What is Euro 6 and does my car have it?

Understand the implications of the Euro standards and how it affects you

You might notice we mention clean Euro 6 diesel engine alongside some of our cars - but what exactly does this mean?

As the name suggests, Euro 6 (also known as EU6 or Euro VI) is the latest round of regulation set by the European Commission governing the amount of harmful exhaust gases motor vehicles can emit. The Euro 6 standard is designed to reduce harmful pollutants, and for many this will be enough reason, tut there are also important financial reasons why meeting this standard is important:​

• Increased Efficiency - As manufacturers have to make sure engines are as efficient as possible to meet standards they provide the added bonus of producing increasingly fuel efficient engines and so increasingly cost efficient engines.  On average a diesel engine will have up to 30% better fuel economy compared to a similar petrol engine.

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• Reduced CO2 - On average a diesel engine will produce up to 25% less CO2 than a petrol version so companies can reduce their carbon footprint.  As road tax is currently calculated by CO2 emissions a diesel engine could be more cost effective.

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• Future Proofing - Diesel engines have been getting bad press lately, but a distinction is made between old diesel engines and new diesel engines.  The future of older diesel engines is unclear but is likely to include extra costs to discourage use. For example London Mayor Sadiq Khan would like to charge older diesel engines an extra £10 to drive in the capital on top of the usual congestion zone.  By driving a vehicle that adheres to Euro 6 standards now, you may avoid extra costs in the future.

In fact, many modern diesel cars have much lower emissions than the previous generation of petrol cars.

A couple of great articles on this subject:

What Car? Euro 1 to Euro 6 - What Are the Euro Emmissions?

AutoExpress - Euro 6 emissions standards: what do they mean for you?

Reduced pollution zones such as the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and the Clean Air Zones that are being introduced in five other Cities (Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton) will all require that vehicles entering the zones be EURO 6 compliant in order to avoid substantial daily fees.

If your vehicle is older than any dates listed below (check with your manufacturer directly if you're not sure), it won't be classed as even a Euro 1 - meaning certain cities may charge or ban you from driving in them at certain times.