Expert answer

Hi Margaret,

The first examples of the C3 Aircross will arrive in the third quarter of the year according to Citroen Ireland. And yes, the 100hp petrol model will be available with a manual gearbox.

Make sure you read our reviews of the car

Expert answer

Hi Diana,

The seven-seat EV market is tiny thus far and most of the vehicles are based on commercial vans. Here's a list in order of starting price:

• Citroen E-Berlingo, from €38,693 (as 'LWB' model)
• Opel Combo Life Electric, from €39,504
• Peugeot E-Rifter, from €39,600 (as 'long' model)
• Citroen E-Spacetourer, from €48,626
• Opel Combi Electric, from €49,068
• Peugeot E-5008, from €50,995
• Opel Zafira Life Electric, from €62,495
• Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB, from €67,785
• Kia EV9, from €77,500
• Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, from €114,111
• Volvo EX90, from €117,910
• Mercedes-Benz EQV, from €125,830

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

The price after incentives is €32,987 and the applied incentives include the full €3,500 SEAI grant and a VRT rebate. Adding back on the SEAI grant the price becomes €36,487, which is the price after the VRT rebate has been applied.

VRT is seven per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP). Working back from €36,487, therefore, the OMSP in this case would be €39,233.33, i.e. the price of the 2025 e-C4 Max with no grants.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

No version of the C4 has a front parking camera, if that's what you mean, but they do have a camera at the top of the windscreen that is part of the ADAS safety systems.

And how much of a reduction you get will vary massively from dealer to dealer. As the car is so new, I wouldn't bet on a massive discounts at this stage. 

Expert answer

Hi Denis,

Assuming the van was in use in Northern Ireland, not just brought in by a dealer to sell on (and you’ll need paperwork to prove this), then you should only have to pay VRT. That’s at 13.3 per cent of the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price), which is a figure Revenue in Ireland determines that may not be anything like what you’re actually paying for the van.

If Revenue say it’s worth, for example, €11,000, then the VRT bill would be €1,463.

Expert answer

Hi Adam,

First up, while this job isn't the most intricate, we would still recommend you get a qualified mechanic to do the work as a few things can go wrong that could lead to more expense - such as damaging the wiring, or even the gearbox itself.

With all that in mind, the sensor should be accessible from the engine bay, half way along the length of the gearbox itself at the top. It's a congested part of the engine bay of course so it won't be easy to access and may even require removal of other components to get at it.

Disconnect the wire (checking for faults in that before you assume the sensor is faulty) and then use an appropriately sized socket to unscrew the sensor from the gearbox. Make sure nothing falls into that hole and reverse the procedure with the new sensor, ensuring you don't over-tighten it and damage the threads.

Unless you have done plenty of work on car engines, I would again urge you to employ a mechanic to do this job.

Expert answer

Hi Kieran,

The only way you'll know for sure is to go visit the dealers and make an offer. There is unlikely to be a lot of stock of the old model remaining, to be honest, and with demand for new cars higher than supply, I'd be surprised if dealers will be interested in heavy discounting.

Expert answer

Hi KK,

Strictly speaking, no, it's not necessary to have a smartphone to drive the Ami. It does enhance the experience, however, as the car itself has no infotainment system, or even speakers!

Expert answer

Hi Seamus,

This is obviously a tricky decision, and we wish your wife all the best in coping with this. When it comes to ride quality, the most important factors are the stiffness, overall, of the suspension, the size of the wheels, and the sidewall depth of the tyres. Basically, smaller wheels and normal suspension is the rule of thumb if you’re trying to get a car with a soft ride quality.

SUVs are actually generally quite bad for ride quality. That sounds counter-intuitive, because of course they’re taller and have longer-travel suspension, but the problem is that the springs and dampers have to be stiffened up to prevent the higher centre of gravity from inducing too much body roll. I would therefore suggest that keeping away from SUVs would be a good bet.

That said, the Subaru Forester you’ve mentioned below does indeed have a soft ride quality, again as long as you avoid the larger alloy wheel options. Ditto the smaller Subaru XV, which is helpfully lower to the ground and can get away with slightly softer suspension rates. Citroen, of course, is famed for having pillowy-soft ride quality, and the current C5 Aircross is pretty soft and springy, and has great seats into the bargain. You should definitely look at a Toyota Camry as well (very soft, and again with great seats) and the Skoda Superb.

Avoid anything that has a sporty designation (S line, R-Line, M Sport etc) as that will almost automatically have stiffer springs and bigger wheels.

Hope that helps. Below are links to our reviews of the cars mentioned above:

Subaru Forester reviews

Citroen C5 Aircross reviews

Subaru XV reviews

Toyota Camry reviews

Skoda Superb reviews

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

The C3 Aircross PureTech Feel 110 has CO₂ emissions of 141g/km and so will cost you €400 per year to tax.

Read Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained for more.