Car10

Kia’s EV6 all-electric crossover was this evening named Europe’s Car of the year 2022 by a panel of European motoring journalists, writes Trish Whelan .    This latest award is the latest in a growing number of globally renowned awards bestowed on the EV6 since its introduction last year. It is the first time that a Korean brand has won this accolade and comes just two weeks after the EV6 lifted the Continental Irish Car of the Year 2022 award.  EV6 was voted the overall winner by a 61-strong jury consisting of highly respected motoring journalists from 23 European countries. With 279 points, the EV6 came out on top of the other shortlisted cars which were Renault Megane E-Tech (265), Hyundai Ioniq5 (261), Peugeot 308 (191), Skoda Enyaq iV (185), Ford Mustang Mach-e (150), and the Cupra Born (144). Six of the final contenders were electric cars - the Peugeot 308 has an engine.  EV6 can travel up to 528kms on a single charge and takes just 18 minutes to charge th...

Kia Ireland has launched KiaCharge, a European-wide integrated public charging service that will give drivers easier access to public vehicle charging, writes Trish Whelan .   KiaCharge provides more access to the Irish, UK and European public charging network than any equivalent service. This service is now live and the app is available to download from Google Play and Apple App Store.  Owners of the brand’s BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) can access more than 1,400 charge points across Ireland from a single account eliminating the need for drivers to sign up to separate accounts with multiple charging point operators or pre-pay with others. It provides access to major charging networks, including ESB, EasyGo and IONITY. Kia BEV and PHEV owners can access KiaCharge via a smartphone app or radio-frequency identification card.  Payments are made via a single itemised monthly invoice. The service offers a choice of two fully...

Newgate Motor Group has been appointed as the new Renault and Dacia Dealership in Co Meath, writes Trish Whelan .  The well-established dealership located on the Kells Road in Navan will have a dedicated showroom displaying the full Renault and Dacia car and van ranges as well as a choice of quality used models in a separate Renault Selection zone. Dealer Principal Jim Ring has been in the motor industry for almost 40 years.  Newgate Motors has been involved in the franchise retail motor business for over 30 years and its staff consist of a core team of experienced, professional, and expertly trained employees.  The Navan showroom will undergo an extensive transformation in the next few months and will become the first dealership in Ireland to showcase the very latest interior and exterior Renault and Dacia branding.  Paddy Magee, Country Operations Director, Renault Ireland wished Jim and his team the very best for the future.  Pictured above are Paddy Hillick...

Nissan is supplying a new fleet of electric vehicles to help the FAI grow the game at all levels across Ireland and to develop a new generation of young Irish footballers, including Irish international players, writes Trish Whelan .   A team of 21 coaches, development officers and admin staff have been selected to take delivery of the Nissan LEAF as part of a new green initiative which is helping the FAI reduce its carbon footprint. This team of FAI employees travel thousands of kilometres across the country each year and their transition to a more sustainable fleet is being driven by Nissan in its role as Official Vehicle Partner of the Football Association of Ireland.  Seamus Morgan, Managing Director of Nissan Ireland said Nissan is delighted to play its part off field by electrifying the fleet of vehicles used by the FAI to deliver coaching programmes in schools, clubs and communities across Ireland.  Republic of Ireland manager, Stephen Kenny added that Nissan has p...

The latest up-styled version of the Mercedes-Benz CLS has arrived in Ireland, writes Trish Whelan .  Refashioned and now with an even sharper, more elongated, and aerodynamic appearance, exterior changes include a new radiator grille, new air intakes and bumpers, silver-chrome exterior trim elements, new twin and multi-spoke light alloys, and the choice of an additional metallic paint colour.  Inside, cabin upgrades include two new walnut and wood trim finishes, additional leather seat coverings and colour combinations, and a redesigned multifunctional leather steering wheel.  Two petrol and three diesels are offered. Petrols are 450 4Matic and a high performance Mercedes-AMG 53 4Matic+ version with fast-shifting 9G transmission. Diesels are a 220d, 300d and 400d 4Matic versions. A mild hybrid is included in the mix.  All versions are equipped with the brand’s MBUX infotainment system with artificial intelligence and predictive functions, together with an extensive...

The New Peugeot 308 has won the Urban Vehicle category in the Women’s World Car of the Year awards and will now compete with the other category winners in the final of the competition due to take place around 8 March, writes Trish Whelan .  The other six categories are Family SUV, Family Car, Large SUV, Sports Car and 4x4. The 56 women jurors from 40 countries and five continents that make up the WWCOTY said: “Excellence in terms of safety, driving, technology, design, environmental efficiency and value for money is perfectly embodied by the new Peugeot model’.  The jury appraised 65 candidates launched between 1 January and 31 December 2021.  After the double victory in 2021 of the Peugeot 2008 (Urban SUV category) and Peugeot 208 (Urban Vehicle category), the Peugeot 308 is the brand’s third vehicle to win a WWCOTY category in just two years.  

The annual cost of filling your car has increased by 17pc in the past year, as fuel prices reach new record highs, writes Trish Whelan .  AA Ireland also notes that fuel prices are at their highest since they started recording figures in 1991. The national average price of fuel currently stands at 177.3 cents per litre for petrol and 167.6 cents per litre for diesel, an increase of 33pc for petrol and 34pc for diesel in the past year.  In February 2021, fuel prices were 133.8 cents per litre for petrol with diesel at 124.9 cents per litre. In February 2020, petrol stood at 141.9c and diesel at 133.4 cents.  A recent AA Ireland Twitter poll (501 votes in 24 hours) found that 84pc of people have been ‘significantly impacted’ by the high cost of fuel in Ireland. With figures based on the average mileage of 17,000km per year, a 50-litre fuel tank and a travel range of 700km per tank, in 2020 filling your petrol car cost €64 while the average price per litre was €1.28. This ...

Toyota Ireland has opened online reservations for the brand's first all-electric car, the b74X, writes Brian Byrne . With prices starting from €43,402, the awkwardly-named car will be available in three grades — Advance, Sport and Premiere Edition — and a rated battery range of 450km-plus. The first allocations have been fully-booked by those who registered early interest. The car will arrive in June of this year. Online reservations can be made here .   

The Citroen e-Dispatch / Opel Vivaro-e / Peugeot e-Expert, an electrified joint collaboration of the three companies, has been voted Continental Tyres Irish Van of the Year for 2022, writes Trish Whelan .  The award is voted upon by a jury of Ireland’s most experienced van journalists and was announced at the 2022 Irish Car and Van of the Year awards ceremony which took place at The Aviva Stadium on Friday, 11 February.  EVs were very much to the fore at the awards event as, in addition to electric models taking the main trophy in the Van of the Year contest, the full electric Kia EV6 won the top award in the Irish Car of the year competition.  Pictured at the presentation of the award with the winning vans were (l to r): Colin Sheridan, MD of Citroen Ireland; James Brooks, MD of Opel Ireland; Tom Dennigan of awards sponsor Continental Tyres; Cathal Doyle and Anthony Conlon, Joint Chairmen of the Irish Car and Van of the Year Committee’ and Stephen McGrath, Head of Produc...

Anthony Conlon and Cathal Doyle, Joint Chairmen, Irish Car of the Year Committee; Ronan Flood, Kia Ireland; and Tom Dennigan, Continental Tyres Ireland. The Kia EV6 was named as the Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year for 2022 at an awards ceremony this afternoon at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Motoring journalists from print, online and broadcasting hosted the event, which was attended by Ireland’s leading car brands, importers and distributors. Kia took the top award with its latest EV6 model which also won the Continental Tyres Irish Large Car of the Year category award at the ceremony. It is the second time that an electric vehicle has taken the award as Kia also won the 2020 Irish Car of the Year title with the all-electric Kia e-Soul. Joint-Chairman of the Irish Car of the Year Committee, Anthony Conlon said: "The Kia EV6 is a great car and as the second electric vehicle to win the title, it is proof, if any proof was needed, that the era of electric motoring is already ...

Mini in Ireland has launched three new special editions across its range, starting at an OTR price of €30,945, writes Brian Byrne . They are badged Resolute, Untold and Untamed. Resolute is available on the 3-Door, Electric, 5-Door Hatch and Convertible models. Untold is available in Clubman and Untamed in the Countryman Cooper and PHEV models. Personalisation is the key element, with customers able to chose from Comfort, Driver Assistance and Navigation equipment packages as well as individual options such as sport transmission, adaptive chassis, Harman Kardon HiFi speaker system or the panoramic glass roof. The changes in the new editions are mostly cosmetic, with no reported enhancements to dynamics or power.  

Mazda's first plug-in hybrid car will premiere in Europe on 8 March, writes Brian Byrne . The CX-60 will be the new flagship model for the brand's SUV lineup in Europe. The powertrain will be a 2.5-litre PHEV with over 300hp.  

The Irish Sailing Team has boosted its fleet of commercial vehicles with the recent purchase of a new Mercedes-Benz Vito van. Fully funded by the Irish Sailing Foundation, the new Vito will be used by the Irish Sailing Performance Team to transport their boats and equipment to international events throughout the forthcoming season. The Vito 114L mid-sized van comes with comfort and safety features that include Crosswind Assist, multi-function steering wheel, twin passenger seats and electric windows. Over the years, Mercedes-Benz has given its support to a number of water sport activities, most notably in its sponsorship of Ireland’s Olympic medal winning sailor, Annalise Murphy in her preparations for the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games. Pictured with Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles sales manager, Fergus Conheady (left) are Rachel Fallon-Langdon, Executive Director of the Irish Sailing Foundation and Ewan Mc Mahon, Laser Sailor on the Irish Olympic Squad.    

Toyota Ireland has opened online reservations for the new Aygo X, coming to this country ion mid-April, writes Brian Byrne . A small urban crossover, the Aygo X will have a starting price of €18,035. Reservations can be made online by those who haven't already registered their interest from 16 February by going to this link .  The car will have all of Toyota's latest driving and safety assist technology available.  

Alfa Romeo has premiered its Tonale small crossover, which will come with a mild-hybrid engine for Europe and a PHEV for North America, writes Brian Byrne . It sets Alfa up for its first all-electric car planned for 2025, and the brand becoming all-electric two years later. The production Tonale was concepted back in 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show, before the pandemic disrupted everything. Alfa owners Stellantis group are targeting the Tonale at BMW's X1 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. It will arrive as a 2023 model.  

Kia has launched the fifth-generation of its new Sportage SUV, writes Trish Whelan .   Sportage is a key model for the brand in Ireland having been its best-selling model for over 10 years. The model, specifically designed and developed for Europe to establish new benchmarks across the SUV segment, combines a sleek yet muscular and modern exterior design with a very stylish interior featuring a swooping integrated curved display that houses the very latest advancements in connectivity tech.  Its everyday practicality and usability is demonstrated by improved luggage capacity, headroom and legroom compared to the outgoing model, including very good legroom for the second-row passengers.  Four powertrains and four trim levels are offered with the entry level K2 model featuring a 1.6 CRDi (115hp) engine priced from €34,300. The K3 (€38,000) offers both the 1.6 MHEV TDGi (150hp) or 1.6 CRDi with 115hp while the K3 HEV is priced from €42,000. The K4 is offered with 1.6 diese...

The New Dacia Jogger seven-seat family car blends estate car practicality, MPV spaciousness and SUV styling, writes Trish Whelan .   It will be available with a choice of three trim levels - Essential, Comfort and Extreme SE.  Standard equipment includes air conditioning, cruise control and rear parking sensors across the range. It also gets innovative modular roof rails, split folding seats with almost 60 possible configurations offering generous levels of practicality and versatility and up to 2,085 litres of cargo space (212 litres of boot space with all seats in place. Three multimedia systems available include Dacia’s Media Control, placing the smartphone at the centre of the experience.  Options include metallic paint and a spare wheel.  Jogger comes with 200mm of ground clearance, a reinforced body structure, and protective body cladding. At launch, New Jogger is powered by the brand’s new TCe 110, 1.0L three-cylinder direct injection turbocharged petr...

Skoda is adding an elegant coupe to its ENYAQ iV range, writes Trish Whelan .  The line-up will also include an all-electric RS variant.  Depending on specification, the ENYAQ Coupe has a range of up to 545km (for the Coupe iV80 version) and fast-charging capability making it suitable for travelling long distances.  There is a choice of two battery sizes, rear- or all-wheel drive, and four power outputs. Power outputs starts at 132 W with the RWD Coupe iV 60 equipped with a 62 kWh battery. The ENYAQ Coupe RS iV is the first-ever all-electric Skoda RS, delivering up to 220 kW and a maximum torque of 460 Nm. It can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.5 secs and has a top speed of 180 km/h - 20 km/h more than any other variant of the new coupe and is available exclusively in Mamba Green paintwork.  John Donegan, director Skoda Ireland says the ENYAQ coupe will be available to order in Ireland from this autumn. Prices and specifications will be revealed closer to the time. T...

Hyundai Ireland is in celebratory mood after a bumper January sales period, writes Brian Byrne .  The brand's Ioniq 5 (above) was Ireland's best-selling electric car, the Tucson SUV the overall best seller, and market share increased from 10.8pc to 14.5pc year on year in January. The Ioniq 5 was registered by 459 owners out of the top five 1,493 electric cars sold in the month.  

One in ten new cars registered in Europe in 2021 were battery-electric vehicles, writes Brian Byrne . The Tesla Model 3 was the biggest selling individual model, according to analysts JATO Dynamics, ahead of the Renault Zoe and the Volkswagen ID.3. Volkswagen topped the BEV rankings by group. More than 1,2 million pure electric care were registered in 2021, 63pc more than the number registered in 2020 and 3.4 times higher than the 2019 total. In addition, more than a million plug-in hybrid cars were registered. Europe is now the second-biggest market for BEVs in both volume and market share, behind China. In Europe, Tesla's market share has dropped to 13.9pc of BEVs registered, compared to 31pc two years ago, due to increased BEV entrants to the market over that period.  

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher, has been presented with the 2022 Lord Mayoral car, a fully-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard Range AWD, by John Manning of Henry Ford & Son Ltd, writes Trish Whelan .  The fully electric SUV has a range of 400kms and will be charged in the City Hall basement car park. Driving the Mustang Mach-E will lead to a 50pc cut in running costs compared to driving a petrol or diesel engine in a similar-sized vehicle.  Thanking Ford for their continuing support of the Lord Mayor’s Office, the Lord Mayor said: “I am proud to be the first Lord Mayor to champion the use of a fully electric vehicle which symbolises the Council’s commitment to tackling climate change.” He added that his legendary driver, Finbarr, has already christened the car ‘Knight Rider’.  John Manning, Market Lead, Henry Ford & Son Ltd, said the company is delighted to continue the tradition of providing Cork City’s Lord Mayoral car. He added: The Mustang Mach...