April 28, 2026 in London, United Kingdom — If you are in the market for a high-performance SUV, a powerful luxury saloon, or a sports car with a large engine, you need to understand the true cost of the UK's Vehicle Excise Duty before signing on the dotted line. The additional rate of VED — colloquially called the "super-tax" — has risen to £5,690 for the first year of registration for cars emitting over 255 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
This is not a new tax. It has existed since 2017 when the UK government introduced the additional rate band to discourage the purchase of high-emission vehicles and promote the transition to cleaner transport. But with average new car emissions rising for the third consecutive year — partly due to the popularity of large SUVs — this tax band is now affecting more buyers than ever before.
This guide lists over 60 car models currently affected by the £5,690 first-year VED rate, explains how the tax is calculated, and provides strategies for minimizing the impact.
Understanding the UK VED Band Structure for 2026
The UK's Vehicle Excise Duty system places cars into CO2 emission bands, with progressively higher first-year rates as emissions increase. Here is the complete 2026 VED rate table:
| CO2 Emissions (g/km) | First Year Rate | Standard Rate (Years 2+) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | £0 | £200 |
| 1–50 | £10 | £200 |
| 51–75 | £30 | £200 |
| 76–90 | £130 | £200 |
| 91–100 | £165 | £200 |
| 101–110 | £185 | £200 |
| 111–130 | £210 | £200 |
| 131–150 | £270 | £200 |
| 151–165 | £350 | £200 |
| 166–175 | £570 | £200 |
| 176–185 | £770 | £200 |
| 186–200 | £1,210 | £200 |
| 201–225 | £1,560 | £200 |
| 226–255 | £2,270 | £200 |
| Over 255 | £5,690 | £200 |
The Luxury Car Supplement: The Second Tax Hit
For high-emission cars priced over £40,000, there is a second financial penalty: the Expensive Car Supplement (luxury car tax). This adds £425 per year to the standard VED rate for years 2 through 5 after registration.
For a car that is both over 255g/km AND over £40,000, the total VED cost is:
- Year 1: £5,690 (first-year additional rate)
- Years 2–5: £200 + £425 = £625 per year
- Total over 5 years: £5,690 + (£625 × 4) = £8,190
This is one of the highest total road tax burdens of any vehicle in the UK passenger car market.
The 60+ Cars Affected by the £5,690 Super-Tax
Here is the comprehensive list of cars currently available in the UK that fall into the over-255g/km VED band:
Land Rover / Range Rover
Land Rover's line-up is heavily represented in the highest tax band, driven by the weight and aerodynamic drag of its large SUVs:
| Model | Variant | CO2 (g/km) | First Year VED | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range Rover Sport | 3.0L P400 MHEV | 264 | £5,690 | £74,000 |
| Range Rover Sport | 4.4L P530 | 298 | £5,690 | £102,000 |
| Range Rover Sport SVR | 5.0L V8 Supercharged | 333 | £5,690 | £134,000 |
| Range Rover | 3.0L P400 | 261 | £5,690 | £96,000 |
| Range Rover | 4.4L P530 | 294 | £5,690 | £125,000 |
| Defender 110 | 5.0L P525 | 327 | £5,690 | £85,000 |
| Defender 130 | 5.0L P525 | 335 | £5,690 | £95,000 |
| Discovery | 3.0L P360 | 256 | £5,690 | £57,000 |
Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Benz
| Model | Variant | CO2 (g/km) | First Year VED | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-AMG A45 S | 2.0L Turbo | 257 | £5,690 | £55,000 |
| Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance | 2.0L Turbo Hybrid | 262 | £5,690 | £80,000 |
| Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door | 4.0L V8 Biturbo | 285 | £5,690 | £115,000 |
| Mercedes-AMG G63 | 4.0L V8 Biturbo | 348 | £5,690 | £165,000 |
| Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S | 4.0L V8 Biturbo | 304 | £5,690 | £130,000 |
| Mercedes GLS 580 | 4.0L V8 | 288 | £5,690 | £120,000 |
| Mercedes S580 Maybach | 4.0L V8 | 272 | £5,690 | £185,000 |
BMW M Division and X Series
| Model | Variant | CO2 (g/km) | First Year VED | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW M3 Competition | 3.0L Twin-Turbo | 249 | £2,270 | £74,000 |
| BMW M4 Competition | 3.0L Twin-Turbo | 255 | £5,690 | £77,000 |
| BMW M5 CS | 4.4L V8 | 269 | £5,690 | £140,000 |
| BMW X5 M Competition | 4.4L V8 | 291 | £5,690 | £118,000 |
| BMW X5 xDrive M60i | 4.4L V8 | 268 | £5,690 | £95,000 |
| BMW X6 M Competition | 4.4L V8 | 295 | £5,690 | £122,000 |
| BMW X7 M60i | 4.4L V8 | 281 | £5,690 | £105,000 |
| BMW 7 Series M760Li | 6.6L V12 Twin-Turbo | 327 | £5,690 | £165,000 |
Ford and American Muscle
| Model | Variant | CO2 (g/km) | First Year VED | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Mustang GT | 5.0L V8 | 270 | £5,690 | £51,000 |
| Ford Mustang Dark Horse | 5.0L V8 | 275 | £5,690 | £59,000 |
| Ford Mustang Mach 1 | 5.0L V8 | 268 | £5,690 | £55,000 |
| Ford F-150 Raptor | 3.5L V6 EcoBoost | 304 | £5,690 | £72,000 |
Porsche
| Model | Variant | CO2 (g/km) | First Year VED | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT | 4.0L V8 | 292 | £5,690 | £143,000 |
| Porsche Cayenne GTS | 4.0L V8 | 267 | £5,690 | £108,000 |
| Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid | 4.0L V8 Hybrid | 276 | £5,690 | £130,000 |
| Porsche 911 Turbo S | 3.8L Twin-Turbo | 272 | £5,690 | £174,000 |
| Porsche 911 GT3 RS | 4.0L Flat-Six | 295 | £5,690 | £223,000 |
Audi RS and S Line
| Model | Variant | CO2 (g/km) | First Year VED | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi RS6 Avant | 4.0L V8 | 284 | £5,690 | £93,000 |
| Audi RS Q8 | 4.0L V8 | 301 | £5,690 | £120,000 |
| Audi RS e-tron GT | Tri-Motor Electric | 0 | £200 (standard) | £105,000 |
| Audi R8 V10 | 5.2L V10 | 311 | £5,690 | £163,000 |
| Audi SQ8 | 4.0L V8 Diesel | 261 | £5,690 | £78,000 |
Lamborghini, Bentley, and Exotics
| Model | CO2 (g/km) | First Year VED | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamborghini Urus Performante | 315 | £5,690 | £210,000 |
| Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica | 298 | £5,690 | £220,000 |
| Bentley Bentayga V8 | 291 | £5,690 | £165,000 |
| Bentley Continental GT Speed | 305 | £5,690 | £195,000 |
| Aston Martin DBX707 | 309 | £5,690 | £190,000 |
| Rolls-Royce Cullinan | 341 | £5,690 | £320,000 |
| Rolls-Royce Spectre (EV) | 0 | £200 (standard) | £330,000 |
Why Are SUVs Dominating the High-Emission List?
Of the 60+ models on the £5,690 VED list, the majority are SUVs. This is because:
- Weight: Large SUVs weigh 2,000-2,500 kg, requiring more energy to move.
- Aerodynamics: The boxy shape of SUVs creates more aerodynamic drag than estate cars or saloons.
- Engine size: To achieve acceptable performance in a heavy vehicle, manufacturers install larger or more boost-intensive engines.
- All-wheel drive: AWD systems add drivetrain losses, further reducing efficiency.
This is somewhat ironic: the vehicles that many families choose for their perceived safety and practicality are also the ones penalised most heavily by the VED system.
The Company Car Tax Nightmare
If you are considering a high-emission car as a company vehicle, the financial impact is even more severe through the Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax system. For 2026-27, cars emitting over 255g/km are taxed at the highest BiK rate of 37% for the top bracket.
Example: A senior executive with a £100,000 BMW X5 M Competition:
- BiK value: £100,000 × 37% = £37,000
- Tax at 40% marginal rate: £37,000 × 40% = £14,800 per year
- Plus employer-paid VED year 1: £5,690
- Total first-year tax cost: £20,490
This is why many company car schemes actively restrict employees from selecting high-emission vehicles — the BiK tax burden is simply too high for both employee and employer.
Strategies for Reducing the VED Impact
1. Choose a Mild Hybrid or PHEV
Many manufacturers now offer mild-hybrid (MHEV) variants of their high-performance models. These use a 48V starter-generator to recapture energy and reduce load on the combustion engine, lowering official CO2 figures — and sometimes dropping the car into a lower VED band. A BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid emits just 35g/km, avoiding the £5,690 rate entirely.
2. Go Electric for the Same Brand
Several brands that produce high-emission SUVs also offer all-electric equivalents. The BMW iX xDrive50 (0g/km) offers a similar size and luxury experience to the X5 but at a fraction of the tax cost. The Mercedes EQS (£200 first-year VED, £625/year thereafter) is an electric alternative to the S-Class.
3. Register in Scotland
Scottish residents benefit from the Scottish Variable Rate (SVR) which has different — and in some cases lower — bands for higher-emission vehicles compared to England and Wales. While high-emission cars are still expensive, the first-year differential can be significant.
4. Consider Pre-Registered or Nearly New
Pre-registered cars (where the first owner is a dealer) often have their first-year VED paid. Nearly-new vehicles with low mileage may also qualify for reduced VED in subsequent years. However, this does not affect the first-year rate paid by the original registering dealer.
What Happens When the 2030 Ban Arrives?
The UK government's 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales means high-emission SUVs will disappear from showrooms in less than 4 years. However, this creates both opportunity and risk:
- Opportunity: Pre-owned high-emission cars may become significantly cheaper as demand shifts to electric alternatives and the used market is flooded with petrol and diesel vehicles.
- Risk: High-emission used cars may face additional charges in the future, such as emissions-based congestion charges or low-emission zone surcharges in cities.
Conclusion
The £5,690 first-year VED for cars emitting over 255g/km represents one of the most aggressive attempts by any government to discourage high-emission vehicle purchases. With over 60 models currently on the list — dominated by large SUVs from Land Rover, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, and Porsche — the tax is affecting a significant portion of the new car market.
For buyers in the UK considering these vehicles, the key is to factor the total VED cost into the purchase price. Use our Car Tax Calculator to compare options, and check our Blog for the latest on UK VED changes.
Disclaimer: VED rates are based on DVLA confirmed figures for 2026. CO2 emission figures are WLTP combined cycle figures as published by manufacturers. Actual rates may vary depending on specific variant, optional equipment, and weight. Confirm with DVLA and your dealer before purchase.
Official Resources: DVLA VED Rates | Vehicle Registration | HMRC BiK Rates