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Hi Niamh,

It is highly likely that there would be running electronic and software updates on the Kodiaq to try to iron out the early issues reported, though of course there's no guarantee.

I would certainly raise it with your Skoda dealer and ask for a confirmation of your car's build date before agreeing to buy it. E.g. if it's an older car that has been sitting around somewhere, you may wonder if it has been built with the latest updates.

We can't give you any more reassurance than that I'm afraid.

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Hi Caroline,

Opel Ireland has confirmed that the new Frontera comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

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Hi Gabriel,

I'm afraid we don't have any update since we published our news story on the 2026 RAV4, but we believe it will arrive in Ireland as a regular hybrid in March and the PHEV will be introduced into Ireland a little later.

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Hi Damien,

That's quite the automotive journey! 

Revenue has since attempted to make things a little simpler, so don't worry about the year of the car being imported from the North. All that matters - to avoid paying VAT and import duty - is that the car was imported into the North and used there for, as Revenue puts it "a reasonable amount of time".

We believe three months is fine, though you'll need paperwork to prove all that.

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Hi Mahmood,

Assuming you mean to avoid having to pay VAT and import duty:

In short, the "reasonable amount of time" has not been defined by Revenue, which says it will take each import on a case-by-case basis. But it's not about the previous owner having the car for that time, it's about the car being in use in Northern Ireland for that time, so if a 2010 car, for example, was registered new in NI, but the latest owner only had it a day before selling it to you, that does not matter.

Any documents you can get relating to the car's registration or importation into NI would be good, though the car's MOT history seems to be a good way to prove where it was in use as well.

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Hi Bill,

Obviously a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) makes most sense here as those come with ultra-low CO₂ emissions to help keep the BIK down. Though we would only recommend you buy one if you have a way of charging it up at home or at work on a very regular basis.

If you like your Audi, then the new Audi A5 e-hybrid makes for a good option. It can be had as a Sportback or Avant estate within your budget and it's a really lovely car. The e-hybrid system allows for a long electric range and low emissions, too. Read our review of the A5 e-hybrid for more.

The BMW 330e is another excellent premium PHEV within budget, both as a saloon or Touring estate. It's not as fresh-faced as the Audi A5, but it's still a good car. Read our review of the updated BMW 330e if you're interested.

Our next port of call would have been the Skoda Superb, but for some bizarre reason it's only offered as a PHEV in Combi estate format, so if you don't want an estate, then it's not for you. If you're open to the idea, however, it's a considerably larger car than the BMW and Audi mentioned above, if not as interesting to drive. Within budget, however, is the range-topping L&K variant, which puts the Audi and BMW to shame in terms of what you get for your money. Again, read our review of the Skoda Superb Combi PHEV for more.

Other than that trio, you'll be looking at SUVs in reality, unless you fancy moving to a fully electric car.

Come back to us if you want help narrowing things down further.

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Hi Harry,

While Revenue does not offer any specific advice to cover your situation, our understanding is that VRT – i.e. Vehicle Registration Tax – applies only to vehicles being registered in the State for the first time. If you never intend to register or use the vehicle in Ireland, then VRT should not be payable.

If you are in any doubt, you could of course remove the parts you need from the vehicle before importation and then have the rest of it disposed of without it leaving the UK.

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Hi Gladys,

We'd recommend the car is repaired before the NCT. Though minor damage should not mean a fail, that is open to interpretation by the tester and if they deem the car a danger to others, they can fail it for damaged bodywork.

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Hi Elaine,

The BMW X3 diesel is what's called a "mild hybrid", so it can't be plugged in. The plug-in hybrid only makes sense if you can plug it in at home to charge up the battery at every available opportunity. If you don't do that then it's essentially the same as fuelling a heavy petrol-only model.

In general, a diesel car is more efficient than a plug-in hybrid when it comes to long journeys and it sounds like that's what may suit your needs better.

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Hi Nuran,

This is a challenge that affects a lot of modern cars, not just the Yaris hybrid and the issue here is not the battery itself, but the entire system that takes energy from it.

The Aygo X's electrical system is very very similar to that of the Yaris so, unless Toyota has made changes to reduce the chances of the 12-volt battery draining while the car is left idle for long periods, we'd have to assume that the Aygo X also needs to be regularly started up to avoid issues.