Expert answer

Hi Sherin,

I'm afraid not. No announcement has been made regarding Jaecoo's entry into the Irish market at all.

Expert answer

Hi Trevor,

If the original importing dealer sold the car on and it has been in use by someone in the North for, as Revenue puts it, “a reasonable amount of time” before you bought it, then that is correct. However, if you're buying directly from the dealer and the car has not been used privately in Northern Ireland at all then it's highly likely that you'll also be liable for VAT and import duty.

Expert answer

Hi Margaret,

There should be a spare-wheel kit available for your 2026 Toyota C-HR Hybrid, but I would not buy a cheap wheel-only kit unless the seller can guarantee it is for the current-generation C-HR and for your exact version.

The Toyota kit is expensive, but it is not just the temporary spare wheel; it includes the boot-floor/deck-board pieces and fittings needed to make it sit properly under the boot liner. There are different Toyota parts listed for the 1.8 hybrid and 2.0 hybrid as well so you really do need to do your homework on this.

One way you could do this is get the part-number breakdown from a Toyota dealer for the kit using your car's VIN and then use this information to search online.

Expert answer

Hi Carol,

You'll struggle to get a premium-badge model from 2024 on for that budget so we'll focus on hybrid SUVs instead, which are plentiful.

In fact, if the year really matters to you, there are even a few new-car options open to you, including the Dacia Duster and MG ZS.

Go back to 2025 and others to consider are the Nissan Juke and Ford Puma, or you may find the more spacious Renault Arkana as well.

If size matters, you will probably have to go back to 2024, and an excellent choice would be the Nissan Qashqai e-Power, or even the Hyundai Kona Hybrid if you can find one.

Here are our reviews of those cars to help you decide, but do come back to us if you need help in narrowing things down further, and always take the time to test drive as many cars as you can yourself:

Dacia Duster Hybrid review

MG ZS Hybrid+ review

Nissan Juke Hybrid review

Ford Puma reviews

Renault Arkana reviews

Nissan Qashqai reviews

Hyundai Kona Hybrid review

Expert answer

Hi Tommy,

Assuming it is a normal 2016 Citroen Berlingo van that has been registered and used in Northern Ireland, you should not have to pay customs duty or Irish VAT, but you will have to pay VRT when registering it here.

The VRT will usually be based on Revenue's OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) for the van rather than what you paid for it. For most 2016 diesel Berlingo vans, I'd expect the rate to be 13.3 per cent of the OMSP, so probably somewhere in the region of €800-€1,200 depending on the exact model, mileage and condition.

Before buying, make sure the V5C shows NI registration/keeper history and check that it has an NI MOT/test history. If it was only brought into Northern Ireland from Great Britain by a dealer and was not previously in use in NI, Revenue may look for Windsor Framework/customs documentation, and the costs and paperwork could change significantly, potentially meaning you'd also have to pay VAT and import duty.

Expert answer

Hi Conor,

Revenue's own advice is vague and so our guide takes a 'belt and braces' approach. We don't believe you'd need all those documents so long as you can indeed prove the car was in use in the North via the V5C and MOTs.

Those should be enough to avoid having to pay import duty/customs and VAT.

Obviously, you must pay VRT and the NOx levy (on cars with an engine) no matter what.

Expert answer

Hi Janet,

The easiest thing to do is get the garage to come and collect the car themselves. They'll have insurance and/or a way to tow it or put it on a trailer/truck. They'll also likely get it through its NCT for you, for a fee, making life simpler. With the NCT in place you'll be able to insure the car once more.

Expert answer

Hi Oisin,

I wouldn't advise it, certainly not for your first car, not unless you have a lot of knowledge or assistance from people that do. There's quite a bit more work involved in importing a car than there is in sourcing one locally.

On top of that, some insurers are a bit funny with Japanese imports, and that's the last thing you need with your first car.

Expert answer

Hi Ron,

If you don't want the Honda or Toyota, then how about something from Nissan or Lexus? The X-Trail e-Power is a lovely SUV, but the only difficulty might be finding an all-wheel-drive one, as most of them sold were front-wheel drive only.

From Lexus, you could get into the luxurious RX for your budget, but it wouldn't be much newer than your existing car, so how about a Lexus NX instead?

Again, most are front-wheel drive, but we did find a few for sale with four-wheel drive, well within budget. Admittedly, the NX isn't quite as large as your Honda.

Lexus has a stellar reputation for reliability and quality, however.

Go and test drive a few options and come back to us if you want any more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Fergal,

VRT is unavoidable regardless of where the car is coming from, though on an electric car such as the MGS6 EV, it's likely to be zero thanks to the rebate.

The VAT situation is trickier. The key issue is that it's effectively treated as a new vehicle. In EU/Irish tax terms, a car is considered new if it is either less than six months old or has covered less than 6,000km. While this one has done enough mileage, its November 2025 registration means it's still within that six-month window. On top of that, it's a dealer demonstrator, not a privately owned car in normal use in Northern Ireland, so it doesn't qualify for the NI exemption route either.

The result is that 23 per cent Irish VAT will be payable when you register it here.

Saying that, you may be able to get the dealer to sell it at zero per cent UK VAT, so the hit won't be as tough to swallow as it might have been.

Talk to them about the situation and see what they say.