Member Since: 23 Sep 2012
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 7
Importing a LHD D4 into Switzerland?
Currently looking at a E11 (England) e-marked D4 HSE marked for export out of EU.
Seller tells me they are UK spec, but come without a EU Certificate of Conformity. Assuming a CoC is possibly available, does anyone know if there are any gotchas to watch out for when importing it into Switzerland??
ANY insight would be GREATLY appreciated!
Also: anyone know of a good, modern, VIN checking web site? all the ones I google seem to fall short on this D4's VIN even though it looks good (I suspect the diesel engine upgrade in MY12 is not included??)
thanks a million.
23rd Sep 2012 9:37 pm
bigdave Site Sponsor
Member Since: 04 Jul 2008
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 9866
You need to check how much VAT & Duty Swiss customs would want.
I suspect - ALOT! All things shipping, storage, transport. UK and worldwide.
Member Since: 23 Sep 2012
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 7
VAT is 8% and import duty is 4% - that part is known and OK (paying 12% is never ok, but at least I know the tune!)
The worry for me is the Certificate of Conformity - the car does not come with one (it is intended for outside of the EU) even though it is UK specced and e-marked.
The certificate is not a must have for Swiss import, but it makes life a HELL of a lot easier to register. The alternative (direct individual homologation would make VAT and import seem like a bargain).
So would be v keen to find anyone who has experience with this kind of stuff!
23rd Sep 2012 10:22 pm
kp
Member Since: 27 May 2011
Location: Sticking the Ex back in the skanks bin
Posts: 2824
Contact JLR directly at Solihulll or Swizterland and ask if they could provide one for such a vehicle for you for an admin charge. I've heard of it done on other vehicles and costs something like £100-200 to be sent to you for a bit of paper that reads not much different than the hand book.FFRR Owner, very nearly became a D3 owner
Test piloted a new D4 XS SDV6.. Gone and being forgotten i hope!!
D4 HSE 10MY
D4 XS 11MY
SSRR Destroyer *2
24th Sep 2012 7:58 am
MogulBoy
Member Since: 07 Feb 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 140
Are you relocating or already established here? If the former, you might qualify for a tax free import if you declare the car at the time you officially arrive...
As an established resident, I imported a new D4 built to Swiss specification in 2012 into Canton Vaud. It was tricky but a great saving overall. One of the conditions attached to my permit de circulation is that I must keep the CoC in the car at all times. Typical Swiss protectionism but no big deal.
It certainly does mean that whenever the time comes for me to sell it, it will be obvious to any savvy buyer that they are looking at a parallel import and not a Swiss dealer imported car - not that that should make any differnece in years to come but dealers in particular would not miss an opportunity to adjust their bid accordingly.
It's certainly worth asking Land Rover if it is possible for them to issue a CoC for your car (for a fee). Let us know how you get on as I have a feeling that it could be an issue.
If you don't have one, the import process will be certainly tougher but you need to look at the canton's website as each one has it's own peculiarities. One way or another, you could find that you need professional assistance to prepare the car in advance of the inspection where it would be formally registered.
The elephant in the room though is the new CO2 tax that has been effective since July of this year....
I believe that you will have to pay a penalty based on the weight and power which could ruin the economics for you....
This new tax is payable by 'the importer' and is payable on the average CO2/weight of vehicles imported in a period. In effect, it rather cunningly works infavor of Swiss commercial importers and makes the personal import option less attractive. e.g. Land Rover can count all the small engined Evoke's that they import in their total so that the average CO2/weight is lower than it would have been pre-Evoke and therefore, the total penalty payable is proportionately less.
However, if a personal importer wants to import a D4, then he might find himself facing a one-off penalty charge of circa CHF8k...
There are links to a calculator on the federal website but you might start off by looking at your cantonal website.
Good luck!MY11 D4 SDV6 SE LHD (with remote park heater, heated seats in row 2, heated steering wheel and rear HVAC controls!)
24th Sep 2012 9:59 am
MogulBoy
Member Since: 07 Feb 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 140
duplicate deletedMY11 D4 SDV6 SE LHD (with remote park heater, heated seats in row 2, heated steering wheel and rear HVAC controls!)
24th Sep 2012 9:59 am
cseilern
Member Since: 23 Sep 2012
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 7
Thanks guys, but it looks like I will have to pass on this amazing D4... I cannot find a way to get a CoC (even though the car is full uk spec and eu compliant) and without it, the direct homologation route is just too costly and painful to consider. Thanks a million for all the input.
24th Sep 2012 9:03 pm
richuk
Member Since: 27 May 2012
Location: Dorset
Posts: 559
Member Since: 23 Sep 2012
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 7
@richuk: thanks for the link...mexactly the situation I am trying to avoid! I am sure there must be some way of getting this @*%# certificate of conformity (it is a full uk spec car after all) - this would make my chances inSwitzerland pretty good (I imported a disco 2 that way a couple of months back). But I really don't want to go down the self test/homologation route - too risky. So still taker on any clues as to how to get this CoC!!
24th Sep 2012 11:39 pm
emmab
Member Since: 12 May 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 25
I am in a very similar position than you but i have opted to go the following route
Buy LHD D4 from Landrover tourist sales in Mayfair london. Although i have not asked i am sure you can get a CoC as part of the new sale. You get this VAT free and then pay your import wherever you are taking it (in this case Switzerland).
I have seen some LHD D4's for sale in the UK (ex landrover experience etc) and i decided to go new as it is a much better value option and you get the full 3 years warranty.
I differ from you in that i am keeping the vehicle registered to a company outside of Switzerland. Switzerland is a great place to live but the beaurocracy is horrendous and importing can be a nightmare.
don't give up just yet !!
25th Sep 2012 12:03 am
cseilern
Member Since: 23 Sep 2012
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 7
@emmab: thanks for the info on tourist sales - did not know about it. Sounds v interesting, will definitely check it out! I am intrigued by your registering the car with a company outside of Switzerland. I thought you could only drive 6-12 months with foreign plates in Switzerland?
@mogulboy: tanks for the great info in your post - v useful. I did check out getting a COC from LR and was unceremoniously but politely ignored. Independent CoC providers also told me that me was not available as the car is destined for sale outside of the UK. So am now looking at tourist sales as an alternative as long as I can get a CoC.
As far as the CO2 is convened, LR in Switzerland benefit from a special status as a lower volume manufacturer and as such, tax starts at 170g of CO2 as opposed to 130g for most other manufacturers. Still, that amounts to 5k in taxes! And as you mention, this is a tax that hits pretty much only individual direct imports as large importers (I.e. local dealers) can average the CO2 over their entire fleet! Where is Ralf Nader when you need him?!?
But: I am trying to see if it is not possible to export the car and keep uk registration for 12 months and import it at the end of that period, after which it should be exempt from the CO2 tax? Not sure about this whole idea, but investigating now.
25th Sep 2012 7:48 am
MogulBoy
Member Since: 07 Feb 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 140
I bought my D4 new from Land Rover Tourist & Diplomatic Sales. Actually, it was Stratstone Mayfair that you speak to and you pick up from their Kings Cross depot.
You are able to spec the car to your requirements based on a generic EU-LHD specification but the first thing that you do is tell them the destination country that you plan to import it into and natrually I chose Switzerland.
Swiss and EU cars are supplied with an EU Certificate of Conformity. N.b. these are EU documents and not UK specific but I thought that I might as well tell them I wanted Swiss specification rather than let's say French or German spec.
As far as I could tell, the main difference with Swiss spec. is that you get a cigarette lighter and ashtray as standard unless you tick the no-cost delete option box!
Notwithstanding the fact that I had ordered Swiss-spec and had the rather unimpressive but watermarked CoC in my possession, the chaps at the Lausanne Service Des Autos still spent a good 10mins with a tape measure trying to measure the lenght/width and wheelbase to double check that I wasn't trying to import a Bowler Wildcat in disguise!
P.S . One slight annoyance with Land Rover Tourist & Diplomatic Sales is that they don't appear to budge on price and you pay the asking price or walk.
I had previously tried one of the large UK brokers but they said that they couldn't help with LHD/export orders....MY11 D4 SDV6 SE LHD (with remote park heater, heated seats in row 2, heated steering wheel and rear HVAC controls!)
25th Sep 2012 7:58 am
hids4u
Member Since: 12 Apr 2009
Location: Leeds
Posts: 1155
If its a none eu market car LR won't issue a
COC
could you PM the details of the seller. I am looking for a D4 lhd and don't need a COC
Thanks
Ian
25th Sep 2012 9:36 am
RichardB
Member Since: 03 May 2010
Location: Hants
Posts: 485
Not sure if this helps but Guava in Guildford only sell LRs for export and seem totally set up. Not really sure how they operate but they are also a LR authorised service agent and I use them fot that and they provide excellent customer service at reasonably sensible prices. So may be worth checking them out. (Always lots of very nice Lhd cars in the showroom heading out somewhere but they don't sell into Uk!)
Land Rover
Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwick CV35 0RR, United Kingdom.
01926 641 111
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