Car5

Volkswagen e-Golf Executive Edition Volkswagen’s e-Golf is available, for a limited period only, with 0pc PCP Finance, writes Trish Whelan . Plus, customers wishing to move into the new VW ID range when it comes. will be able to do so easily with a special new 2-year PCP solution. The e-Golf is available in two specifications, the e-Golf and the e-Golf Executive Edition. The latter model adds extra equipment with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lights, a full leather interior, Active Info Display, a rear-view camera, and keyless access. Prices start at €35,995 after Government incentives, and with 0pc PCP, start from €349 per month. The e-Golf Executive Edition offers the ‘ultimate e-Golf’ and costs from €39,495 or with 0pc PCP from €379 per month.   For potential e-Golf owners moving into the new ID. range when it lands in Ireland, Volkswagen is offering a special 2-year PCP solution on the e-Golf, costing from €399 per month and €489 per month on the ...

Audi TT coupe The new Audi TT compact sports car is now available to oder from today in Ireland, writes Trish Whelan . It has been given a tauter exterior design, more powerful engines, and a wider range of standard equipment. For 20 years, the ‘TT’ has been synonymous with driving pleasure and with this comprehensive update, Audi has honed the sporty character of the third-generation model.   Audi offers two more powerful direct-injection petrol engines for the new TT: the entry 197hp badged the 40 TFSI and 245hp badged the 45 TFSI.   The engines also have a petrol particulate filter. With the new seven-gear S tronic, the lower gears now have a shorter ratio for better driving dynamics. The 40 TFSI TT Coupe can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.6 secs while the 45 TFSI does it in 5.9 secs. The more powerful engine is offered in either manual front wheel drive or quattro all-wheel drive with a 7 speed S tronic gearbox. The Singleframe radiator grille...

Chris Kitchen, Triathlon Ireland; Elaine Austin, Pieta House; Laura Condron, BMW Ireland; and Adrian Barry from Off The Ball. Each year, BMW Group Ireland employees nominate a chosen charity and this year Pieta House, Ireland's leading suicide prevention charity, was chosen because it is addressing one of the most pressing social issues today; mental health, writes Trish Whelan .   This year, Triathletes from across Ireland will raise money to help suicide prevention through the joint initiative between Triathlon Ireland, BMW Ireland, and the charity. Funds raised will go towards Pieta House’s ‘A Life a Day’ initiative which focuses on raising money for the cost of a full programme of counselling for someone who is suffering with their mental health. Funds will also support the Resilience Academy, an initiative by Pieta House which teaches school-going children positive mental health techniques and strategies. This is a six-week, evidence-based p...

There was a word that kept bumping into my mind when I had a week in the revised Suzuki Vitara recently, writes Brian Byrne . Simplicity. That wasn't that I considered it basic. But the car wasn't hyped up as having lots of tech bells and whistles, and it was a simple and easy car to drive. The Vitara is perfectly modern and for the day, though. A slightly chunky style in its SUV shape, but with a neatly integrated lights and grille that smiles. The black roof against the red of the review car is smart, the rails adding visual length. A rising character line that widens over the rear wheels, eliminating any tendency for the style to seem slab-sided. Nice to get into, too. One of the cars where I don't have to force my head under a too-sloping roofline, which I now count as a too-rare blessing. It follows, of course that once inside there's plenty of headroom for me, which means more than ample for most. A sit-up-straight driving position is comfortable. And...

With more than 113,000 units sold in 2018, Ford says its Mustang is the best selling sport coupe in the world, writes Brian Byrne . It's the fourth year in a row the Mustang has garnered the title, partly because the company extended the sales of the current generation to 146 countries, including RHD ones. Some 75,842 units were bought in the US, making it the best-selling sports car there. More than half a million Mustangs have been sold since 2015. In 2018, 17 were bought in Ireland.

The all-electric Jaguar I-PACE completed an historic treble at the 2019 World Car Awards ceremony held today at the New York International Auto Show, writes Trish Whelan . The I-PACE took three award categories: the overall 2019 World Car of the Year, the 2019 World Green Car and the 2019 World Car Design of the Year.  Prof Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover said: “It is an honour that the Jaguar I-PACE has received these three accolades from the prestigious World Car jurors. “We started with an ideal, to move towards our Destination Zero vision; zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion. This car is our first step to achieving this and it was conceived when electric vehicles were little more than a niche choice. “So we started from a clean sheet of paper to create a new benchmark - the world’s best premium electric vehicle, and a true Jaguar driver’s car.” Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design said: “Designing Jagua...

Brad’s Arva was awarded Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Dealer of the Year 2018 at the recent Volkswagen Gold Pin Awards, writes Trish Whelan . The award celebrates excellence within the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles retail network and recognises the retailer’s contribution in a number of areas including sales performance, local market share and overall customer experience. It is the highest honour that a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles retailer can achieve. The award was presented to Padraig Brady (retailer principal) of Bradys Arva, by Alan Bateson, Managing Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ireland at a gala awards ceremony held in Powerscourt Hotel, Co Wicklow. Padraig said he ‘was incredibly proud to receive the prestigious accolade on behalf of the magnificent team at Brady’s of Arva’. “To win this award is a huge testament to both our staff and to our very locay and expanding customer base who continue to support us with their custom year after ye...

Mercedes-Benz has launched its latest GLE sports utility vehicle with prices starting from €78,395, writes Trish Whelan . The GLE has always been regarded as a practical workhorse by customers. This latest model is not different in that regard but comes with a more progressive look designed to attract a wider and more youthful segment of SUV owners. Now with a noticeably more rounded, more elegant presence and with a younger look, the brand believe it will appeal to male and female owners in more equal numbers.   With a wheelbase of almost 3-metres in length, the cabin is more spacious with room for up to seven people - the rear seat passengers enjoying well over one metre legroom. A second row of seats has the option of being electrically adjustable while a third seat row is available as an option. Four diesel models make up the new range all with 4MATIC transmission - a 300d, 350d, 400d and a 450d. The GLE is ranked the first SUV in its class to meet...

Limerick-based dealership James Barry Motors has been crowned SEAT Ireland’s Dealer of the Year 2018, writes Trish Whelan . The dealership is one of the newest additions to SEAT Ireland’s 24-strong dealer network. James Barry Motors, which has been in business for just four years now, has exceeded all expectations delivering phenomenal results for 2018. Performance areas for which the dealership was commended for include ‘an exceptional sales performance, particularly in new car sales, with a high penetration of those sales financed via SEAT Financial Services’.   Customer satisfaction from both a sales and after sales perspective was also singled out for praise. The Limerick dealership has been retailing the SEAT brand (owned by Volkswagen) for two and a half years and has a core team of nine including Dealer Principal James Barry, SEAT Brand Manager Larry Keogh, Aftersales Manager James Casey, Senior Technicians Billy Lane and Richard Murray, Sales Exe...

The Royal Cork Yacht Club has hosted its inaugural Sponsors & Members Corporate Lunch.   An Tánaiste, Simon Coveney TD, and Patrick Coveney, CEO Greencore, both Club Members and avid sailors, were the Club’s special guests and they also took part in a post lunch panel discussion with MC Rory Fitzpatrick asking the questions. The sold-out lunch was the first in the newly refurbished dining room of the oldest yacht club in the world. Chair of Events & Communications, Annamarie Fegan said “The event was a resounding success, with next year’s lunch already filling up fast. We took the opportunity to launch our Corporate Membership which has garnered great interest too.” There was a charitable element to the day, with €2,350 raised for Crosshaven RNLI. Royal Cork Admiral, Pat Farnan, said “The lunch was a fantastic opportunity for our sponsors and members to connect with each other and we are also delighted to support the RNLI who do great work to keep us...

Dublin’s Q102 is going green by becoming the first radio in the city to make the switch to driving the 100 per cent electric Nissan LEAF, writes Trish Whelan . Listeners to the radio station are amongst the most environmentally conscious and the decision to go all electric shows the station’s determination to lead by example when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. The station has taken delivery of three new Nissan LEAFs and all three cars will be used by its Blue Crew who are a familiar sight on the streets of the city. “I am delighted to partner with Nissan for Q102’s new street fleet. The zero emissions Nissan LEAF is a perfect fit, reflecting our commitment and that of our listeners to reduce carbon emissions and to protect our environment for future generations,” said Margaret Nelson, Dublin Q102’s Station Director. With a range of over 300kms on a single charge, the Nissan LEAF is set to greatly reduce the radio station’s carbon footprint while also...

The new Range Rover Evoque has been awarded a top five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in that independent body’s toughest testing programme to date, writes Trish Whelan . The luxury compact SUV scored 94 per cent for adult occupant safety - the highest score of any Jaguar or Land Rover product to date. It also received 87 per cent for child occupant safety. Built on Land Rover’s new Premium TransverseArchitecture, the new RR Evoque comes with the latest advanced driver assistance features, including Emergency Braking; Lane Keep Assist; front and rear parking aids; and a rear camera as standard. There is a comprehensive system of airbags and restraints throughout the cabin, including a pedestrian airbag. Advanced technologies include Land Rover’s ClearSight Rear View Mirror which transforms into an HD video screen at the flick of a switch. It offers a wider 50-deg field of vision and superior low light visibility by displaying a rear-facing camera feed from the top...

I was reminded of an early driving experience during my recent week with the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class, writes Brian Byrne . In the early 60s my uncle, also godfather, bought a new Triumph 2000. He allowed me drive it occasionally, and the first time I was totally blown away by the smoothness and acceleration of this 6-cylinder luxury compact car. It wasn't particularly powerful by today's standards, with a mere 90hp available, but nevertheless gave me a wonderful sense of being in something special. There is no comparison, of course, between that car of 55 years ago and today's latest B-Class. But somehow in the first few kilometres down the road, it gave me that same feeling. Maybe it was the compact size, maybe the very satisfying acceleration. Whatever, it boded well for my time with the Merc. It's the third generation of what M-B describes as a sports compact tourer, fancy for MPV originally but in the latest incarnation it has more of a sleek hatchback look...

Mercedes-Benz has extended its support of Olympic silver medal-winning sailor Annalise Murphy as she continues her preparations to represent Ireland in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, writes Trish Whelan . Renewing her ‘Tier One partnership arrangement, the Rathfarnham sailing star has been provided with a new X-Class pickup to transport her team, herself and her equipment to events, here in Ireland and overseas. ‘Having the Mercedes-Benz X-Class is a major boost to my training regime and my ambitions for Tokyo and I’m really looking forward to giving my preparation the X-tra power that the stylish new X-Class delivers,” Annalise commented. Soon to be a regular sight at 49er FX sailing events, the 190hp X-Class is finished in the new familiar eye-catching Kabara black, silver and grey livery similar to that on her previous Mercedes-Benz Vita Mixto van. Equipped to tow her 4934 FX, its features include 4MATIC 4x4 automatic transmission, chrome style bar, bed...

SEAT Ireland’s good sales results for Q1 2019 has cemented its position as one of the fastest growing car brands in the Irish market, writes Trish Whelan . Q1 has seen the Spanish car maker, owned by Volkswagen, outperforming the Irish market which is down some 11 per cent overall, by increasing its sales by 7 per cent year on year resulting in a record market share of 3.34 per cent. Driving the car manufacturer’s success is the fact it now boasts the youngest product range in the market. Central to this is its SUV range of SEAT Arona, Ateca and the new Tarraco and their 24-strong dealer network. The SEAT Arona, Irish Small Crossover of the Year 2019, accounted for 29 per cent of overall sales in Q1 this year, a big increase of 69 per cent on the same period last year. Commenting on their strong performance, Niall Phillips, Brand Director at SEAT Ireland said: “We have really hit the ground running in 2019 and are becoming more and more relevant for Irish co...

The new generation of Ford's Kuga SUV will go on sale in Ireland near the end of the year, writes Brian Byrne  from Amsterdam , initially with petrol and diesel engines and next year with three electrified options — a mild hybrid using the 1.0 EcoBoost petrol and recaptured energy, a full self-charging hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid. The car was revealed today at a Ford 'Go Further' event in Amsterdam, and is a much sleeker car than the predecessors which have been bought by 1.1m owners over three generations since it was first launched in 2008. The latest Kuga has a longer wheelbase, and though the roofline is lower the car has better interior space, including very generous headroom for rear seat passengers. The car was revealed alongside a fourth addition to the Ford European range of SUVs, a new generation 7-seat Explorer, which will only be sold in LHD countries. With a 3.6 EcoBoost engine and a 100hp electric motor in parallel hybrid format, it will offer the...

Cork’s biggest car show will take place this weekend with proceeds going to charity, writes Trish Whelan . The Cork International Hotel is to host the Cork Car Show and organisers want to make this the biggest and best car show yet. They are calling on owners of vintage cars, classic cars, a Harley or Goldwing to get in touch and attend the show on this coming Sunday 7 April. The annual event is now in its third year and is held in aid of Cork charity, the Rainbow Club. This is a support service for children who have autism or who are on the autism spectrum. The event will feature American cars and bikes in addition to some very special vintage cars. General Manager of the Cork International Hotel, Carmel Lonergan, said: “We are doing a special call-out for owners of vintage and classic cars to get in touch as we would love to see you and your car on the day.” The Rainbow Club Cork Centre for Autism is the hotel’s charity partner for 2019. The Rainbow Cl...

Hyundai Tucson The total new car registrations for the month of March are down 5.6 per cent (16,738) when compared with March 2018 (17,726), writes Trish Whelan . New car registrations year to date are down 10.7 per cent (64,098) on the same period last year (71,760). New Light Commercial Vehicle registrations are down 2.2 per cent (3,067) on March 2018 (3,137) and year to date are down 10.7 per cent (11,182). While New Heavy Commercial Vehicles saw a slight decline of 1.5 per cent (267) in comparison to March 2018 (271) and year to date are down 3.3 per cent (886). On the other hand, imported used cars increased by 9.98 per cent (8,970) on March last year (8,156) and year to date are 2.74 per cent (26,832) ahead of 2018 (26,117). New electric vehicle registrations continue to grow with 1,437 EV cars registered so far this year. This has surpassed the total number of EVs registered for the whole of 2018 (1,233). Commenting, Brian Cooke, SIMI Director Gener...

New Ford Focus Ford was the top selling automotive brand during March 2019 with a combined van and car sales tally of 2,441 vehicles, writes Trish Whelan . The figure is a combination of 1,614 car registrations and 827 commercial vehicle registrations. The combined market for March with a total of 20,072 units sold was down by some 5.0 per cent versus a year earlier (21,134 units). Next came VW with sales of 2,420 units and Toyota with 1,888 units. Continuing a downward trend over the past number of months, car sales for March are down by 5.6 per cent year on year, with van sales down by only 2.2 per cent versus March 2018. “It is clear that the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit is having a detrimental effect on new car and van sales here,” said Ciaran McMahon, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford Ireland. “However, it is great for us in that in this tough market environment, our brand was the number one choice. Our all new Focus which arrived here late 2018 h...