Expert answer

Hi Kieran,

Luckily, the 2016 Octavia 110hp 1.6 TDI has an exceptionally efficient engine in terms of NOx, and will only cost you an additional €480 or thereabouts. The rest of the VRT bill should be in the region of €2,000 or so, depending on what options are fitted to the car.

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Hi Stephen,

Taking the 1.7 CRDi diesel as an example, Hyundai recommends a 30,000km or 12 months interval for oil and oil filter changes. Along with all the usual checks on lights, levels, brakes, etc, Hyundai also recommends changing the brake fluid, clutch fluid and cabin filter at that time. 

Every 60,000km or two years, the air filter must also be changed, while the coolant should be replaced every 210,000km or 10 years.

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Hi Michael,

The NOx emissions of that model are 70mg/km, so you’ll have to pay an additional €450 on top of the normal VRT charge if you’re importing one. 

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Hi Winstyon,

This sounds like your car has a very common issue associated with that engine. The fuel flow control valve, located on the high-pressure fuel pump, could be faulty and it needs to be replaced.

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Hi Daniel,

The new NOx charge is indeed in place now, and came into force on Jan 1st. It will depend very much on how old the Mondeo you’re looking at is. Assuming that it’s a 2017 model, then the NOx charge will be pretty small — €180 on an official NOx reading of 36mg/km. However, older versions have much high NOx levels so will be much more expensive. If you could give us a precise year for the car you’re looking at, we could get a more precise answer. Cartell.ie is probably your best source for accurate NOx figures — just put the reg number of the car in the search box. 

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Hi Bryan,

It’s not going to be too bad, actually. A 2016 Verso will run you about €2,400 in terms of VRT and, unusually, it’s one of those older diesels that’s not too bad in terms of NOx, with an official figure of just 24mg/km, meaning an extra charge of €120 on top of that.

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Hi Veronica,

That car should (emphasis on the should) have NOx emissions of just 30mg/km so will cost just €150 extra on top of the normal VRT. 

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Hi David,

It doesn't need to be changed until it has done 200,000km or it is 10 years old. The price will vary considerably depending on where you get the work done, but we can tell you that it should take no longer than three hours.

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Hi Gerry,

In terms of tax there won’t be any changes before the Budget in October, and there are unlikely to be major changes then. There have been rumblings of a change in the diesel tax system, but the various departments are known to be hesitant to introduce a third motor tax regime on top of the two we already have. A general increase in the cost of motor tax, within the existing bands, is quite likely though, as the Government starts to push people towards electric motoring.

In terms of fuel costs, prices at the pump have spiked up in recent weeks thanks to the Trump-Iran standoff, and this week the average per-litre cost of diesel rose to €1.31. That is likely to continue to rise as long as tensions in the Middle East, and indeed in the White House, remain high. 

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

It would have been useful to have more details about the car, such as age and engine, as it varies considerably. I'll deal with the 2013 on model, which is still in production.

All 1.2-litre petrol engines:
 - up to Sep 2014, 180,000km/10 years
- Oct 2014 to Apr 2017, 175,000km/10 years
- from then on, 100,000km/6 years first, then every 200,000km/12 years

1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel: every 180,000km or 10 years

All 1.6-litre diesel engines: 175,000km or 10 years

All 1.6-litre THP petrol engines: timing chain

1.6-litre VTi petrol engine: 150,000km or 10 years

All 2.0-litre diesel engines: every 180,000km or 10 years