For the majority of motorists, Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) - commonly known as road tax or car tax - is an inescapable aspect of car ownership. Furthermore, it's one that brings with it the annual struggle of deciphering the latest band changes, as the Government tries to squeeze as much cash as possible from drivers.

On 1 April 2020, the latest set of changes to road tax for new cars came into force. This saw the existing VED band structure adjusted for inflation, with tax rates on the rise in almost all areas. Most notably, CO2 emissions were calculated using WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light vehicle Test Protocol) for the first time. Auto Express has looked at the numbers, and here you can check exactly how much you'll pay in road tax for your next new car.

How much road tax will I pay?

If you buy a new car, the car's price isn't just what the manufacturer expects you to pay for it, as there are additional costs included. There's VAT, which charged at 20 per cent, for starters, and there's a registration fee - for the number plates and getting the V5C from the DVLA – and any delivery charges that the dealer will also add. Plus, there's road tax, which is officially called Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), as it hasn't been used to pay for road maintenance for many years - though the Government recently announced it would ring-fence VED for roads, so the ‘road tax’ colloquialism holds more water than before.