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The Government is to look at the possibility of banning up to 70,000 used car imports as part of a major overhaul of motor taxation policy.It has responded to demands for a ban on UK imports registered on or before 2014 by expressing concerns for public health over the volume of ‘dirty’ old diesels, in particular, being brought in.The cut-off year of 2014 being asked for roughly coincides with what are called Euro6 emissions standards.A spokesman told the Irish Independent last night the focus on UK imports is part of potentially sweeping measures to ensure Exchequer returns from motoring are protected as increasing numbers of lower-tax electric cars are bought.Last year, more than 100,000 used cars were imported from the UK – the majority of them diesel. And of these, it is thought by experts that 70,000 did not meet Euro6 standards.The implications for the environment and for public health are profound as even relatively new (2015) cars spew 25pc more emissions than current models.An average four-year-old car emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 a year. But a new car, the current Nissan Qashqai 1.5 diesel for example, emits 25pc fewer CO2s than its 2015 counterpart.The Exchequer loses out on higher tax revenues from new cars when people opt to buy a lower-tax generating import. The tax take on a new car is €8,500 compared with €2,500 for a used import.

Over the last few weeks I divided my time between two cars that couldn’t have been more different and, predictably, the reactions I got were more to the car than the person. For a bit of prestige I was testing the rather sporty looking BMW X2, which is very fine to drive and look at. It also has the kind of interior that reeks of money. It tries to have SUV characteristics while still having a relatively low-slung seating position. For many it will fall between two stalls – the more practical and I think slightly bigger X1 and the new 3 Series saloon and estate that arrives at the beginning of March.
Many of my colleagues were rather dismissive of it when I told them what I was driving over the Christmas period, but I was sorry to see it go. I even did the maths to see if we could afford one but was quickly told to be practical, although I sneaked a look at the January Sale at Frank Keane and saw that an ex-demo 2018 registered X2 x drive Sport had been reduced by €15,911 to €41,950 from an eye-watering pre-sale price of €57,861.
That was considerably more than the 1.8-diesel M Sport version I was driving which started at €48,900 but by the time options like the rather lovely Misano Blue metallic paint went on outside and the Oyster grey Dakota leather (with perforation!) went on the seats and a sports automatic box linked the transmission we were going north of €53.5k. Even by emptying all my piggy banks and taking them down to the free automatic counter at my local Ulster Bank branch, we couldn’t stretch to that.
So it was nice to have my partner’s now seven-year-old Hyundai i10 to rely on, especially when we wanted to be a bit more inconspicuous or need to squeeze into the tightest of parking spaces. I have always believed that my rather West-Brit accent helps to see me overcharged by 20pc and being in a brand-new Beemer or Merc that doubles. When stepping out of the i10, people consider me rather normal and smile that bit more. It’s worth a lot.
Of course we think a lot about replacing the little car but when you have such a good runabout that has never let us down and is splendidly economical, the decision is made to hold off for that bit longer.
The little Hyundai also squeezes nicely into the corner of the garage so I can get some of the monsters I occasionally test-drive in as well. However, I am very alive to my partner’s pleading for a small SUV which will stop the bullying of her little blue car.
I am also very conscious of how fast the whole car market is changing and that anything you buy now – especially diesel – could be looking very dated by the middle of the next decade. Even certain electric cars could have that early-adopter hue fading quite soon if they don’t have the range of cars like the Hyundai Kona and Jaguar and Tesla models. The all-electric Kia Niro should be one to watch, too.
However, the announcement that Volkswagen is diverting massive resources into its electric fleet and having a charging network could point to the way the future might be shaping up.
The German behemoth has already announced that there won’t be any more internal combustion engines launched after 2026.
My advice, for what it is worth, is to hang back from making a new car purchase this year until you really work out what you want and whether it would be better to wait until the way forward is that bit clearer. Alternatively, it might be the time to treat yourself to something rather exotic that you have always promised you would buy some day. That could be a Mini, Porsche or massive off-roader. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
An Aston Martin DB7 would be my choice, although I would love to have my 20s back again and the wonderful Saabs that began to enter my life.

The big problem for designers of saloon and hatchback cars is how to cope with the swing to SUV/crossover models.

We all know what it is like to be taken for granted. And we all know how we can do the same with others. I think a lot of trouble could be averted if we took a minute each day to realise that. Sorry, I haven’t suddenly become an agony uncle but I’m making the point because it might be a nice New Year’s resolution.As is so often the case with people, similar attitudes can prevail in the world of cars.I’m not saying this week’s review motor is the epitome of technology or a world-beater, but after driving it packed to the gills (the car not me) a few times over the best part of two weeks, I think we take a lot of the new Ford Focus for granted.I had the one with the ST Line spec and 1.5-litre diesel engine.Sure, they haven’t done themselves any favours by not making their excellent new suspension more widely available on more models. I could ask: who needs that much vibrancy in a small hatch? Well, I do for a start. And I suspect lots of others do, too in a world where fine margins distinguish what attracts people.That whinge aside (and I’m not playing it down) there’s a lot to take for granted in the Focus.I think I know why its sharp design, low, roomy cabin, good driving edge, pertinent technology and spread of petrol and diesel engines have not been extolled to the degree that, perhaps, they should.It’s the ‘fault’ of those blinking SUVs and crossovers. How can a small family hatchback compete against the unrelenting demand for something that’s taller, different to look at and much more on-trend? It’s not possible. No wonder some in the motor business, including Ford, are worried about the way sales are dipping for what we’ll call traditional family motors.I, for one, would lament their passing (it won’t happen surely) because most of the SUV/crossovers, despite their multifarious modernist allures, can’t compete in terms of how a smartly set-up chassis handles and rides. More than that: it is difficult to feel the sharpness of drive compared with that of a Focus or, to give it its due, the new KIA Ceed.When I drove those cars, I took it for granted that they were the way they were. It was only when I got into something taller and larger that I realised how good they had been.

Stunning high-tech interior

In a way I envy Declan McEvoy. And in another way I don’t. He’s going to try on two wheels what put us to the limit of our endurance to partially cover on four last year.