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Hi Martin,

There are a few, actually. Volvo sells the V60 D5 Twin Engine here in Ireland, which is a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid, while Citroen sells the DS 5 Airdream Hybrid4 200. Peugeot used to sell the 3008 HYbrid4 too, but it doesn't appear to be on the price list now, while Mercedes-Benz has had diesel-electric hybrid tech for a few years.

In fairness, we don't expect them to get any more plentiful or popular. Hybrid technology is expensive to produce and diesel technology is more expensive than petrol, so putting two expensive sets of components together inevitably means a high purchase price, even if the emissions are low and the VRT is kept in check.

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Hi Sean,

Yes you can. It'll set you back €1,250 a year in tax though with 220g/km emissions.

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Hi Noel,

I'm actually one of the (few) motoring writers who kind of likes the Pulsar - it's not in the slightest bit exciting but it's comfy, spacious, economical and OK to drive.

The Leaf is different - it's far more of a ground-breaking car and genuinely high-tech, plus of course there's the whole concept of it being entirely free from pollution and emissions at the local level. Buying one though does mean making sure that your driving pattern and lifestyle fit the Leaf's capabilities. With between 160- and 200km on a single charge being the absolute best you can get from it, it's still really only a car for those covering short journeys and mostly city mileage. Do you regularly take long journeys or spend a lot of time on the motorway? Then the Leaf, as yet, is not for you.

Read our review of the Nissan Pulsar here

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Hi John,

You'll need to know its CO₂ emissions rating to work out the VRT you'll have to pay. If you have its registration number in the UK you should be able to get that from the Cartell.ie website, where you can also do a full history check on the car for a small fee.

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Hi Carmel,

If you're a low-mileage driver then, yes, petrol is generally the better choice. You can keep your diesel though by sticking to a couple of rules. Regular maintenance by a qualified mechanic, always using high quality synthetic oil and making sure the car gets a regular long spin to build up the temperatures in the exhaust system.

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Hi Peter,

Well, with CO₂ emissions of 99g/km it's in Band A2 so that means 15 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is whatever the Revenue Commissioners reckon it's worth. 

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Hi Derek,

It depends on which model and what year for a start. Assuming that you're looking at a 2012 version, that has CO₂ emissions of 156g/km so the VRT is going to be 27 per cent of what the Revenue Commissioners estimate the car's Irish market value to be. That will depend on a lot of variables though - including condition, history, mileage and spec. Unfortunately, given that we have an entirely opaque and non-transparent tax system, you won't know exactly how much until you have the car here and it has been inspected. 

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Hi Sean,

Because they're on two different taxation systems. The Micra is on the old, pre-2008 system, which applies tax based on engine size. The Yaris is on the post-2008 system, which is based on CO₂ emissions, and the Yaris' emissions place it in Band B1, which is a cost of €270 per year.

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Hi Philip,

The Sportage is very much on its way out right now, with a new model due next year. That said, it's still a nice car, but it can't match the Qashqai for handling or for the emissions from their diesel engines. As for petrol, there really isn't a viable Sportage petrol option right now, but the Qashqai's 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine actually makes pretty good sense if you're doing low mileage and mostly drive around town.

Further reading:

Nissan Qashqai review

Kia Sportage review

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Hi Pat,

The RX 400h has CO₂ emissions of 192g/km so that puts it in Band F, which means annual road tax of €1,200. You might be better off trying to get a current-shape RX 450h, which is in Band B2 in front-wheel drive form.