Car10

The arrival of the new Nissan Juke hybrid follows the launch of their new Ariya 100pc electric crossover and new Qashqai mild hybrid, writes Trish Whelan .  The new Juke starts in 100pc electric mode and can reach speeds of up to 55km/h in pure EV mode. The Juke hybrid powertrain consists of a new generation combustion engine specifically developed for working in a hybrid powertrain application. The powertrain provides 25pc more power than the current petrol engine with a fuel consumption reduction up to 40pc in the urban cycle and up to 20pc over the combined cycle.  New Juke comes equipped with Nissan’s e-pedal allowing the driver to accelerate and slow down using only the accelerator. Boot space is 354 litres, expandable to 1,237 litres.  The brand is committed to having 75pc of its sales mix to be fully electric by next year. Pricing to be announced later this summer.

Peugeot’s new 408 will be on sale in Ireland at the start of next year, writes Trish Whelan .  The new model will offer a new fastback silhouette at the top of the C-segment. The range of engines includes two rechargeable hybrid versions with 180bhp and 225bhp as well as a 130bhp petrol version, all paired with an 8-speed EAT8 automatic gearbox. No diesel version is available but an all-electric version will follow a few months later.  The car is aimed mostly at active couples, with or without children, who will use their car for personal and profession purposes and will offer a very high level connected experience. Features will include the latest generation of the brand's i-Cockpit with its compact steering wheel as well as the latest technologies.  It will be produced in Mulhouse France for the European market.  

Citroen’s facelifted C5 Aircross SUV has undergone significant design enhancements which include a new more rugged design with a new front end, writes Trish Whelan .  The model has been the best-selling Citroen passenger car in Ireland since 2020, and will now be available with a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions. The petrol will be a 1.2 PureTech 130hp engine paired to either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission; the diesel 1.5 130hp will also be matched to either of those while the Plug-in hybrid will have a 1.6 petrol engine paired to an 80kW electric motor to deliver 225hp (combined) with the possibility of driving up to 55km in full electric mode. Road tax is from €200 (diesel) to €270 (petrol) while the PHEV is €140.  A new 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system comes as standard from the second trim level. The new C5 Aircross has the latest generation of Citroen Advanced Comfort seats with an extra 15mm layer of memory foam. Boot volu...

The good times are back with the announcement that new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models are due to arrive here in September, with hefty price tags, writes Trish Whelan . Around 96pc will be low emission Plug-in hybrids. Huge interest has already been expressed by potential customers.  At a special preview of both cars at Jaguar Land Rover, Spirit Motors in South Dublin on Monday last, Eddie Kavanagh, company Managing Director, said the new third generation RR Sport brings new levels of refinement as well as exceptional performance. It is hailed as the most thrilling RR Sport ever with a 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds.  Mr Kavanagh is pictured above with the new Range Rover Sport on show at dealerships this month. The suite of powerful and efficient powertrains includes six-cylinder extended range electric hybrids, a potent new V8 and mild hybrid six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Pure-electric propulsion will be introduced in 2024. All models are fitted with an ei...

VW's ID.4 top of the league ... just. With 8,261 electric cars sold year to date in Ireland at the end of May, EV sales are almost equal their full year sales for 2021, writes Brian Byrne . The biggest selling model was Volkswagen's ID.4 with 1,132 units, with Hyundai's Ioniq 5 snapping at its heels literally on 1,127 units. Kia's EV6 is next with 740 cars delivered. Nissan's Leaf with 660 cars and Tesla's Model 3, with 500 units rolled out, fill out the top five places in total representing a tad over half of all EVs sold in this country this year. Kia's Niro, Hyundai's Kona, VW's ID.3, Peugeot's 2008 and Renault's Zoe make up the rest of the top ten models, between them with a combined market share of 18.5pc. In all, there are 59 models competing in Ireland in the battery electric space.

The latest new model from Mercedes-Benz is the all-new GLC expected here next Autumn, writes Trish Whelan .  The GLC ranks as the best-selling model in the brand’s range over the past two years. Over 2.6 million units have been sold since the model was first launched six years ago. The premium German auto maker says it is the most dynamic model in their SUV family.  The new model will be available in hybrid form only, either as a plug-in hybrid or as a ‘mild hybrid’ with 48-volt technology and an integrated starter-generator. Engines are 4-cylinder petrol and diesel units; four mild-hybrids and three plug-in hybrids with an electric-only range of more than 100kms (WLTP rated). With standard 4MATIC all-wheel-drive, GLC is comfortable on-road and off-road.  The design includes muscular wheel arches, a wide track and flush wheels in 18 to 20-inch sizes. Features include the latest generation MBUX infotainment system as standard, a multi-function steering wheel and new da...

Mobility solutions specialist, Easytrip, is celebrating their five-year partnership with Blood Bikes, a not-for-profit charity, writes Trish Whelan .  Easytrip has been supporting the charity since April 2017 enabling BloodBikes to continue to provide a vital service across Ireland, and has now extended their support for a further five years. In a typical year, the charity would make over 100,000 deliveries and in the last two years that support doubled to an estimated 250,000 dispatches.  Blood Bikes provide urgent transportation of essential medical items such as donated blood, human tissue, breast milk to hospitals and medical centres 365 days a year, supply their service free of charge with help from a legion of voluntary drivers. Over the last two years, the organisation has supported the National Ambulance Service and the HSE with Covid-19 and medical equipment deliveries.  The charity said the help from Easytrip has allowed them continue to operate and support hosp...

Irish rugby star, Stacey Flood, has been appointed Opel Brand Ambassador and presented with a new electric Opel Corsa-e, writes Trish Whelan .  With an electric performance at the recent HSBC Rugby World Sevens Series in Toulouse, Stacey was one of the nominees for the HSBC Dream Team. She joins her team-mate and friend, Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe as Opel Brand Ambassador.  James Brooks, Opel Ireland Managing Director said she is the perfect Opel ambassador and a wonderful role model for Irish women.  A Dubliner, Stacey holds a degree in technology management from the National College of Ireland. She made her international senior Sevens debut in Kazan in 2015 and since then has played at every stage of the World Rugby Sevens Series. The Sevens aim to qualify for the Sevens World Cup in Cape Town in September. She is pictured above with James Brooks of Opel Ireland.