Apk Usema

The 'Recharge' suffix used by Volvo cars can be somewhat confusing, writes Brian Byrne . Initially used for any version of one of its models that had an electric drive component, it could mean petrol-hybrid, plug-in petrol hybrid, or a fully electric car. The C40 Recharge is that last, and unique so far in the Volvo range in that the model is only available with battery-electric power. I've reviewed the C40 Recharge before, earlier this year. And also the XC40 Recharge, the electric version of the company's compact SUV, as well as the related Polestar 2. They share powertrains, interiors to a great degree, and infotainment interfaces. So my recent stint with the C40 Recharge brought very familiar impressions. The reason for my revisiting the particular model was its powertrain, this time a single RWD electric motor instead of the AWD dual motors of my C40 of earlier this year. The C40 Recharge is essentially an XC40 with a coupe rear end, a format that has become an alm...

Kia’s Sportage model has been the company’s best-selling car for over 10 years, writes Trish Whelan . Year to date, official Irish sales of the new fifth-generation Sportage are over 3,532. The Sportage range consists of hybrid, mild hybrid, diesel, and a plug-in hybrid electric which arrived here in mid July sharing the characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric vehicle and an all-electric vehicle.  Many motorists would like to make the switch to EV but are not confident in the charging infrastructure which currently leaves a lot to be desired, so a plug-in hybrid makes sense as a half-way choice, going electric but backed up by a petrol engine. PHEV models account for 11pc of Kia Ireland’s sales. Adding this PHEV to their 22pc EV volume means that one in every three Kia cars sold here comes with a plug.  In looks, the exterior styling is sleek yet muscular, not too aggressive but still an impressive look. The type that appeals to buyers seeking a practical family...

Of 44 cars I have reviewed through 2022, 16 have been electric, writes Brian Byrne . That's more than a third. And significantly more than the 15pc which electric cars represent in the 2022 national car sales figures. But the key figure there is that this year sales of EVs increased by some 83pc over 2021, so the trend is unmistakeable, and only going in one direction. For the record, the biggest seller by several of the proverbial country miles is Volkswagen's ID.4, with almost 3,000 delivered, from Hyundai's Ionioq 5 (1,164), Tesla's Model 3 (1,042), Kia's EV6 (955), and VW's ID.3 (922) together making up the top five models among the more than 60 different electric passenger vehicles available here. My review car this week, the BMW i4, is down in 15th place, which is still a respectable position for a premium D-segment saloon in liftback format. The really interesting part here is that what is BMW's first dedicated electric non-SUV model outsold its relat...

Sian Redmond, Director of Marketing Partnerships at Live Nation; Caroline Lawlor, Marketing Communications Manager at CUPRA Ireland; Virginia Fortune, Head of Private Members Clubs at 3Arena. The Cupra performance car brand from Volkswagen has teamed with 3Arena in Dublin to provide information about its range of cars, writes Brian Byrne . On the reasoning that music is very important in Irish culture and that the Cupra brand likes to be associated with music, the partnership means that over a million people attending gigs in the Dublin venue each year will have access to 'touchpoints' offering insights into the Cupra range. The models to date include the Formentor SUV, the Leon hatchnack and Leon Sportstourer, the Ateca SUV and the 100pc electric Born.

Jeep, which had been part of Chrysler, is now owned by Stellantis Group that also owns Peugeot, Opel, Citroen, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo, writes Trish Whelan . My latest Jeep test drive was the Compass 4xe S plug-in hybrid. The car retains the model’s muscular but refined lines and the solid design, including a seven-slot grille and rugged rear styling. My S version had a black roof, privacy glass, roof rails, LED headlights, sunroofs, 40/20/40 folding rear seats, air con, 8-way power adjustments on the driver’s seat and lumbar adjustment. A tall vehicle, you get a high driving position with good visibility.  The interior is quite airy with a large sunroof that allows light into the cabin. It’s spacious up front but somewhat tighter in the rear, suitable only for three adults on a short journey, or two adults (and a child) to travel in comfort. But they enjoy good head- and leg-room. The cabin boasts nice quality materials and finishes and comfy seating. Leather upholstery adds a nice t...

Volvo’s XC40 is a deceptive car, writes Brian Byrne . The styling suggests it is smaller than it actually is, but its dimensions are similar to Nissan’s Qashqai and it is larger in most measurements than the Range Rover Evoque, which appears bigger. My neighbour has an Evoque and that visual comparison was easy when I had the electric version of the XC40, the Recharge, outside my house last week. I have liked the styling of the XC40 since it first arrived here in early 2018. There’s something about the angular details, almost boxy, that sets it away from the usually curvier competition in the compact SUV space. It kind of radiates ‘no nonsense’. As you’d expect from the Swedish brand. With a bit of swish added in the form of the diamond cut and black alloys. The vehicle was good enough to win Car of the Year accolades in both Europe and Japan as well as the Women’s World COTY in 2018, and the Continental Irish Car of the Year for 2019. The no nonsense ethos is also largely true for the...

Opel Ireland has announced the appointment of Windsor Belgard to the Opel Dealer Network, effective 1 February 2023, at dealership located on the Belgard Road, Dublin 24. Peter Nicholson, Managing Director of Windsor Motor Group, said that as the Group has already enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Opel at their Windsor Liffey Valley and Windsor Deansgrange showrooms, the move is 'a natural step'. James Brooks, Managing Director of Opel Ireland said the appointment gives him great confidence that the brand is very well positioned to further strengthen Opel's market share in 2023. Pictured are Peter Nicholson, Managing Director of Windsor Motor Group and James Brooks, Managing Director, Opel Ireland.

Opel has changed the name of its battery electric version of the Mokka SUV to Mokka Electric rather than Mokka-e, writes Brian Byrne . The car also gets a new 54kWh battery, increasing the rated range by 20pc to 406km. Mokka was the first Opel available from launch with fully electric drive as well as combustion engines, thus giving customers the choice of which drive suits their needs best. In November, no less than 65pc of all Mokka customers in Germany opted for the battery-electric variant. Twelve electrified Opel models are already available today, including a range of light commercial vehicles. By 2024, the manufacturer will also offer every model in an electrified version. And by 2028, Opel expects become an all-electric brand in Europe. 

Seeing other motorists using mobile phones while driving is the top thing that gets our goat, according to a recent survey by parking and tolling company Easytrip, writes Brian Byrne . It seems more than a fifth of respondents gave that as their top no-no, followed by non-use of indicators (17pc), driving too close to other cars (12pc), and not using roundabouts correctly (10pc). Only 6pc complained about other drivers going higher than the speed limit. And if you have views about your partner's driving, do they tally with these three uncovered in the survey? Not cleaning the car was the top complaint with 20pc, thinking they are the better driver (10pc) and driving too slowly (12pc). Really, best to say nothing ...

Volkswagen Commercials have revealed details of the new generation Amarok, due to arrive here in the second quarter of 2023, writes Brian Byrne . It will be available with 4- and 6-cylinder turbodiesel engines ranging 168hp-237hp and with five trim levels. The second generation of the nameplate will be in Double Cab format, with a towing capability of up to 3,500kg and a payload capacity of up to 1.19 tonnes. AWD is standard. 

This one surprised me, writes Brian Byrne . For various reasons, it has been a while since I had a Volkswagen for review apart from their electric range. When the offer came of a Taigo, I was a little unsure about where it would fit. Taigo has a Latin America pedigree, designed in and for Volkswagen's big market presence in that part of the world, and locally named Nivus. In style it's a small SUV coupe, in substance it is based on the Polo hatchback, and in our market it sits above that car with the T-Cross small SUV. All related by platform, all different in sheetmetal designs. And each aimed at quite different potential customers. I was well aware of the Taigo in photographs, but this is one of those cars that looks much better in reality than pictures suggest. In particular, sometimes when an SUV is 'coupefied', the aesthetics just don't work. There's often something about high-riding and a sporty profile which can jar the visual senses. Categorically not so...

Toyota has showcased two new models which will arrive in Ireland for 2024, writes Brian Byrne .  They include the prologue of a new-generation C-HR compact SUV with an even bolder design than the hybrid car that's one of the brand's most popular models. It will be available as both a hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Mixing both sharp and fluid styles, the concept restates this and more, not afraid of polarising reaction. The new bZ Compact SUV Concept also made its debut at an event in Brussels, marking the second of six full battery-electric bZ models planned for Europe by 2026. The bZ prefix denotes a 'Beyond Zero' approach to Toyota cars that will help propel the brand towards its global goal of carbon neutrality by 2040 in Europe. 

The boss of Continental Tyres Ireland has appealed to motorists to make sure they use the correct tyres for the kind of driving they do, especially if they drive SUVs, writes Brian Byrne . Noting that SUV-type cars have come to dominate the motoring market over the last decade and more, Tom Dennigan said owners need to pay special attention when replacing their tyres on vehicles that are generally heavier than saloon or hatchback vehicles. He says that most small and medium SUV type cars will come originally with summer tyres because their owners are driving all the time on standard tarmac roads. "Larger SUVs and 4x4s may well come with tyres that have a degree of off-road and/or all-season capability," he adds. "If you regularly use off-road tyres on tarmac, you might be in for a hard, noisy ride. And vice versa – use on-road tyres on irregular terrain, and you’re likely to struggle for grip. Get it right though, and you’ll enjoy the best experience at the wheel of your...

The Dacia brand arrived in Ireland in 2012, the year the country was in recession after the banking crisis and failed bailouts, writes Trish Whelan .  At the time, the media said that Dacia’s arrival was timely as people were looking for smart buys and value for money. Ten years later, Dacia is now a mainstream volume brand in Ireland.  January 2013 saw the first registrations for Sandero and Duster with Stepway following in March and the Logan MCV in September. In 2016, Dacia registered its 10,000th vehicle in Ireland. Models progressed and the volumes went up. In 2019, some 20,000 vehicles had been registered here. Today, that number has stretched to over 30,000. The Dacia Sandero won the Irish Compact Car of the Year 2022 award.  We have now been introduced to the New Dacia Bigster Concept which embodies the Dacia brand evolution, taking the company to new customers and segments. Bigster Concept is roomy, robust and meant for open air and dusty roads. A 4.6 metre-lo...

I remember when disc brakes and ABS anti-skid braking systems first started to appear, writes Brian Byrne , each potentially bringing us out of the scary places of unpredictable behaviour by our cars and their drivers in emergency situations. One maker offered ABS or sun-roofs as options on a high selling model, and buyers plumped overwhelmingly for the sun-roofs instead of the safety system. Just goes to show, while we all were in favour of better motoring safety, we weren't prepared to sacrifice perceived comfort for it. Eventually the authorities made it mandatory for carmakers to include ABS on their products as standard, and the leap to the next level of safety was made. It was the same with seat-belts, until they were made an integral part of a car's equipment, and then mandatory wearing was regulated, a large cohort of drivers just weren't interested. (My father's Ford Consul, in which I learned to drive, had the first seatbelts in town — and he had to have the c...