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Fiat Ireland and the Image Business of Beauty Awards have announced a Fiat 500 Electric sponsor partnership, writes Brian Byrne . The awards, for professionals in the hair, beauty and aesthetics industry, will be announced at an event in Dublin on 18 September in Dublin. More than 850 stars in the sector will attend.  Pictured are Melanie Morris, Image contributing editor and awards host, and John Saunders Managing Director Fiat Ireland.

If anyone was wondering why Mercedes-Benz has taken such a strong tilt into the electric car market, it's because the price-lowest luxury car tier where it is busiest is expected to grow at a compound rate of 8pc over the next nine years, writes Brian Byrne . And, according to economic analysts and forecasters McKinsey, more than seven in ten of internal combustion luxury car owners are willing to shift to EVs for their next vehicle purchase. By 2031, half of all lowest tier luxury car sales are expected to be EVs (and up to 70pc in higher tiers). I was conscious of this last week while driving the EQB medium SUV, which is essentially the electric version of the GLB that I remember liking a lot last year. In style the GLB is arguably a little dumpy — though I like it — but as a driver it was very pleasant and capable. The EQB is a tad longer and a little higher than the GLB. The front end is the key style difference, where the radiator grille of the ICE car is replaced by a closed ...

Kia’s all-new Niro PHEV has gone on sale in Ireland, writes Trish Whelan . The Korean carmaker claims the new Niro family car ‘sets a new benchmark for the highly competitive CUV segment merging innovation with high-tech user convenience features’. It certainly has the aesthetic appeal necessary to compete in this cut throat segment where looks are essential for a car to stand out from the crowd.  Niro has gained in overall size versus the previous 2019 model and is now higher and wider with a longer wheelbase and, having gained an extra 65mm, now has an overall length of 4,420mm. Other changes include an increase in torsional rigidity and lighter weight body.  Kia say that the second row space is one of the best-in-segment while the luggage capacity is a decent 348 litres. Kia Ireland will launch with two PHEV models, the entry level ’K3’ and the higher specced ‘K4’ priced from €38,500 and €41,500 respectively (grants are no longer available for any PHEV models). Standard...

Kia Ireland have completed their all new Sportage line-up with the arrival of the PHEV variant of the new car, writes Trish Whelan . Since its launch early this year, the Sportage has been Kia Ireland’s best-selling car with sales to date of over 2,300 year-to-date.  Kia’s PHEV models comprise over 11pc of Kia sales so are very important to the company. Kia Ireland MD Ronan Flood said at yesterday's launch of this new addition to the Sorento range ‘adding this to our 22pc EV volume means that one in every three Kia cars sold in Ireland comes with a plug’. He said that some customers, especially in one car households, want to make the switch to EV but are not confident in the charging infrastructure and for these customers, a PHEV is an ideal choice. With a home charger, most of the daily driving can be done on EV power with the flexibility of making anxiety-free weekend and holiday travel when required. The car has an all-electric range of 70kms.  Two trims for this PHEV ar...

Volkswagen Group Ireland is supporting an initiative that helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into exciting careers, writes Trish Whelan .  TU Dublin’s Access to Apprenticeships programme, set up in 2018, is a springboard for young people who have previously struggled to get on to the career ladder. The industry-led scheme gives students, many of whom come from families with a history of intergenerational unemployment, hands-on experience with leading Irish employers. The initiative has helped nearly 100 youngsters overcome traditional barriers to enter into full-time apprenticeships.  The 12-week programme gives students access to industry leaders via a series of hands-on workshops, site visits and mentoring opportunities. Students on the Access to Apprenticeships programme are exposed to a range of leading Irish companies. In addition to Volkswagen Group Ireland, other employers supporting the scheme include Jones Engineering, ESB Dublin Aerospace, Joe Duffy...

Nissan expects their new Ariya 100pc electric crossover to revolutionise the electric vehicle market in Ireland and to become one of the best-selling EVs in this country with its stylish design, connected technologies and premium drive experience, writes Trish Whelan .  Two battery options are offered, the 63kWh battery delivering a range of 403kms and an 87kWh one with a range of up to 532kms, making the Ariya suitable for both daily commutes and longer road trips. The new car is the most technically advanced Nissan model to date and that it has been specially designed to meet the needs of tech-savvy customers offering seamless, personal assistance and responses.  Two grades are Advance and Evolve. The entry specification has many standard features usually reserved for higher grade options such as Wireless Apple CarPlay, cabled Android Auto, a wireless phone charger and Intelligent personal assistance technology. Nissan’s Safety Shield System is standard in the Advance ...