The General Association of Insurers (GDV) has announced which car models for which vehicle insurance may become more expensive. And which cars might be cheaper to insure next year.
From January 2025 around 7.1 million drivers will have to Motor vehicle liability insurance higher classifications (type classes) for their vehicles. Around 5.1 million car owners, on the other hand, can look forward to lower model classes. However, for around 30 million or around 71 percent of drivers, the type class does not change. The GDV explains: “The GDV’s new type class classification is non-binding for insurance companies and can be applied immediately for new contracts and for existing contracts from the next insurance year.”
These are type classes
The type class certainly Together with the regional class (where is the car registered?), the vehicle type (convertible, van, limousine, etc.) and the no-claims bonus, the amount that drivers have to pay for their vehicle insurance. There are also individual criteria such as the age of the vehicle owner, the number of kilometers driven per year or the possibility of parking the car in a garage, etc. The GDV type class statistics currently include around 33,000 different models and their damage records for the years 2021 to 2023.
Tipp: You can immediately query the type class of your vehicle on this website
The type class defined According to Wikipedia it goes like this: “The Typklasse is an index value for calculating the insurance premium for motor vehicle liability insurance and comprehensive insurance in Germany. This value is determined annually by a trustee based on the damage requirements for each type of vehicle”.
The GLV explains: “In motor vehicle liability insurance there are 16 type classes (10-25), the insurance benefits for injured third parties after traffic accidents are decisive for the classification of the model. In fully comprehensive insurance, the GDV statisticians differentiate between 25 type classes (10-34). The calculation of fully comprehensive insurance includes the damage to your own car following self-inflicted accidents as well as partially comprehensive damage (including car theft, glass damage, accidents with wild animals or damage caused by natural events) to fully comprehensively insured vehicles. There are 24 type classes (10-33) in partial comprehensive insurance. For these statistics, the partial comprehensive damage of comprehensively insured vehicles is taken into account.”
The GDV emphasized:
While in motor vehicle liability insurance the benefits for injured parties in an accident are decisive, in comprehensive insurance the value of the insured car plays a role, among other things. Therefore, many high-engine luxury models and SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz S 350 CDI and the Porsche Cayenne / Coupe S 2.9 have high type classes, while older models and small cars such as the Nissan Micra 1.2 and the Smart Fortwo Coupe ED have rather low classes.
The basic rule is: “If, on average, a car model causes comparatively few damages and low damage costs per vehicle, it receives a low type class, and if there is a lot of damage and high insurance benefits, it receives a high class.”
Important: If changing the type class leads to a higher insurance premium, you have a special right of termination.
These cars come in a higher type class
The GDV calls some examples of vehicles whose vehicle insurance could become more expensive in 2025 due to a higher type class, provided that the other cost criteria (see above) do not compensate for the increase in the type class. Audi SQ5 3.0 TFSI Quattro, BMW X4 20D
These cars come in a lower type class
Ford B-Max, Hyundai Tucson, Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic, Renault Scenic, Skoda Octavia RS 2.0 TDI, Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid 1.5 and the VW Golf VII 2 2.0 TSI slip into a lower type class compared to the previous year.
Typically, small and micro cars such as Ford KA, Hyundai i10, Nissan Micra or VW Up have lower type classes. On the other hand, upper-class models such as the Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Porsche Cayenne have high type classes.
