Car5

The new Audi Q7 will be launched here later in the year with seven seats and a striking new visual design with clear SUV characteristics, and top of the line connectivity, writes Trish Whelan . Two engines will be offered at launch followed shortly afterwards by a plug-in hybrid model. All are matched to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission and permanent all-wheel-drive. The car has now grown to 5,063 millimetres long; luggage capacity varies between 865L and 2,050L, depending on if used as a five-seater or with all seats in use. The premium SUV features the new design of the Q family. Key features are its excellent comfort and spaciousness, Mild Hybrid Technology, the digital operating concept, and the optional HD Matrix LED headlights including laser light. The MMI navigation system delivers top-of-the-range connectivity with a Wi-Fi hotspot, natural voice control and the extensive Audi connect portfolio which ranges from traffic information online, navigation with Google Ea...

The Kia XCeed is a new urban crossover utility vehicle (CUV) from Kia Motors which combines compact SUV practicality with the sporty packaging and the sporty handling of a hatchback, writes Trish Whelan . It will go on sale in Ireland towards the end of September with a Plug-in Hybrid variant following in early 2020. Competing in the C-segment, it is the latest addition to the Kia portfolio and takes the Ceed model family in a new direction, designed to achieve the cabin and storage space of an SUV in a sportier body with a more compact footprint. It offers comparable levels of space for occupants and luggage (from 426 litres to 1,378L with rear seats folded down). This newcomer also provides a more commanding view of the road ahead than a conventional hatchback. The XCeed's suite of advanced safety, connectivity and infotainment features make it one of the most high-tech cars in the CUV class. It is also one of the most efficient powered by a range of fast-revving, t...

Ford has today unveiled the new Ford Puma - an SUV-inspired compact crossover that fuses 'stunning exterior design, best-in-class load space, and sophisticated mild-hybrid powertrain technology', writes Trish Whelan . It introduces a new chapter in Ford's design identity with styling cues such as the wing-top mounted headlamps and athletic, aerodynamic lines. It comes with a raised ride-height and a luggage capacity of 456 litres. Puma uses Ford's EcoBoost Hybrid 48-volt technology together with a three-cylinder 1.0 EcoBoost petrol engine to deliver up to 155hp. There's also a 125hp unit with 131g/km C02 emissions and a claimed 5.8 L/100km fuel efficiency. A diesel powertrain option and seven-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission will join the line-up after launch. Advanced driver assistance technologies include Adaptive Cruise Control and New Local Hazard information which can inform the driver of hazardous situations in the road ahead before they become...

"Our Industry is very concerned and angry at the possibility of sleepwalking into another potential 2009," states Brian Cooke , Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry . SIMI warns that the Motor Industry and the motorist are facing the greatest change in taxation since 2009 which undermined both new and used car sales by being too ambitious and seeking to implement change too quickly. Overnight car values plummeted, new car sales declined and the Industry fell of a cliff. That, together with a recession, resulted in the closure of 150 family businesses, 14,700 jobs lost and over €1 billion in lost revenue for the Exchequer. The looming Budget 2020 brings a very concerning feeling of Deja vu. Brian Cooke. SIMI continues to highlight the need for extreme caution in dealing with motor related taxation in the upcoming Budget, doubly so now that the Budget almost coincides with the Brexit date. The Economic Statement issued by the Minister for ...

Kia’s mid-sized ProCeed widens the appeal of the Ceed model range and is expected to play a big role in the Korean car maker's ongoing growth in Europe, writes Trish Whelan . Like its siblings, this car was designed, developed and engineered by Kia’s European teams in Frankfurt and is manufactured at the brand’s factory in Slovakia. It now has five doors, a nod to Europe’s shrinking market for three-door hatches. It is beautifully proportioned, curvy, low, lean and lithe, a little longer and lower than the Sportswagon and Ceed five-door hatch. The suspension is 10mm lower than its companions, and tall people should mind their heads when getting in and out, or even when reaching in to collect belongings. ProCeed is beautifully styled, a cross between an estate and a liftback. It is unique in the Ceed family as Kia has put its model name in capital letters across the centre of the tailgate. The interior features high-quality, soft-touch surfaces, metallic trim and a ‘flo...

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Business and Mercedes Benz X-Class have been named Category Winners of the Irish Van of the Year 2019 in association with Continental Tyres. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Business took the Irish Commercial SUV of the Year award while the Mercedes-Benz X-Class won the Irish Pick Up of the Year award. The Irish Van of the Year awards are voted upon by a jury of Ireland’s most experienced light commercial vehicle journalists. In deciding on these category winners, the Irish Van of the Year committee members took into account such attributes as load capacity, reliability, overall versatility, cost of ownership and driving comfort. Presenting the awards to Jason Byrne of Mitsubishi Ireland, and Fergus Conheady, Mercedes Benz Ireland; Tom Dennigan of awards sponsor Continental Tyres Ireland commented: “In today’s tough commercial vehicle market, these two vehicles have been singled out by the Irish Van of the Year experts. I am sure that these awards w...