Summary
● CSRP establishes retail prices for vehicles, which form the basis for import tax calculations.
● The move could see import tax rise by up to 145%.
● The cheapest vehicles to import are the Toyota C+ Walk, Volkswagen Beetle, and FAW Mini.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) announced a revision of the Current Retail Selling Price (CRSP) schedule for imported second-hand vehicles, a move that could spell higher prices for prospective car owners.
Effective July 1, 2025, the new CRSP for second-hand motor vehicle imports could send import taxes soaring by as much as 145%, as the taxman recalibrates the baseline prices of brand-new models upon which duty for used vehicles is pegged.
At the heart of this is the CRSP, the taxation tool used to compute import duty, VAT, and excise tax on pre-owned vehicles making their way into Kenyan ports.
With the updated CRSP, the KRA is steering away from static valuations and embracing a model that reflects real-world purchase prices, evidenced by invoices and receipts, and adjusted for vehicle age. KRA contends that this will bring fairness and accuracy to the valuation process.
The revised pricing schedule strikes a particularly heavy blow to compact cars such as the Suzuki Swift, Mazda Demio, and Toyota Vitz, which have enjoyed immense popularity in Kenya, especially in ride-hailing fleets.
These compact cars will now attract the steepest increases in tax, in some cases nearly doubling the levy previously due.
In contrast, certain larger vehicles, including the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Lexus LX570, will enjoy a more favorable tax treatment, with some models seeing their taxes decline under the new regime.
“The updated CRSP list has been published on the KRA website,” the notice affirms, urging importers, clearing agents, and industry players to acquaint themselves with the new pricing ahead of its imminent enforcement.
The announcement follows “extensive consultations with key stakeholders,” a move KRA says was instrumental in ensuring that the final figures reflect market realities and industry feedback.
The financial implications could be dire. For example, bringing in a Toyota Vitz Hybrid F under the new valuation will now cost a staggering Sh3,440,622, while a Mazda CX-5 20S will set importers back Sh6,839,016.
These new figures are expected to distort the local market and reshape consumer choices. As the calendar inches toward July, stakeholders brace for impact in what is poised to be one of the most consequential overhauls in Kenya’s automotive tax policy in recent memory.
Top 50 Cheapest Used Cars to Import into Kenya
The table below lists down the 50 cheapest imported used cars Kenyans can import once the new taxation schedule comes into effect:
| MAKE | MODEL | NEW CRSP | |
| 1 | TOYOTA | C+WALK T | 544,402 |
| 2 | TOYOTA | C+ WALK T | 578,216 |
| 3 | VOLKSWAGEN | NEW BEETLE | 698,898 |
| 4 | TOYOTA | C+ WALK S | 776,180 |
| 5 | FAW | CA1024V MINI | 840,000 |
| 6 | RENAULT | TWINGO ZEN | 913,289 |
| 7 | PEUGEOT | 208 TECH PACK EDITION | 1,107,943 |
| 8 | FAW | CA6371 | 1,125,000 |
| 9 | PEUGEOT | 2008 CROSSCITY | 1,203,336 |
| 10 | SUZUKI | ALTO VP | 1,207,236 |
| 11 | SUZUKI | ALTO VAN VP | 1,249,154 |
| 12 | SUZUKI | ALTO VAN VP | 1,249,154 |
| 13 | SUZUKI | ALTO VAN VP | 1,249,154 |
| 14 | DAIHATSU | MIRA VAN TX | 1,253,545 |
| 15 | RENAULT | LUTECIA GT LINE | 1,346,714 |
| 16 | VOLKSWAGEN | UP! MOVE UP! | 1,348,262 |
| 17 | MITSUBISHI | MINICAB TRUCK M | 1,352,272 |
| 18 | DAIHATSU | MIRA | 1,373,311 |
| 19 | PEUGEOT | 208 ALLURE CIELO PACKAGE | 1,376,512 |
| 20 | RENAULT | TWINGO PLAY | 1,423,531 |
| 21 | RENAULT | LUTECIA LIMITED | 1,423,531 |
| 22 | SUBARU | SAMBAR VB | 1,453,155 |
| 23 | TOYOTA | STARLET GLX | 1,471,500 |
| 24 | PEUGEOT | 2008 | 1,483,901 |
| 25 | SUBARU | SAMBAR TRUCK TB | 1,525,812 |
| 26 | HONDA | ACTY TRUCK SDX | 1,535,872 |
| 27 | TATA | TATA INTRA V20 AC BS-IV | 1,540,324 |
| 28 | SUZUKI | CARRY KC | 1,542,579 |
| 29 | SUZUKI | CARRY KC | 1,542,579 |
| 30 | SUZUKI | CARRY KC | 1,542,579 |
| 31 | SUBARU | SAMBAR TRUCK TB | 1,550,962 |
| 32 | PEUGEOT | 208 ALLURE FUN EDITION | 1,551,043 |
| 33 | RENAULT | TWINGO TEMPO | 1,556,461 |
| 34 | DONGFENG | EX1 NANO BOX | 1,583,128 |
| 35 | NISSAN | NT100 CLIPPER DX | 1,592,880 |
| 36 | NISSAN | NT100 CLIPPER DX | 1,592,880 |
| 37 | DAIHATSU | HIJET CARGO DELUXE | 1,596,873 |
| 38 | SUZUKI | Pixis Deluxe | 1,596,873 |
| 39 | DAIHATSU | HIJET TRUCK EXTRA | 1,609,648 |
| 40 | DAIHATSU | HIJET TRUCK EXTRA | 1,618,031 |
| 41 | RENAULT | TWINGO EDC CANVAS TOP | 1,631,730 |
| 42 | PEUGEOT | 2008 GT LINE BLACK PACK | 1,646,629 |
| 43 | MARUTI SUZUKI | GRAND VITARA ADVENTURE | 1,662,346 |
| 44 | SUZUKI | ALTO S | 1,673,363 |
| 45 | FAW | CA1041K2L2Y | 1,680,000 |
| 46 | HONDA | N-WGN C | 1,692,243 |
| 47 | SUBARU | SAMBAR TRUCK TB SMART ASSIST | 1,706,059 |
| 48 | PEUGEOT | 308 SW ALLURE SPECIAL EDITION | 1,712,997 |
| 49 | MAZDA | SCRUM TRUCK KC | 1,733,280 |
| 50 | SUZUKI | CARRY KC | 1,733,725 |
Used car importers will pay the new tax when clearing the vehicles at the point of entry.
