Is the Citroen Holidays camper coming to Ireland?
Any idea if or when the Citroen Holidays Campervan will be on sale in Ireland?
Sean O Leary (Donegal )Aug 2025 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Sean,
Gowan Auto, the Citroen distributor for Ireland, has confirmed that there are no plans to import the Holidays at this stage.
How different will the Bigster feel to my old Citroen?
I am presently driving a 2011 Citroen C4 Picasso seven-seater. What obvious difference will I experience/notice driving the Dacia Bigster Expression 1.2 140? E.g steering, road handling, suspension and noise.
Thank you
McGlinchey (Brittany )Jul 2025 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Stephen,
To be honest, there'll be a huge gulf between the cars because they're 14 years apart. Your Citroen's suspension and bushings etc will be quite worn, no matter how much work it has had done, while the Dacia will feel tight, rattle-free and sharp to drive (in a good way). The Bigster will have far superior road holding where the Citroen feels 'loose', though the latter could mean more comfort in some circumstances.
The Bigster's steering will feel more responsive, as will the brakes and the engine. The Bigster should have superior wind and road noise suppression and with brand-new tyres it should be better in wet weather as well.
Finally, the Bigster has all the latest driver assistance technology that is vastly superior to that of your Citroen, in theory making it a safer car.
Skoda Kodiaq or Toyota RAV4 for reliability?
Hi,
Currently driving a 212 Citroen C5 Aircross and looking to change to a 2023 or 2024 car. Have narrowed the search to the Toyota RAV4 or Skoda Kodiaq. Long term reliability over the next five years is important.
Which would you recommend please?
Niamh Neville (Dublin)Jun 2025 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Niamh,
We'd never consider those cars to be rivals as the Kodiaq is so much larger inside, but if that's your shortlist, we can work with that.
The Kodiaq is a lovely car, but the RAV4 has the edge in terms of reliability. The Skoda isn't inherently unreliable, but Toyota has an exceptional reputation in that regard.
Nonetheless, I highly recommend you go and test drive both cars for as long as possible, as they drive in a hugely different manner. No point a car lasting forever if you don't actually like how it drives.
Do let us know how you get on.
When does the Citroen C3 Aircross arrive in Ireland?
When will the new Citroen C3 Aircross be available in Ireland? Will it be available in a manual petrol version?
Thanks
Margaret Mcshane (Dublin)Apr 2025 Filed under: choosing new car
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.
Which seven-seat EV is the cheapest?
What would be the best (cheapest) seven-seat electric car with smallest deposit?
Diana Jakovljevic (Maynooth)Apr 2025 Filed under: choosing new 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
Price of the new Citroen e-C4 without grants?
What is the Irish price for the new (2025) electric Citroen C4 Max when all grants are taken away?
Pat (Maynooth)Mar 2025 Filed under: electric cars
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.
Does the 2025 Citroen e-C4 have a front-facing camera?
Does the new-for-2025 electric Citroen C4 225 have a front camera in the Max level? And what reductions should apply if I was to get a demonstration model?
Pat (Maynooth)Mar 2025 Filed under: choosing new car
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.
Costs involved importing a Citroen van from the North?
I’m looking to buy a small van; it’s a 2018 Citroen Berlingo registered in Northern Ireland. I’m paying £4,000 stg. How much in total duties do I have to pay?
Denis Murray (Donegal)Feb 2025 Filed under: importing
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.
How to change my Citroen's reverse light switch?
I have a 2017 Citroen C3 Aircross 1.6 BlueHDi. My reverse light, camera and rear park assist are not working. Looking online it seems the reverse light switch on the gearbox the most likely to be faulty. I'm wondering how and where do I access the reverse switch as the engine looks tucked back in the engine bay. I haven't looked yet to see if I can see the switch from the engine bay. I'm wondering what is the procedure to removing the switch.
Adam Ricken (Cork)Aug 2024 Filed under: fault
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.
Any bargains on the Citroen C5 Aircross?
My question is, seeing as the Citroen C5 Aircross is getting a facelift and new features will be available in Ireland in June, will there be a price reduction in the current versions now awaiting availability in dealers?
Kieran McGlynn (Bunbeg)Jan 2022 Filed under: choosing new car
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.
