Expert answer

Hi Bill,

HDA2 became standard with the facelift that was introduced on the EV6 in 2025, so pre-facelift cars will not have it, but post-facelift Earth models do.

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Hi Michael,

So long as you can prove that fact, using MOT dates perhaps, then you should not be liable for any customs duty or VAT on importation. Of course, you will still need to pay VRT and the NOx levy.

Read our Guide to importing cars from Northern Ireland for full details.

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Hi Jim,

I assume you mean the G6, the only car Xpeng sells in Ireland right now. 

It should make for a good taxi in terms of comfort, running costs and space, for sure. The rear seat is huge and it has a decent boot as well.

It hasn't been around long enough for us to make a call on its reliability, but EVs have less to go wrong than cars with engines so it's likely to be pretty dependable. 

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Hi Doteen,

A car's history and how well it has been serviced is important no matter what fuel type it is. The added complication with modern diesels is that their DPFs – and other components - can clog up if they're only used for short trips. I don't believe where you buy the car has any bearing on that. It's all about how the car was used.

Make sure all the warning lights are working and going off when the car is running, insist on a detailed and complete service history and take the car for a decent test drive (again, regardless of the fuel).

A diesel car will be far more economical than a petrol one when it comes to towing and for the most part will be better suited to the job in terms of low-down pulling power (torque).

Nonetheless, if you'd prefer a petrol car, that's entirely doable. Just don't go for a small-engined, lightweight car and expect it to do a good job. Cars such as the Ford Mondeo, Skoda Octavia, VW Passat and others all came with powerful turbocharged petrol engines, though they're much rarer and hence harder to find than the diesel equivalents.

Hopefully that has given you some food for thought but come back to us with more information on the weight of the caravan you're buying and your budget for the car and we can help further if you need it.

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Hi Joseph,

We're not convinced. There are some advantages for sure, such as getting a car that is often in better condition than an Irish-market model of the same age, and sometimes with more equipment for the price as well.

But there are loads of downsides, including potential issues with sourcing parts if it's not identical to the car that was sold in Ireland and increased insurance. Many Japanese cars do not come with alarms or immobilisers, either.

For rare cars that have value then it's certainly worth looking at, but for a regular car such as the Toyota, we'd advocate for seeking out cars already in Ireland.

If you want to investigate it further, it's definitely worth working with a reputable importer that will do it all for you, up to registering the car on Irish plates, as that in itself can be tricky. We don't have first-hand experience of any one company though so can only suggest you do some Googling and looking for independent reviews of the companies you find.

And make sure you read our Guide to buying Japanese imports.

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Hi Niall,

If the car has been in use in the North since new, or for what Revenue loosely calls “a reasonable amount of time”, then no VAT or customs duty will be payable. A full MOT history from the North should cover that, along with details in the car's equivalent to the old log book.

The VRT relief is limited, though, and only applicable to cars worth up to €50,000 in Revenue's eyes. There is no relief for cars worth more than that and it tapers down for cars worth more than €40,000 as well.

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Hi Glenn,

If you've not already, I suggest you go and test drive examples of each, as they're very different cars to drive. Then, read our reviews on them to help look at the nitty gritty:

BYD Sealion 7 reviews

Kia EV4 reviews

Xpeng G6 reviews

We'd probably only consider the Xpeng and BYD comparable here as they're SUV-shaped crossovers while the EV4 is a hatchback (or 'Fastback') and, for the entry-level price of the Sealion 7 you can nearly have the top-of-the-range EV4 hatch. 

The Sealion 7 and Xpeng are larger inside and in the boot than the Kia, but the EV4 in its highest spec has the best interior of the three. 

So yeah, we'd not be able to easily pick one without knowing other factors, but if we didn't need the space of the SUVs, we'd certainly prefer to drive a hatchback such as the Kia.

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Hi George,

Every car is a little different, but in many cars, if there is no separate button or icon in the touchscreen, they come on when you turn on the rear-window demister.

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Hi Niall,

I'm assuming you're thinking of snowy winters past where many a rear-drive car is seen struggling for traction. That's mostly down to the vehicle's weight distribution as those cars have their engines up front and very little weight over the rear wheels.

The rear-drive EX40 wouldn't have that issue - within reason - as the heavy electric motor is over the driven axle and the battery pack is mounted low down in the middle of the car.

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Hi Bart,

Revenue itself states that the information on its website is for guidance only, so you have no comeback with it. Saying all that, if it gives an OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) for the same car on there, then that is likely to be quite a good guide. 

For cars coming from Japan, however, they will ask for proof of the CO₂ and NOx emissions, so that's the tricky part. Make sure you get that documentation from the seller before proceeding.