Car forecourts ready for sale of the decade
Prices of some new cars are going to be discounted heavily between now and the end of the year, because come January 1st 2011, it will be increasingly difficult for car dealers to register any new car that doesn¹t comply with Euro V emissions regulations.
The ensuing problem for dealers is that much stock that isn¹t Euro-V will either have to be sold or pre-registered before January 1st. Manufacturers have been working flat out to update their models with Euro-V engines all year, but certain cars have only very recently been updated, and others are still only ‘Euro-IV’.
“Consumers thinking of buying a car in the New Year could save themselves thousands if they bring their purchase forward before the end of the year. They will be able to take advantage of this unique situation and also benefit from the lower rate of VAT before it rises to 20% in January”, commented Chas Hallett, Autocar editor.
Our researchers identified the Honda Civic 2.2 i-CDTi as a potential Euro-IV target. The Civic diesel never received Honda’s Euro-V-compliant i-DTEC diesel engine that now powers the Accord and CRV, and will therefore be withdrawn from sale in the EU next month. Any remaining stock of the car must be sold or pre-registered before December 31st.
“The closer we get to the end of the year, the more likely dealers are to offer big discounts. Consumers should do their research and haggle hard. It’s a buyers market,” said Chas Hallett.
Great deals may be available on a Toyota Landcruiser too. The big 4x4 was only upgraded to Euro-V a few weeks ago, so there’s likely to be plenty of Euro-IV stock still to sell.
Consumers should exercise care in identifying Euro-IV cars to haggle for, several have been given a 12-month stay of execution due to 'exceptional circumstances'. These include any 2.2-litre petrol, 3.2-litre petrol or 2.4-litre diesel version of Alfa Romeo¹s Brera or Spider, for example, and any Euro-IV models from Mitsubishi or Subaru that have been in stock in the UK since before September 2010.