The government of France has once again ramped up its CO2 emission tax – so much so that even the relatively affordable sports cars now cost twice as much in the country, Motor1 reports. For example, the Toyota GR Yaris facelift starts from the rough equivalent of U.S. $100,000.
Before taxes, the six-speed manual version of the GR Yaris starts from a nominal price of €46,300 in France. However, its turbocharged three-cylinder engine emits 190 grams of CO2 into the atmosphere per every kilometer driven. According to the local environmental legislation, only vehicles producing under 117 g/km are exempt from the emission tax. All others are subject to huge price bumps coming up to €60,000.
In the case of the entry-level GR Yaris, the tax amounts to €45,990. Add that to the starting price and you’ll get €92,290 before any options, or U.S. $99,400.
The newest eight-speed automatic version of the hot hatchback is more expensive as it is (from €48,800) and compounds upon that by producing 210 g/km of CO2. It thus falls into the “dirtiest” category eligible for the €60,000 tax. If you want it in France, better make sure you have a spare €108,800 ($117,200) burning a hole in your pocket.
To put things into perspective, the last year’s tax for the manual GR Yaris was just €14,881. In 2022, it amounted to €12,012.
