Popular vehicles from top brands such as Ford and BMW are among those facing staggering £5,690 car tax bills from this spring. Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) car tax fees rise every year with Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation, with prices up across the board from April 1.
Owners of brand new cars are among those most affected, with first-year VED fees the highest of any charges. Last year, Rachel Reeves doubled first-year VED rates with annual fees for the most polluting cars emitting over 255g/km of CO2 rising from £2,745 per year to £5,490.
These fees will rise again from April with a £200 hike, sending annual charges to £5,690 per annum. Almost 60 cars are among those believed to emit over 255g/km and are liable for the highest fees, with top brands affected. However, the staggering fees only apply in year one, with these vehicles reverting to the standard VED fee, currently sitting at £195, from year two.
Four cars from Ford are believed to emit over 255g/km including the performance Ford Mustang 5.0 V8. However, their popular Ford Ranger series is also affected, with the Ford Ranger 2.0 TD EcoBlue, Ford Ranger 3.0 EcoBlue and Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 all set to pay the highest bills.
In a statement to Express.co.uk, Ford previously explained that pick-up trucks would not face higher charges. The American marque stressed that these are now considered commercial vehicles and are exempt from the 'luxury tax’ Expensive Car Supplement and the increase in VED charges.
Instead, pick-up trucks will be taxed at a flat rate of £345 per year which is much more manageable.
It is understood that as many as five BMW cars could face the highest costs with their BMW Alpina XB7 4.4 V8, BMW M8 4.4 V8, BMW X5 M 4.4 V8, BMW X6 M 4.4 V8 and BMW X7 M 4.4 V8 cars all understood to be in the highest tax bracket.
Other major car brands affected by the new fees include several top performance marques including Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Meanwhile, more familiar cars from top brands such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen are also likely to pay some of the highest fees.