6-lt petrol is designed for Turkish market. The engine produces 180 HP and 250 Nm of torque and coupled with 8-speed automatic. And only needs 8.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h. However, Mercedes E180 offers the torque at lower ranges and it improves the feeling of acceleration. The 520i needs more rpm to reach its maximum torque. Top speed of BMW 520i is 226 km/h and interestingly BMW 520i is heavier than E180, 1690kg!
Literally, Mercedes E180 and BMW 520i with 1.6-lt are more or less the same cars. Mercedes has less horse and less weight, BMW has more fat and more horse. They both offer the highest technology of their brands and you will never ever suffer from the lack of performance. And the room for paying less tax is a big plus!
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