Apk Usema

Sportage has been the top-selling Kia here over several generations of the model, particularly the last two versions in 2011 and 2017, writes Brian Byrne . In style these crossover-SUVs were smart but restrained, evolutionary and well suited to the European buyer taste particularly. The swirls and sculpts were left to companion brand Hyundai's Tucson equivalent. Then suddenly, for the fifth generation Sportage, it seemed the stylists had been told to blow their imaginations right open. Sportage went in your face, on steroids. A bit of a shock, almost a bit much. Bit all part of a major Kia rebranding, the styles led by the EV6 flagship electric car. The angles and edges up front are a far cry from what went before. At the launch event in Ireland last February, I was still a bit dubious. But by the time I got to drive the car for review, it had grown on me. That's the thing with dramatic model changes in the car industry, they can be a slower build to favour. And now anyhow, the...

Kia is in the final intensive testing programme for its next all-electric vehicle, the EV9 SUV, ahead of its world debut in early 2023, writes Trish Whelan .  The Korean company says the new EV9 flagship has been designed and engineered to revolutionise the large electric SUV segment.  The concept EV9 was first unveiled in Los Angeles last year.  Developed over a period of 44 months to set new standards in design, performance, range, driving dynamics, technology and comfort, every facet of the EV9 is currently being pushed to the limits of durability at Kia’s global Namyang R&D centre in Korea. During this final testing phase, the car is relentlessly subjected to a gruelling verification programme on a 4WD climbing hill and a rough terrain track, as well as a deep-water wading test, and the unforgiving cobbles of the Belgian roads to ensure maximum reliability even in the most challenging conditions.  In addition to the test programme at Namyang R&D centre, ...

It's a small thing, but small things can make significant differences, writes Brian Byrne . In the sixth-generation Opel Astra, the designers got a real musician to record the welcome and goodbye chimes, indicator sounds, and seat-belt warnings rather than using impersonal electronic beeps. Did I notice? Probably not. Did it make a difference in my overall perception of the car. Probably yes. Because my review Astra had a sense of feel-good about it, likely made up of a wide range of features which together made a subtle whole. Externally there's a clean and sharp look about the latest Astra. And, though now a first cousin to the Peugeot 308 following the German brand's acquisition by what is now the Stellantis Group, you have the feel that the German styling crew had a pretty free hand to keep the Astra as definitely one of their own. They made it look edgy compared to the French car's comfortable curves. It works. The shared platform brought a longer wheelbase and mor...

Opel Ireland has partnered with Mondello Park to launch the Early-Drive young driver education programme, writes Trish Whelan .  The programme, developed by Mondello Park and the Irish School of Motoring, Early-Drive/Electrified by Opel, has been designed specifically for 13 to 17-year olds to give them valuable first time driving experience behind the wheel of an Opel Corsa on the Mondello Park circuit.  The race track recently took delivery of five Opel Corsa models, including two all-electric Corsa-e models, ahead of the launch and new school academic year in September. The course aims to instil general road safety awareness in students from an early age ensuring they become safer pedestrians and cyclists, and setting them on their way to becoming safe drivers in the future. It is delivered in a fun, exciting and ultimately safe environment and includes theory test practice questions and a step-by-step guide to applying for a driver’s licence.  Participants will dri...

Award-winning architect, Hugh Wallace, has become a new brand ambassador for DS Automobiles Ireland, part of the Gowan Group, writes Trish Whelan .  Hugh is a founding director of the architect firm Douglas Wallace, a member of the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland, and past president of the Institute of Designers in Ireland.  Since starting his company in 1982, Hugh has guided its growth to become one of Ireland’s leading architecture and design firms. He is also well known as a judge in RTE’s Home of the Year series and a presenter of RTE’s Great House Revival.  Hugh now drives the new DS 4 E-Tense PHEV (plug in hybrid) in a vibrant Velvet Red colour, voted by Festival Automobile International Jury as the Most Beautiful Car of 2022. He said the cars feature exceptional design and a very premium feel which stood out to him personally.  DS Automobiles Ireland Marketing Manager, Jana Solovjova said Hugh is ‘a great fit’ for the brand and they look forward to ...

It might seem churlish to suggest that a car costing six figures reminded me of a neon-lit fairground ride, writes Brian Byrne . But that was how I felt with the colour-changing feature strip that swirled across the dashboard rim of the Mercedes-Benz EQE. That’s not necessarily a fault. One, my better half liked it. Two, it can be programmed to operate differently. Three, I simply don’t like those fairground rides, which are noisy, jerky, and often scary. Absolutely none of which epithets can be applied to the EQE. The EQE, of course, is the EV equivalent of the brand’s E-Class, the quintessential mid-sized luxury car icon. There are external differences, notably the quirky front black panel that replaces the traditional radiator grille, and a rear lights bar that stretches right across below the very tidy boot lid spoiler. Chrome details on the under-skirt at the back are vestigial nods to the exhaust pipes of the fossil-fuelled siblings. Stylistically the car is a smaller version of ...

Might as well be clear from the start, writes Brian Byrne . This is a competent, comfortable, and quality compact SUV. It’s the third generation of what used to be known just as the SX4, and has connections to the old Baleno saloon and even a Fiat once sold as the Sedici. Targeting the competition of a range of cars available here, the key ones in the SX4 S-Cross's sights are Renault’s Captur, Skoda’s Kamiq, and Peugeot’s 2008. Visually it looks rather more car than any of those, a trick of the very strongly-designed new front. Sheetmetal changes on the profile and rear are also significant in successful modernising of the previous car introduced in 2016. Bigger it may look, but the key dimensions remain the same as on the outgone model. The biggest difference inside is a new dashboard design, executed in high quality materials and including a neatly sized high definition centre screen that isn’t overly cluttered with information. What it does display is a credit to good graphics d...

A look at thoughts on the next generation Mini is shown in the recently-revealed Concept Aceman from the BMW-owned brand, writes Brian Byrne . The concept previews the introduction of a crossover in the Mini range for the first time, bridging the space between the Hatch and the Countryman variants. The two-box design has four doors, and is all-electric. The length is just over four metres and width less than two. Front details include a new octagonal shape around where the radiator grille used to be, with an illuminated surround. Inside retains the circular centre speedometer feature, but with greater possibilities from its OLED electronic display. New versions of the traditional toggle switches and rotary knobs are part of the driver-car interface. The Concept Aceman will be shown in public at the Gamescon 2022 computer and video games fair in Cologne, beginning 23 August. 

A new MG4 electric car will be launched in Ireland towards the end of this year, writes Brian Byrne . It is the first MG model for Europe to be built on the Modular Scaleable Platform developed by MG brand owner SAIC of China, which maximises battery efficiency and reduces weight. The company is claiming a rated range of up to 450km in a style that looks sporty and can accommodate five passengers. Irish pricing, full specifications and first official Irish viewings will be announced later. 

The continued success of the Volkswagen ID. electric car range was a strong contributor to the brand being the most popular in the July sales figures, writes Brian Byrne . It was also the strongest July in the company's history here. With an overall market share of almost 16pc, Volkswagen Ireland also achieved 43.72pc in the battery-electric segment. The ID.4 was the most popular BEV of the month. Year to date, Volkswagen is also  Ireland’s most popular BEV brand in 2022. 

There’s a lot of good to say about Dacia’s Jogger, especially that there’s a lot of car for the money, writes Brian Byrne . And a lot of seats — the Jogger comes as a 7-seater as standard. So could suit a family on a budget that doesn’t meet the cost of one of the 7-seat crossover options. The looks are good too — it has some style hints of a crossover, but is in fact a wagon version of the third generation Dacia Logan, which doesn’t sell here but its hatchback version does, as the Sandero and Sandero Stepway. All of which are built on the latest Renault-Nissan Common Module Family platform for B segment cars, underpinning Clio, Captur, and Juke as well as some Mitsubishis. For the Dacias, their version of the CMF-B carries a suffix LS, for Low Specification, losing some of the elements of the CMF-B HS version. That's part of why Renault can build and offer Dacia cars more cheaply. It also means high-end active driver aid systems don’t come with the Dacia package. A company spokesp...

Volkswagen Ireland has opened order books for its latest electric vehicle, the ID. Buzz and its commercial version ID. Buzz Cargo, writes Brian Byrne . The prices are €65,580 for the MPV passenger version and €41,538 plus VAT for the Cargo.  The vehicles have a range of between 400-420km from their 204hp battery-electric powertrain. There are four grades for the passenger Buzz and six for the Cargo. A Customer Configurator is available at volkswagenvans.ie.

Celebrity TV architect Hugh Wallace has joined the DS Automobiles brand in Ireland as a product ambassador, writes Brian Byrne . A founding director of the architect firm Douglas Wallace, in 1982, he is a member of the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland, and past president of the Institute of Designers in Ireland. Best known for his work as a judge in RTE’s Home of the Year , he is also the presenter of RTE’s Great House Revival , and his other passion is the restoration of our architectural heritage from the humble farm buildings to the great houses of Ireland.

Car sales for July have been described as 'disappointing' by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, writes Brian Byrne . With registrations for the month at 21,902 units, they were 17.3pc down on the same month last year. Year to date sales are down 3.6pc compared to the same period last year. Electric vehicle registrations at 11,182 year to date are up by 79.6pc and represent almost 13pc of sales. Brian Cooke, Director General SIMI, says that while it appears that there is appetite among consumers for both new and used cars, supply issues are hampering overall activity. He also urged the Government to continue its support for the EV project by extending EV supports at current levels out to 2025 and to resist any VRT increases in Budget 2023 which 'will only prove counterproductive' to efforts to encourage the change to lower and zero emitting vehicles.