Volkswagen has done an update to its Scirocco, their sporty but practical coupe on the Golf platform, writes Brian Byrne.
The shape and lines haven't been changed, but there's a more crisp definition in places, and there have also been changes to the lights front and rear. There are interior improvements too, including some extra instrumentation.
Power options on the car, which will get its public debut at Geneva in a couple of weeks' time, include a 123hp 1.4 and 177/217hp 2.0 turbocharged petrols, or 147/181hp variants of a 2.0 diesel.
The revised Scirocco R has more power with 276hp from its turbocharged 2.0 petrol.
Two decades after the first-generation Twingo was launched, Renault has taken the wraps off its new Twingo city car. However, the car's interior will be revealed at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next month.
New Twingo follows a strategic cooperation agreement with Daimler in 2010 giving the green light for the joint-development of the new car and the next versions of the two- and four-seat Smart. Four 'pop' colours are offered and Twingo now comes with five doors. The car was inspired not only by the original Twingo, but also by the Renault 5.
Less than a year since its launch in Europe, the Peugeot 2008 crossover has just passed the milestone of 100,000 units produced, writes Trish Whelan.
The car has now won numerous accolades in Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Poland and Turkey since its launch, (winning Continental Irish Small Car of the Year 2014).
Interestingly, some 68 percent of 2008 sales are made up of level 3 and 4 trim levels.
The demand for cars has required three increases in production at the Mulhouse site in France, with production now reaching a level of 680 vehicles a day, which is a doubling of the rate of production since launch.
Some 73 percent of Peugeot 2008 components are made in France, to label the car with a Made in France Guarantee. It received a maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP tests and is the only vehicle in its category to offer a Grip Control technology, a system that improves traction.
A new BMW in the 2 Series range will be the Active Tourer which will go on sale in Ireland in September, writes Brian Byrne.
The small MPV will join the 2 Series Coupe, and will also introduce FWD and 3-cylinder engines into the brand. The 1.5 petrol unit is turbocharged and outputs 136hp. There will also be a 2.0 diesel with 150hp.
The luggage compartment's capacity can be enlarged from 468-1,510 litres, with a flat loading floor, and a 40:20:40 split-folding rear backrest is fitted as standard.
Tradition dictates that the first citizen of Dublin has the first car registered in the capital each year, and once again the Lord Mayor of Dublin has chosen the Volvo S80 as his official Mayoral car, writes Trish Whelan.
The Lord Mayor, Oisín Quinn, has chosen the Volvo S80 D4 SE Lux Geartronic equipped with Volvo's latest Drive-E D4 2.0 diesel powertrain with C02 emissions of 117g/km (tax band A4) and a fuel consumption of 4.5 L/100kms (62.7mpg).
The SE Lux trim levels include a new eight-speed Geartronic transmission, City Safe, Electronic climate control, cruise control, rear park assist, leather upholstery, Bluetooth, power driver seat with memory function, satellite navigation, and 17-inch Rex alloy wheels. The Lord Mayor's car, in Black Sapphire Metallic, also has heated front seats.
On behalf of the Lord Mayor and Dublin City Council, the Office of the Lord Mayor has thanked Volvo Cars Ireland for providing the Lord Mayor for the third successive year with the Volvo S80 D4 SE as the official mayoral car for 2014.
Pictured are Adrian Yeates, Managing Director of Volvo Car Ireland; and Oisín Quinn, Lord Mayor of Dublin.
An easytrip survey has revealed what we really think about our darlings' driving habits.
Men who won't stop and ask for directions, women who can't park to save their lives, sound familiar? As thousands of couples prepare to drive away for a romantic Valentine's weekend, a survey by motoring solutions specialist easytrip has confirmed (and confounded) a few clichés about how we rate our partners' driving abilities.
When it comes to bad habits, most of us would admit we're not perfect behind the wheel. But what about our nearest and dearest? According to the majority of women who completed the survey, the things they hate most about their partners' driving are: *Driving too fast (43%); *Road rage (38%); *Never cleaning the car (31%).
Male respondents to the survey admitted that their primary pet hates when it comes to their partners' driving are: *Bad at parking (36%); *Driving too slowly (32%); *Road rage (32%).
Getting angry at other drivers, it seems, is not the exclusive preserve of the male motorist. A whopping 89 percent of women say they would pull over and seek help if they got lost, compared to just 48 percent of men who are happy to plough on, and on, and on ...
Preferring to be lost than asking for directions is a predominantly a male phenomenon that is sure to puzzle anthropologists for centuries to come. Indeed, the most prominent finding to arise from the survey is that most men think they are better drivers! Some 84 percent of males rated their driving skills as superior to their partner, compared to 62 percent of females.
So avoiding a row in the car this weekend, it seems, is virtually impossible. But if tempers flare, there are a couple of things you can do to make it up to your loved one. When asked "What is the most romantic gesture your partner could do for you this Valentine's weekend?" most men (32%) said they would love their partner to clean their car, while most women (51%) said they would love a simple bunch of flowers.
Finally, both men and women were asked if they had to give up their car or their partner for a month, which would they choose? Just 15 percent of women said they would give up their partner while DOUBLE that (32%) of men said they would choose their car over their girlfriend.
Commenting on the survey, Ciara O'Brien, General Manager of easytrip said "This survey has thrown up a few interesting responses. If you're going away for a romantic Valentine's weekend, I think it's important to remember that nobody is perfect, that love is more important than driving, and that safe driving is more important than anything!"
A new 120hp diesel engine will underpin an expanded choice in the Fiat 500L small MPV range which will reach Irish dealers in June, writes Brian Byrne.
The 1.6 Multijet II power unit will be the flagship engine in the upgraded MY14 versions of the 500 sub-brand that is proving to be the saviour of Fiat across Europe.
The upshift for the relatively new 500L also includes new colours, a new fabric and leather upholstery for the top-spec versions, and new accessories from Mopar.
There is also a special 'Beats' version featuring a high-end audio system, but this is unlikely to come to Ireland for cost reasons in the price-conscious Irish marketplace. And we're certainly not going to get the new 120hp turbocharged 1.4 petrol engine that's also part of the powertrain expansion programme.
The 500L competitors include the Opel Meriva, Ford's B-MAX, Peugeot's 2008 and Nissan's Note. The Italian car has shot to the top of its segment across Europe through 2013, and currently enjoys a 17 percent share in its class. They like it back home, too, in Italy it sells four out of ten cars in the segment.
If we're wondering why, maybe it has to do with fashion as much as the — very practical, also funky — design. Certainly, as a country which can claim one of the major fashion capitals of the world, Fiat has tagged onto that to make the current 500 hatchback a fashion icon. The basic car has spawned more 'edition' derivatives than, well, its arch-competitor Mini from BMW. Or the slinky fashion houses of Milan. Case in point, the Diesel version didn't relate to fuel for the engine, but to the young people fashion house.
So it is with the 500L. We have the specification designations, Pop, Pop Star, and Lounge. There are the Trekking and Living derivatives, and the 7-seat MPW. Now there is the Beats. Or there isn't, for us. Truth is, as I write this on a flight back home after spinning around northern Italy in a couple of the latest variants, that doesn't worry me. I'm a fair bit over 18, and hearing deteriorates consistently after that. So, unfortunately for sound gurus Dr Dre and Interscope Geffen A&M Records chairman and record producer Jimmy Iovine (Eh, who?) who apparently helped develop the Beats 500L audio ambience, it was lost on me.
Not so what I consider the essential of the Fiat 500L series, its very true practicality as a family car, especially for the young family that still appreciates the unashamedly funky styling. It is built well, it drives very well, it feels right. Most of all, it's a car that I would have no qualms about having my gorgeous grand-daughters in Australia, and my equally lovely baby grandsons in America, transported around in.
It happens that next week in Ireland I'm driving a 500L on my weekly review. One that won't be changed at all by the arrival of the MY14s I was in today. They'll just add to the options. So I'll close this report on what I've written so far.
Except to say that we also drove a new variant of the 500 hatchback. Which I can't tell you anything about until 1 March, as I'm honour-bound to an embargo because the dealers in various markets haven't got the same details yet.
It's probably fair to say, though, that you shouldn't lose sleep over it. It's really Fiat being Italian. I have this theory. Everybody believes that France invented bureaucracy. They didn't. Italy did, but France stole it. And fixed it. And the Italians are still doing it the old way. It can be endearing, though. Like the 500 series.
Peugeot will debut its new 108 micro-mini at the Geneva Motor Show next month, writes Trish Whelan.
Compact and suited to town driving, the new 108 hatchback will be offered with both a 3-door and 5-doors as well as a convertible bodystyle. Customers will be able to personalise their car with a huge range of themes, trims, ambiances, colours and options to choose from. The car also sees the introduction of MirrorLinkTM technology to the Peugeot brand. It allows the driver to use their smartphone from the car's touch screen - for safety reasons, access to phone applications is restricted when the car is moving.
At 3.47m long and 1.62m wide, and with a turning radius of 4.80m, the new Peugeot 108 weights just 840kg. The boot holds 196 litres of volume capacity which can be extended to 750 litres by folding the 50/50 rear seat backrests.
Headlights and front grille are reminiscent of the larger 208 and 308 models.
Engines are a 1.0 e-VTi 68 5-speed manual (88g/km C02), a 1.0 VTi 68 5-speed manual (95g/km C02), a 1.0 VTi 68 5-speed electronic (97g/km C02), and a new Puretech 1.2 VTi 82 engine (99g/km C02).
Features include six airbags as standard, IsoFix mountings on two rear seats, Emergency Collision Braking System and switchable ESP. LED daytime running lights, Hill Assist and Indirect Tyre under-inflation detection system are also standard.
The car will arrive here in Ireland this summer, hot on the heels of the newly launched 308 and replacing the existing 107 model. Prices and specifications will be announced closer to launch.
Xpose's Glenda Gilson has picked up the keys to a top of the range Korando after becoming a brand ambassador for SsangYong.
Glenda has recently interviewed such high profile stars as Garth Brooks, George Clooney and David Beckham, and is delighted with her new role with SsangYong, and with her Korando which she says 'drives like a dream and will suit her busy lifestyle'.
It's a big one and soon it could be seen on a roadway near you, writes Brian Byrne.
Pictured is the new Actros SLT, a unit that its makers, Mercedes-Benz, describe as 'the new power for heavy haulage'.
Operationally, the Actros SLT and its little brother, the Arocs SLT, can operate as a solo vehicle carrying up to 250 tonnes or as a train comprising up to three tractors with a total train weight of 750 tonnes - an application that could see it span a combined length of 50 to 100 metres.
Initially available in 6x4 and 8x4 formats (with wheelbase 3400/4000mm), all-wheel drive variants in 6x6, 8x6 and 8x8 configurations will follow with power outputs of up to 630hp available.
The air-spring SLT is offered with the spacious GigaSpace Cab while the Arocs comes with the BigSpace cab, both measuring some 2.5m in width.
The Golf Plus successor will be called the Golf SV, writes Trish Whelan.
The new model, to be shown in production form at the Geneva Motor Show in March, will have a more generous interior than the Golf Plus it replaces. It also has a more flexible interior, with rear bench seats that offer 180mm longitudinal adjustment and a cargo capacity of over 1,500 litres).
The Golf SV will feature a similar engine line-up to the standard Golf range, with the bulk of sales expected to come from the 1.6 110bhp diesel engine which will be EU6 compliant.
Prices and additional specifications will be released in the coming weeks.
Honda has released images of its 2014 Civic WTCC works car, taken during its first test session in Aragon, Northern Spain earlier this year.
The design of the new look Civic WTCC reflects the latest technical regulations for the FIA WTCC and shows the subtle style of the wheel arch extensions, larger diameter wheels, sleeker aero package and extended rear spoiler.
"Honda has achieved four victories and captured the manufacturer's title last season in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the WTCC, which was our first year of full-participation. In this season, we will strive to win the double title for driver's and manufacturer's with a total of four machines including a works team and two private teams," the President and CEO of Honda Motor Co Ltd said last week.
Under the banner of the 'Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team', Honda will enter two works cars in 2014, driven by Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro and run by J.A.S. Motorsport.
Toyota Ireland has confirmed the voluntary recall of 700 Prius hybrid cars, writes Trish Whelan.
The vehicles were manufactured between March 2009 and February 2014.
The recall involves an issue with the software used to control the boost converter in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM). The IPM is part of the inverter assembly and the hybrid system. Toyota will update the IPM software on all involved vehicles.
Toyota Ireland will be writing directly to those owners involved in the recall to arrange to have their vehicles updated by their local dealer at a time convenient for them and at no cost to the owner.
In the meantime, should a Toyota owner have a query, they can contact Toyota Ireland on 01 4190222 or www.toyota.ie
Opel will be bringing in a refreshed Meriva to Ireland in April, at a starting price of €18,995, writes Brian Byrne.
The small MPV now also gets a new 1.6 diesel power option, but that bumps the price up to €23,295, a long way ahead of the 1.3 diesel at €19,995.
The car has some styling tweaks, though the distinctive — and for some, aesthetically divisive — 'blitz' side profile remains.
The Meriva is a slow seller in Ireland, with just 73 units registered last year compared to 356 in 2008 — a year when Opel sold nearly 12,000 vehicles in Ireland compared to just shy of 5,000 in 2013. Over the last four years, some 532 Merivas have been registered in Ireland.
Back in the 1980s an Audi S1 had a legendary reputation - it was the car that would see the brand dominate the World Rally Championship in its day.
Now the abbreviation is coming back, but this time as a road-going version as Audi's new S1 and S1 Sportback will be the new flagship models in the compact A1 model line.
Both are powered by a 2.0 TFSI petrol fitted with a turbocharger developing 231hp and producing up to 370Nm of torque. This engine accelerates the cars from 0-100km/h in 5.8. Top speed is 250km/h. An average fuel consumption of around 7.0 L/100km is claimed. Both cars come with quattro permanent all-wheel drive.
Prices for the Irish market have yet to be confirmed but are expected to be announced by the end of February.
Visitors to the RIAC National Classic Car Show, supported by AXA Insurance, will get to see for the first time ever, the amazing Bloodhound SSC before it begins its attempt to become the world's fastest car, writes Trish Whelan.
Bloodhound Supersonic Car is a unique rocket and jet powered vehicle designed to achieve 1,000mph. This ultimate racing car will be capable of travelling 1.6km (that's one mile) in just 3.6 seconds (of four-and-a-half GAA football pitches in 1 second. That is significantly faster than a bullet from a .357 Magnum.
Show Director Bob Montgomery says the Bloodhound SSC is an amazing vehicle and 'we are literally seeing history in the making'. "When you think that this vehicle is going to reach speeds of up to 1,000 miles per hour, it really sparks the imagination."
The car itself weighs in at just over 7.5 tonnes and is nearly 14m long. Its jet and rocket-powered engines produce more than 135,000 horsepower pushing it to an incredible 1,000mph (1,609km/h) which is more or less the same horsepower as 180 Formula 1 cars!
There will be a Bloodhound SSC simulator at the show where visitors will get a taste of what it is like to drive at speeds never before achieved on land. Team members will be on hand to discuss the project with visitors and guide them through what is involved with a World Land Speed Record attempt of this scale.
Richard Noble, project director and former world land speed record holder, will join his team at the Classic Car Show on Sunday 2 March.
The car for the record attempt, currently being built in a special Technical Centre near Bristol, will head to South Africa in the summer of 2015 for test runs (which will break the sound barrier), before returning a year later for the attempt.
The RIAC National Classic Car Show takes place in the RDS in Dublin on 1 and 2 March 2014.
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