The two manufacturers' decision to add the on-the-road charge - which includes delivery to dealer, number plates and road fund licence - makes the manufacturers two of the last in the industry to make the move. Citroen's on-the-road charge amounts to £645 while Honda's is £595.

Meanwhile, Citroen's near 1.6% price increase applies to all models except certain high-selling models including the three door Saxo 1.1X and 1.1SX. The superminis will remain at pre-increased figures until March 31 as part of a marketing campaign. And Honda's average 0.9% price rise across its range does not apply to most UK-built Civic and Honda models or the Shuttle and NSX models.