59 cars have just had car tax increased to £5,690

With us in a new month and a new tax year we've finally passed the point where if you're buying a new car the amount you're paying for first-year Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) has increased.

The most dramatic rise in this rate came last year when the top rate for the most polluting vehicles jumped from £2,745 to £5,490, whereas this year there was a more moderate increase to £5,690.

That means if you buy one of 59 cars considered to be in the top rate of CO2 emitters and registered after 2017 then for the first year you pay VED that's going to cost you £5,690.

For subsequent years afterwards it's £200, at least it is for this year but that rate of tax is also subject to an increase.

The top rate of VED is paid on cars that emit over 255b/km of CO2, while motorists who drive around in less polluting vehicles pay significantly lower rates.

The more pollution they put out the more you pay in the first year (Indrawan Kumala/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

One would hope if you can afford one of the following 59 cars then you can afford that first year rate, but it's always worth knowing all the extra costs you'd have to fork over with the purchase.

The new rates kicked in from 1 April, and the highest figure is just for the first year, though you should keep an eye on the tax increases due to come next year as the rate will likely rise again.

On the other end of the emissions spectrum some motorists pay as little as £10 for their first year of VED, though once that's done everyone pays the same subsequent rate of £200.

That's unless your car has a list price of £40,000 or more, jumping to £50,000 if it's electric, where you'll pay an extra £440 a year for five years.

It's useful to know all the other things you're expected to pay for when making a purchase as important as a car.

The first year rate on 59 cars is high in an attempt to encourage motorists towards less polluting cars (Andrej Ivanov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The full list of 59 cars:

• Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo
• Aston Martin DB12 4.0 V8
• Aston Martin DBX 4.0 V8
• Aston Martin Vantage 4.0 V8
• Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10
• Audi RS6 4.0 TFSI V8
• Audi RS7 4.0 TFSI V8
• Audi RSQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
• Audi S8 4.0 TFSI V8
• Audi SQ7 4.0 TFSI V8
• Audi SQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
• Bentley Bentayga 4.0 V8
• Bentley Continental 4.0 V8
• Bentley Continental 6.0 W12
• Bentley Flying Spur 4.0 V8
• BMW Alpina XB7 4.4 V8
• BMW M8 4.4 V8
• BMW X5 M 4.4 V8
• BMW X6 M 4.4 V8
• BMW X7 M 4.4 V8
• Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 6.2 V8
• Ferrari Purosangue 6.5 V12
• Ferrari Roma 3.8T V8
• Ford Mustang 5.0 V8
• Ford Ranger 2.0 TD EcoBlue
• Ford Ranger 3.0 EcoBlue
• Ford Ranger 3.0 V6
• INEOS Grenadier 3.0P
• Jaguar F-Pace 5.0 P575 V8
• Jeep Wrangler 2.0 GME
• Lamborghini Huracan 5.2 V10
• Lamborghini Revuelto 6.5 V12
• Lamborghini Urus 4.0 V8 BiTurbo
• Land Rover Defender 110 5.0 P425 V8
• Land Rover Defender 90 5.0 P425 V8
• Lotus Emira 3.5 V6
• Maserati Levante 3.0 V6
• Maserati Levante 3.8 V8
• Maserati MC20 3.0 V6
• McLaren GT 4.0T V8
• Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4.0 V8
• Mercedes-Benz G400D
• Mercedes-Benz G63
• Mercedes-Benz GLC63
• Mercedes-Benz GLE63
• Mercedes-Benz GLS63h
• Mercedes-Benz SL55
• Porsche 718 Cayman 4.0 GT4
• Porsche 911 3.7T 992 Turbo
• Porsche Cayenne 4.0T V8
• Porsche Macan 2.9T V6
• Range Rover 4.4 P530 V8
• Range Rover 4.4 P615 V8
• Range Rover Sport 4.4P V8
• Rolls-Royce Cullinan 6.75 V12
• Rolls-Royce Ghost 6.75 V12
• Toyota Hilux 2.8D
• Toyota Land Cruiser 2.8D
• Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI