All-new Subaru Impreza Arrives
The new Subaru Impreza has gone on sale in Ireland priced from €25,995.
The new Impreza sits on Subaru's new Global Platform, which according to Subaru "significantly enhances safety, ride comfort, and agility".
The centre of gravity is 5mm lower and rigidity has been improved.
The new Subaru Impreza is offered with a 1.6i Boxer engine that's lighter and quieter. A CVT automatic comes as standard.
Pricing starts at €25,995 for the new 1.6i S CVT automatic, rising to €29,995 for the 1.6i SE Lineartronic CVT automatic.
S models come with Eyesight, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, auto air conditioning, a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, incorporating audio, and smartphone connectivity. The system also incorporates Subaru STARLINK and is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.
SE models add Subaru rear vehicle detection, hi-beam assist, automatic LED headlamps and headlamp washers, 17” alloy wheels, keyless entry, push-button start, and privacy glass, as well as an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a rear-view parking camera.
EyeSight is Subaru’s innovative and highly acclaimed driver assist technology with standard features such as Pre-Collision Braking Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Lane Keep Assist function.
Caroline Kidd
Audi RS 4 Avant Arrives In Ireland
The new Audi RS 4 Avant will go on sale in Ireland priced from €102,350.
Under the bonnet, the Audi RS 4 Avant's newly developed 2.9-litre V6 twin turbo TFSI engine V6 twin turbo has 450hp and 600Nm of torque. The car accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds.
Inside there's a digital racing-style cockpit. RS-specific displays indicate to the driver the g-force, tyre pressures and torque.
Quattro four wheel drive comes as standard as does an RS sport suspension that sets the Audi RS 4 Avant another seven millimetres lower than an Audi A4 with sport suspension.
The new Audi RS 4 Avant will be available to order in late 2017.
Caroline Kidd
New Subaru XV Crossover
The new Subaru XV Crossover has arrived in Ireland. The XV Crossover is all new from the ground up and is built on the Subaru Global Platform, which according to Subaru "significantly enhances safety, ride comfort, and agility".
Pricing starts at €33,495 for the new 1.6i SE Lineartronic CVT automatic, rising to €38,495 for the range topping 2.0i SE Premium Lineartronic CVT automatic.
The Symmetrical AWD System is standard on all models. This system is equipped with X-Mode for enhanced drivability on poor road surfaces and gives real SUV capability.
Around 80% of the parts on the newly developed 2.0-litre direct injection Boxer engine have been completely revamped compared with previous naturally aspirated engines. The Lineartronic CVT gearbox has also been improved.
'Eyesight' comes as standard and includes valuable safety technology like Pre-Collision Braking Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Lane Keep Assist function.
There are two trim levels available, in two engine specifications, on the new XV Crossover for Irish buyers – SE and SE Premium.
SE models are equipped as standard with Eyesight, adaptive cruise control, hi-beam assist, Subaru rear vehicle rear detection, automatic LED headlamps and headlamp washers, alloy wheels (1.6 litre models – 17-inch alloy & 2.0 litre models – 18-inch alloy), heated front seats, keyless entry and push-button start, and privacy glass, as well as a 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, incorporating audio, smartphone connectivity and a rear view parking camera. The system also incorporates Subaru STARLINK and is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.
SE Premium models add leather seats, satellite navigation, sunroof, and electrically-adjustable driver’s seat for added functionality.
Caroline Kidd
Irish Car of the Year 2018 Winners Revealed!
Ireland’s motoring journalists have crowned the Peugeot 3008 as Irish Car of the Year 2018.
The Irish Car of the Year Awards 2018 in association with Continental Tyres took place at a gala event in The Gibson Hotel, Dublin.
The event was attended by Ireland’s leading car brands, importers, distributors and other motoring dignitaries.
Irish Car of the Year (ICOTY) Committee member Michael Sheridan said: “What an achievement for the Peugeot 3008 to come out on top from a field of some 60 new models launched this year on the Irish market.”
ICOTY Committee member David Walshe said: “It was a very tight competition this year with many, many fine vehicles in the running for the Irish Car of the Year accolade, congratulations to a worthy winner.”
Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres, said: “The choices of the Irish Car of the Year jury are a great help in informing Irish consumers as to the bewildering array of high tech vehicles that are launched in Ireland each year. Continental is delighted to be associated with the Irish Car of the Year awards.”
New for this year’s awards programme, the Irish Car of the Year Committee introduced an award designed to recognise outstanding innovation, the Irish Car of the Year Innovation award. The Irish Car of the Year Committee explained that the aim of the award is to highlight the many innovative technologies and systems that car makers are integrating in new models. Many of these innovations are helping to improve road safety and are making cars more intelligent as the dawn of autonomous driving comes ever closer. The winner of the inaugural Irish Car of the Year Innovation Award for 2018 is the Honda Civic Sensing Suite of Safety Features.
Apart from the Innovation category award winner, the nine other category winners were all in the running for the top honour with the judging panel of over 30 journalists from online, print and broadcast media electing the Peugeot 3008 by a very tight margin.
The category winners:
Kia Picanto - Irish City Car of the Year 2018
Nissan Micra - Irish Small Car of the Year 2018
Honda Civic - Irish Compact Car of the Year 2018
Alfa Romeo Giulia - Irish Medium Car of the Year 2018
BMW 5 Series - Irish Executive / Premium Car of the Year 2018
Peugeot 3008 - Irish Compact Crossover of the Year 2018
Skoda Kodiaq - Irish Large Crossover of the Year 2018
Toyota Prius PHEV - Irish Green / Efficient Car of the Year 2018
Alfa Romeo Giulia QF - Irish Performance / Sports Car of the Year 2018
Caroline Kidd
New BMW X2 Revealed
BMW has revealed the new BMW X2 in full. The new compact SUV will reach Ireland in March 2018, priced from €50,320 on the road.
"With a design oozing individuality from every pore and a sporty suspension set-up, the BMW X2 pushes back boundaries, puts a firework under old habits and brings previously uncharted levels of driving pleasure to this vehicle segment," BMW said as the new X2 was revealed.
The BMW X2 is dubbed as a "Sports Activity Vehicle" and will slot in between the BMW X1 and X3 SUVs.
The BMW X2 is two centimetres shorter and more than seven centimetres lower than the BMW X1, yet has the same wheelbase.
Key design features include an 'upturned' BMW kidney grille, BMW badge on the C-pillar, coupé-style silhouette, squared off wheel arches and model specific trim inserts and cladding.
In Ireland one engine variant will be available from launch, the xDrive20d with 190hp. Further engines to be added to the line-up include the sDrive20i, X2 sDrive18d and X2 xDrive18d.
The options list for the BMW X2 includes the latest generation of BMW ConnectedDrive and the most recent update of the BMW Connected App. There's also the option of Apple CarPlay, driver assistance systems and a full-colour BMW Head-Up Display.
New colours include Galvanic Gold metallic, Sunset Orange and Misano Blue metallic.
The new BMW X2 is available to order from mid-November.
Caroline Kidd
Continental Brings Vision Zero Live Event To Mondello
Continental Tyres recently brought its Vision Zero Live event to Mondello Race Circuit in Co. Kildare. Over three days, general consumers, staff from tyre retailers and managers of large company fleets had the opportunity to participate in a range of ‘hands on the wheel’ demonstrations of the company’s latest tyre and automotive technologies.
The company wants to achieve zero injuries, zero fatalities and zero accidents on our roads – hence, Continental’s Vision Zero initiative.
Using a fleet of some 20 vehicles to run a series of eye-opening demonstrations, participants at the Vision Zero Live event were shown how dangerous it is to drive on tyres that are at or near the legal tread depth level of 1.6mm. In addition, there was the opportunity to get behind the wheel and perform emergency braking manoeuvres in cars fitted with premium and budget tyres and to observe the difference in performance and stopping distances.
Some of the Continental automotive technologies that were on display included Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) where the car will stop automatically if the driver does not intervene to avoid a collision. AEB is becoming ever more popular on all types of cars and is no longer the preserve of the more premium brands.
One of the most popular activities from Vision Zero Live was the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class with all of the windows blacked out and just the option of using the car’s camera and sensor systems to navigate a pre-prepared course.
Speaking about Vision Zero Live, Tom Dennigan, Head of Continental Tyres Ireland, said: “This event is all about educating the public about the wider expertise of the Continental Group and showing our long-standing commitment to safety. Many people know us for our premium tyres but we also wanted to show people that we have long been experts at developing automotive safety systems that are embedded in many of the cars that we see on the highways and byways of Ireland. It was also a great opportunity to show participants in a practical way the importance of proper tyre care, with many consumers commenting on how scary it was to see the danger of driving on tyres with excessively worn tread.”
2018 Audi A7 Sportback Revealed
Audi has revealed the all-new Audi A7 Sportback, expected to arrive in Ireland in 2018. The new Audi A7 Sportback "offers the design of a Coupé, the spaciousness of a saloon and the flexibility of an Avant" according to its makers.
The four door coupé has a new interior design with horizontal lines and a sleek instrument panel. A 10.1-inch upper display is tilted toward the driver and almost disappears into the dashboard when switched off. The display’s user interface appears as soon as the car is opened.
The 8.6-inch lower display provides access to the climate control system, comfort functions and text input. MMI navigation plus also includes the Audi virtual cockpit with a 12.3-inch display.
There will be a choice of four and six cylinder engines in both petrol and diesel. The 3.0TDI 231HP is expected to be the most popular variant. All engines used in the Audi A7 Sportback will come as standard with a new mild hybrid system (MHEV) for greater comfort and efficiency.
The start-stop function has been significantly expanded and now activates at 22 km/h. In combination with the standard front camera, the engine can be restarted while at a standstill as soon as the vehicle ahead begins to move. The MHEV technology reduces fuel consumption by up to 0.7 litres per 100 kilometres.
Like the all-new Audi A8, the Audi A7 has also been developed for highly automated driving. From 2018, Audi will gradually be taking piloted driving functions, such as parking pilot, garage pilot and traffic jam pilot into production.
The all-new Audi A7 Sportback will launch on the Irish market in late February 2018.
Caroline Kidd
Irish Car Of The Year Refresher Day 2018
The Refresher Day for Irish Car of the Year 2018 in association with Continental Tyres has taken place at Mondello Park in Co. Kildare.
The day is an opportunity for jurors to drive eligible cars again before voting begins for this year's Irish Car of the Year competition.
The winners will be revealed at a gala ceremony in Dublin on November 9th.
Eligible cars broken up into categories:
IRISH CITY CAR OF THE YEAR 2018
Ford KA+
Hyundai i10
Kia Picanto
Skoda Citigo
Suzuki Ignis
Volkswagen UP
IRISH SMALL CAR OF THE YEAR 2018
Citroen C3
Dacia Sandero
Ford Fiesta
Kia Rio
Nissan Micra
SEAT Ibiza
Skoda Rapid
Suzuki Swift
Toyota Yaris
IRISH COMPACT CAR OF THE YEAR 2018
Dacia Logan
Fiat Tipo
Honda Civic
Hyundai i30
Hyundai Ioniq
SEAT Leon
Skoda Octavia
Volkswagen Golf
IRISH MEDIUM CAR OF THE YEAR 2018
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Audi A5
Opel Insignia
Volkswagen Arteon
IRISH EXECUTIVE/PREMIUM CAR OF THE YEAR 2018
BMW 5 Series
Mercedes S-Class
Tesla Model S
IRISH COMPACT CROSSOVER OF THE YEAR 2018
Audi Q2
Ford Kuga
Kia Stonic
Mazda CX-5
Mercedes GLA
Mini Countryman
Nissan Qashqai
Opel Crossland X
Peugeot 3008
Renault Captur
Renault Scenic
Toyota CH-R
IRISH LARGE CROSSOVER OF THE YEAR 2018
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Audi Q5
Land Rover Discovery
Peugeot 5008
Range Rover Velar
Renault Koleos
Skoda Kodiaq
Tesla Model X
Volvo XC60
IRISH GREEN/EFFICIENT CAR OF THE YEAR 2018
BMW 530e
Hyundai Ioniq
Renault Zoe
Tesla Model S
Tesla Model X
Toyota Prius PHEV
VW E-Golf
IRISH PERFORMANCE/SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR 2018
Alfa Romeo Giulia QF
Fiat Spider
Honda Civic Type R
Porsche 718
VW Golf R
Volkswagen Launch ‘Snapshot’ Calendar In Aid Of Pieta House
Over the summer, Volkswagen Ireland wanted to engage with Ireland's Volkswagen community in a contemporary way. With this in mind, a competition was developed in collaboration with the Snapys entitled ‘Volkswagen Snapshot’, an Instagram-based photo competition designed to be an exercise of self-expression and participation with the brand.
Volkswagen received 5,000 entries over two months and they selected their twelve favourites to be curated into the 2018 Volkswagen Snapshot Calendar.
Each calendar will cost €10 and all proceeds go to Pieta House.
The calendars, featuring a variety of images taken by contestants, include a wedding in a vintage VW camper to scenes from the streets of Dublin.
Mark McGrath, Head of Marketing Volkswagen Ireland, said: “The 2018 Volkswagen Snapshot, for us, represents the long-standing and continued connection between Ireland and the Volkswagen brand. It was a tough selection process but these 12 images showcase the amazing talent we have in this country. We’re absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Pieta House and are looking forward to raising as much as we can for such a good cause.”
To purchase a calendar visit - http://www.2018.vwsnapshot.ie/
Build-Up To Irish Car Of The Year 2018 Begins
Irish Car of the Year 2018, in association with Continental Tyres, will take place on November 9th at a gala event in The Gibson Hotel, Dublin.
58 cars will compete in this year's competition, in individual categories and for the overall title of Irish Car of the Year 2018.
Over 30 jurors from across online, broadcast and print media, including this writer, are eligible to vote in this year's competition.
In October, jurors will have the opportunity to drive all eligible cars again at a number of Refresher Days before voting begins.
Candidates for the Irish Car of the Year 2018 awards are as follows:
| Alfa Romeo Giulia | Kia Picanto | SEAT Leon | |||
| Alfa Romeo Giulia QF | Kia Rio | Skoda Citigo | |||
| Alfa Romeo Stelvio | Kia Stonic | Skoda Kodiaq | |||
| Audi A5 | Land Rover Discovery | Skoda Octavia | |||
| Audi A8 | Mazda CX-5 | Skoda Rapid | |||
| Audi Q2 | Mini Countryman | Suzuki Ignis | |||
| Audi Q5 | Mercedes GLA | Suzuki Swift | |||
| Audi RS5 Coupe | Mercedes S-Class | Tesla Model S | |||
| BMW 5 Series | Nissan Micra | Tesla Model X | |||
| BMW 530e | Nissan Qashqai | Toyota CH-R | |||
| Citroen C3 | Opel Crossland X | Toyota Prius PHEV | |||
| Fiat 124 Spider | Opel Insignia | Toyota Yaris | |||
| Fiat Tipo | Peugeot 3008 | Volkswagen Arteon | |||
| Ford Fiesta | Peugeot 5008 | Volkswagen E-Golf | |||
| Ford Ka+ | Porsche 718 | Volkswagen Golf | |||
| Honda Civic | Range Rover Velar | Volkswagen Golf R | |||
| Honda Civic Type R | Renault Koleos | Volkswagen UP | |||
| Hyundai i10 | Renault Scenic | Volvo XC60 | |||
| Hyundai i30 | Renault Zoe | ||||
| Hyundai Ioniq | SEAT Ibiza | ||||