Factory optional extras, WLTP and impact on year one road tax

[Mjt_21]

Hi there,

 

I have my brand new Karoq 1.5 manual SEL ready for handover this weekend having been ordered on 10th February this year. Brilliant, I'm very excited!

 

However the dealer emailed me today claiming that in between ordering and now, the 1st April UK budget changes meant the first year road tax for my new car has increased from £215 to £555 and they can't absorb this increase and I'm liable for it. 

 

After researching this blatant untruth, what the dealer means is that my Karoq with its optional spare wheel factory fitted is no longer at the WLTP 150g / KM (year 1 road tax £215 pre 1st April 2021, now £220) as per a standard Karoq 1.5 manual, but is actually at 151g / KM (year 1 road tax currently £555). 

 

I've pushed back for an explanation as to why on my quote and order form they used 150 g / KM and the £215 figure for agreeing an on the road price when they knew the spare wheel was included in the order. No way would I have gone for it if I'd known there'd be several hundred more £s to pay in year 1 road tax. Dealer claims that at the time of ordering, there was no emissions penalty for having the spare wheel and the 151g / KM WLTP score has been introduced since I ordered, although is unable to say when this happened.

 

I doubt I'll get anywhere with this (contract is on dealers side obviously) and my options are reject the car (dealer seems quite happy with this), try to negotiate or pay up. But I just want to know if I'm being fed rubbish or not. Do WLTP continuously retest models and each configuration and factory options? Or had the 1.5 SEL with spare wheel not been tested before but bad luck for me it now has? I don't doubt that right now 151g / KM is the correct figure (Skoda car configurator shows this) but have no idea whether that figure was, or should have been, known by the dealer when I placed my order.

 

I can see a few similar references to this on the forum, but mostly ahead of April 2020 when I think the UK road tax bands updated to reflect WLTP emissions.

 

Love to hear your thoughts. Thank you. 

[chris45]

I recently picked up a new Karoq edition that I ordered in February 2021.

The fact that the spare wheel increased the CO2 rating and the tax was apparent at this time and I remember discussing it with the salesman.

The configurator showed this as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bryfly]

Can you just purchase the vehicle less the spare wheel, saving the extra tax and save £155 on spare wheel kit, then purchase the spare wheel kit after delivery?

[Mjt_21]

16 minutes ago, Bryfly said:

Can you just purchase the vehicle less the spare wheel, saving the extra tax and save £155 on spare wheel kit, then purchase the spare wheel kit after delivery?

I asked dealer this. Apparently once the car is built with it as a factory option it's on the 151g / km WLTP figure whether you accept / carry the spare wheel or not. Crazy. 

[Bryfly]

3 minutes ago, Mjt_21 said:

I asked dealer this. Apparently once the car is built with it as a factory option it's on the 151g / km WLTP figure whether you accept / carry the spare wheel or not. Crazy. 

Maybe time to tell him to stick his deal and call his bluff, I'm sure the dealer has ways round it, depends how good a deal you got and whether you can better it, have a quick go on carwow and see what deals come back.

[vegit8]

18 hours ago, Mjt_21 said:

After researching this blatant untruth, what the dealer means is that my Karoq with its optional spare wheel factory fitted is no longer at the WLTP 150g / KM (year 1 road tax £215 pre 1st April 2021, now £220) as per a standard Karoq 1.5 manual, but is actually at 151g / KM (year 1 road tax currently £555). 

Hmm - Interesting.

Did you opt for the full size spare or the space saver?

Our Karoq (1.5 Tsi Auto - SEL) has a space saver as part of the spec.

This was ordered on the 24/02/21 - VED is showing as £215.

I'm wondering if I will suffer the same fate.

Oddly it would seem that the electric chair!!! and a floppy tow bar thingy don't seem to affect the VED rating, despite the extra weight.

 

Strange how your vehicle is almost ready for collection and ours is not due to be built till the end of May according to SUK and week 25 (21st June) according to the dealer....

Edited 5 May, 2021 by vegit8

[chris45]

I ordered my Edition on 10th Feb and I picked it up last week.

The configurator showed the increased VED with all spare wheels.  However, my dealer did not have this information from Skoda.

So I think the OP's salesman was not being dodgy,  just didn't have all the correct information from Skoda. 

 

[Mjt_21]

@vegit8

I just checked the Skoda car configurator for the 1.5 SEL with space saving wheel and there's no emissions impact, still 150g / KM. 

 

I have the larger space saver spare wheel which pushes it to 151g /KM. Argh.

 

The removable tow bar does seem to add 1g taking it to 151 g / KM according to the configurator right now. You might want to double check your exact configuration and options to avoid any surprises.

 

Who knew the options would be such a menu of potential emissions penalties! I was probably a bit naïve to this complexity after having had my Leon for 10 years. 

 

 

[VRT24]

You are spending in the region of £20k on a car and are arguing over an extra £300! Even considering rejecting the car! Do you think you can repeat the purchase with the cheaper spare at the same or better money? Would be surprised. I suspect you cut a very good deal on the purchase and hence why the dealer a) won't absorb the increase and b) is happy to cancel as they will no doubt find it more profitable to have it in stock to sell at a better price than the deal with you. Pay the money and get the car you wanted to enjoy now.

[Mjt_21]

I think me being prepared to commit to an order in the depths of national lockdown and dealer closures may have contributed to a good price perhaps.

 

Anyway, If this post helps anyone else whilst ordering their new Skoda that'll be brilliant. This came out of the blue for me, and the dealer seemingly. 

[SurreyJohn]

3 hours ago, Mjt_21 said:

I think me being prepared to commit to an order in the depths of national lockdown and dealer closures may have contributed to a good price perhaps.

 

Anyway, If this post helps anyone else whilst ordering their new Skoda that'll be brilliant. This came out of the blue for me, and the dealer seemingly. 

Your dealer may be playing a bit naive here as the brochures have for a couple of years always carried a note on the WLTP section advising adding options may change the CO2 rating

 

I suspect your dealer was aware that it was at the max for a band, and likely to go up if you added anything, but was too keen to get the sale and chose not to flag the possibility.

 

Due to semiconductor shortages they can probably sell it to someone else for more so will not block a rejection, especially if they gave you a price lower than they would do now.

 

 

[whitevx]

Im not overly ofay with laws in the UK but should it not be the case if a dealer has told you the vehicle will cost x, you have agreed to price x, thus its a contract.

 

Doesn't contractual law come into play and if it's more "bad luck dealer, you can wear the extra cost" because we agreed on price x not price y?

[Berisford]

2 hours ago, whitevx said:

Im not overly ofay with laws in the UK but should it not be the case if a dealer has told you the vehicle will cost x, you have agreed to price x, thus its a contract.

 

Doesn't contractual law come into play and if it's more "bad luck dealer, you can wear the extra cost" because we agreed on price x not price y?

I’d imagine that would work if it was a Skoda price increase but as it’s a EU inspired UK Revenue & Customs tax increase it all comes down to dealer goodwill...........

[Mjt_21]

30 minutes ago, Berisford said:

I’d imagine that would work if it was a Skoda price increase but as it’s a EU inspired UK Revenue & Customs tax increase it all comes down to dealer goodwill...........

 

Yes exactly. Ultimately my contract with the dealer says that the first year road tax shown on the agreement is indicative only and the exact figure will be whatever is in place at the time the dealer registers the car. 

 

I just wish I had understood, or been told, the emissions impact of adding optional extras. For reference, I see now that not all options add to the emissions figure, some decrease the standard figure for that model, engine and trim level - e.g. the 19 inch wheels over 18 inch wheels deducts 1g.

 

Appreciate everyone's views.

 

I won't lie, it's taken some of the shine off, but at the end of the day I'm getting the car I wanted at the time I wanted.

[DSL]

You could try and haggle in a free service, something that worth a chunk of the extra £335 but no real cost to the dealer.  

[SurreyJohn]

9 hours ago, whitevx said:

Im not overly ofay with laws in the UK but should it not be the case if a dealer has told you the vehicle will cost x, you have agreed to price x, thus its a contract.

 

Doesn't contractual law come into play and if it's more "bad luck dealer, you can wear the extra cost" because we agreed on price x not price y?

Virtually all order forms and contracts have a small print clause that says in event of tax changing, the rate applicable at the tax date will apply.

 

Can’t change pre tax price that was agreed

 

[Mjt_21]

Final update from me. Dealer still swears that at the time of ordering the car showed at 150g /KM. I wonder if the 19inch wheels the SEL seems to have come with as standard for some of 2020 is the culprit; the 18 inch wheels that were standard when I ordered are +1g in emissions over the 19's. Anyway, who knows. She's agreed to my suggestion to cover the cost of the 2 service package I was lined up to take anyway. 

 

Looking forward to my new Karoq!

 

Thanks everyone.