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Motorists driving petrol and diesel vehicles first registered between 2001 and 2017 will face higher Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) car tax bands from April 1. Cars registered over these 16 years are placed into different lettered tax bands, with road users charged based on total vehicle emissions.

Higher-polluting models pay more with vehicles in Band M, emitting over 255g/km of CO2, set to be charged £790, up from £760 over the 2025/26 tax year. Drivers in Band L will pay £760 to get behind the wheel, up £25 on the current £735 fee.

Shahzad Sheik, founder and presenter of YouTube channel @BrownCarGuy, has previously stressed that owners of cars registered between 2001 and 2017 would be among the "worst hit" models on the road.

Shahzad explained: "These are the cars that arguably are treated harshest of all because they fit under a completely different VED regime, one based purely on official CO2 emissions figures from a time when nobody really imagined that those numbers would still matter quite this much."

He added: "This is a segment they really need to look at again. At the higher end these rates don't just feel harsh, they feel deeply unfair."

Fees are set to increase across the board, with lower polluting models set to pay just £5 more on current rates. Car owners are not the only ones affected, with vans registered on or after March 2001 also paying more.

According to motoring experts at Pete Barden, road users of early Euro 4 and Euro 5 complaint vehicles will pay the same £140 per year in 2026. However, all other vans will be charged more, with VED costs up from £345 per year to £360 per annum.

A - Up to 100 - £20

B - 101 to 110 - £20

C - 111 to 120 - £35

D - 121 to 130 - £170

E - 131 to 140 - £200

F - 141 to 150 - £225

G - 151 to 165 - £275

H - 166 to 175 - £325

I - 176 to 185 - £360

J - 186 to 200 - £410

K - 201 to 225 - £445

L - 226 to 255 - £760

M - Over 255 - £790