See all Motoring NewsMercedes-Benz Ireland has annonced that it will give buyers up to €2,000 trade-in bonus for their older diesel cars, if they upgrade to a new, low-emissions Mercedes.
The offer applies to those trading in diesel-engined cars conforming to European emissions regulations, from EU1 to EU4. EU1 came into force in 1993, while EU4 finished in September 2009.
Significantly, Mercedes is saying that those trading in cars conforming to EU1 to EU3 regulations will be given an additional bonus if the car is actually scrapped and taken off the road. That amount will be decided by an independent body, yet to be announced, and the money will have to be set against the purchase of a new Mercedes.
While EU4 models will be re-sold, Mercedes says that the benefit to the environment will be that there will at least be a greater proportion of EU6-compliant models on the road. Those trading in an EU4 diesel car will get the €2,000 bonus on top of the normal trade-in value of their car, so presumably these will be rolled back into the used market. The €2,000 bonus can be combined with the SEAI grant and VRT rebate offered on plugin hybrid models such as the Mercedes-Benz C 300 e.
Certain conditions apply - the vehicle must have been registered in the customer's name for at least six months and the new vehicle must be registered before 31st March 2018.
There is, as yet, no limitation on the new Mercedes against which the older car must be traded in, only that it must be a diesel model that conforms to EU6 emissions standards.
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