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Hi Frank,

We wouldn’t have considered those to be natural rivals as the Toyota starts at about €43,000 and the most expensive Kona Electric is €38,495 and in truth, the cabin ambience of the bZ4X reflects that – it’s a more luxurious car inside. The Toyota is also more spacious in the back seats, though they have similarly sized boots. The bZ4X is nicer to drive and smoother, though the Hyundai is a little more efficient in real-world driving.

In short, if the price difference isn’t part of your decision, you just need to go and test drive both to see which you prefer, as we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend either.

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Hi Alan,

Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) for vans imported from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland is typically calculated at 13.3 per cent of the vehicle's Open Market Selling Price (OMSP). However, certain vans qualify for a reduced VRT rate of €200. To be eligible for this reduced rate, the van must meet specific criteria:

- The van must have always had fewer than four seats.

- The van's laden mass must be greater than 130 per cent of its ‘mass in service’ (or 125 per cent for electric vans).

This applies to a lot of proper panel vans, though not usually car-based vans.

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Hi Simeon,

I think a plug-in hybrid such as this could work well for you, though best to go into the purchase realising that the car is likely to go no further than 40-50km on electric power most of the time. Nonetheless, if you can charge it up at home on cheap night-rate electricity then it should cost you very little to run. You’d likely do the Cork to Ringaskiddy and back trip barely using the engine.

By default, the car will use the electric motor and ability as much as possible, so on longer runs the drive battery charge will be quickly used up and the engine will be on most of the time from then on. It can affect responsiveness a little.

The Volvo has a setting you can activate to hold the battery charge, or top it up, using the engine as a generator while it drives along. This is useful if you want to have battery charge for later in the journey to allow for electric-only driving, but it isn’t any more efficient as it uses more fuel from the tank to do this.

If you can charge up at home or work, I’d suggest you’re a perfect candidate for an electric car. A vast majority of them could manage the Cork to Bantry return journey without needing to be charged up.

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Hi Martin,

I'm afraid not. Kia Ireland has confirmed to us that the all-wheel-drive versions will not be offered here due to low demand.

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Hi Kevin,

Going on the information you’ve provided, we don’t believe there would be any EU tariffs applied to this vehicle as it is already within the “customs union” registered and used in Northern Ireland.

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Hi Richard,

The front windows are always electric in the E-Rifter, but you need to upgrade from Allure to GT spec to get rear electric windows as well.

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Hi Michael,

If the car is coming from England, Scotland and Wales then there is no way to avoid the VAT and import duty. For a car coming from Northern Ireland, and to ensure no VAT and import duty are payable, it must have been imported there officially and used by a private owner in the North “for a reasonable period of time” according to Revenue, which is generally accepted to be three months.

Coming off the ferry with a car from the UK, you are unlikely to be stopped or questioned, but that’s not relevant as you have seven days to make an appointment with the NCTS to have the car inspected and 30 days to complete the importation process. Paperwork is required to prove all of the details, including where you bought the car and its entry to Ireland.

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Hi John,

There really won't be much to choose between them. Both manufacturers have good reputations for the reliability of their petrol engines. In your position I'd go with the car I prefer and not worry about the reliability. 

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Hi Paddy,

Yes there are 2WD and 4WD versions of the plug-in hybrid Tucson on sale. The official fuel consumption is about 1.4 litres/100km, but obviously that's only achievable if you plug the car in regularly and maximise driving on electric power.

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Hi Caroline,

There isn't going to be a diesel-engined Frontera I'm afraid, and Opel Ireland has not yet confirmed pricing for the hybrid or electric versions. Keep an eye on our Opel Frontera reviews page for information as it comes in.