Jeep appoints Cork singer as ambassador

Cork singer-songwriter Allie Sherlock has been appointed a brand ambassador for the Jeep brand in Ireland, writes Brian Byrne. The move is aimed at attracting a young generation of Irish drivers to the brand.

Allie first gained widespread attention through her street performances on Dublin’s Grafton Street, and she also gained millions of followers online, leading to international performances and collaborations. She has appeared on major global platforms, including a memorable performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which brought her talent to millions of viewers worldwide. 

Allie has just completed her UK and European “Damage Control” tour, which concluded in Ireland, including a headline date at Cyprus Avenue in her native Cork.  She is currently busy working on her new album.

The handover of Allie’s all-electric Jeep Avenger took place at Dan Seaman Motors, a Jeep dealer in her home county of Cork. Pictured there are Allie Sherlock and Ciaran Cusack, Communications and Brand Manager at Jeep Ireland.

Nissan Ariya Nismo review: Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Nissan started producing its Nismo high-performance cars in 1984, when it combined its two racing divisions to form Nissan Motorsports International Co Ltd (NISMO for short). A Nismo-badged car first appeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1986, and since then, many more have followed. 

The latest to bear the badge is the Ariya Nismo electric SUV, introduced in January 2024, with up to 430 horsepower and built on the same platform as the standard Ariya BEV compact crossover, which has been in production since January 2022. This was the carmaker's first zero-emissions SUV, also based on a dedicated EV platform. The Ariya Nismo is eye-catchingly distinctive. It is larger than the Nissan Leaf and somewhat bigger than the Qashqai. The design is more aggressive than the standard Ariya's, while retaining the grey exterior colour typical of previous Nismo models. This look is enhanced by red accents on the mirrors and side skirts, along with all the Nismo badging. Impressive 20-inch Enkei alloy wheels complement the sporty appearance. The model features a more aerodynamic profile, including a sportier front bumper and grille, LED headlamps and daytime running lights, front and rear fog lamps, LED taillights, and a power tailgate. The exterior styling includes a rear twin diffuser and a ‘ducktail’ spoiler — a small spoiler inspired by Nissan’s racing heritage that improves aerodynamics compared to the standard Ariya and increases tailgate rigidity. 

Inside, the high-quality interior features red lighting that creates a warm glow and numerous red accents. Key features include dual 12.3-inch TFT screens with colourful, though somewhat dated-looking graphics, wireless Apple CarPlay, cabled Android Auto, an Intelligent Personal Assistant, Nissan Connect Services, and a 360-degree around-view monitor with a bird’s-eye view when reversing. My test car also had a Head-Up Display; a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a BOSE sound system. 

The front seats are uniquely styled with sporty bolsters to keep you securely in place. They are upholstered in a suede-like material with red stitching, offer power adjustments —including a lumbar setting for the driver — and are heated. Nismo logos are embroidered on the headrests. The lower dash features wood trim housing dual-zone climate controls, fan, windscreen and rear-window heaters, and a prominent red power button. The parking brake is located beside the gear lever on the flat central console. Below are the drive modes: Nismo mode for enhanced performance and acceleration, Standard, Eco, Snow, and the e-Pedal button for driving mainly with the accelerator. Rear seats comfortably accommodate three adults and split 60/40. There is ample head, knee, and foot room. Boot capacity is 408 litres, less than the 466 litres offered by the standard Ariya. 

Nissan’s advanced E-4ORCE all-wheel control technology provides a balance of power and comfort, enhancing stability. It uses two electric motors to independently power each axle, improving handling and steering. The additional motor reduces rear boot space available in FWD models. The Ariya Nismo is well equipped with dual-zone auto climate control, Type A and Type C USB ports front and rear, a 12V power socket, seat back pockets, and a rear armrest. Safety features include blind-spot monitors with intervention, integrated into the ProPILOT Assist suite, which includes Intelligent Emergency Braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction assist, forward collision warning, rear emergency braking, cross-traffic alert, Traffic Jam Pilot, and parking sensors. 

With its 87kWh battery, the claimed WLTP range is 419km, though real-world figures may be lower depending on driving style and weather. Charging from 10% to 80% with a 130kW DC fast charger takes around 35-40 minutes; a full charge at home via AC can take up to 14 hours. The dual motors produce approximately 429hp (320kW) and 600 Nm of torque, enabling a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.0 seconds. 

On the road, the car delivers swift acceleration and precise cornering, with upgraded springs, dampers, and a stabiliser bar for a more dynamic suspension. The ride is quite firm, though more comfortable on motorways. This high-performance model is suitable as a practical family vehicle with an added edge when required. The Ariya Nismo does not have a separate Euro NCAP rating, but the standard Ariya on which it is based was awarded a maximum 5-star safety rating in 2022. 

Priced at €68,495. Road tax €120.

 

 

Brand new driver-car interface for Mazda CX-5

Mazda is the latest carmaker to adopt built-in Google for its interface between driver and automobile, writes Brian Byrne. The system will debut in the new generation CX-5 SUV.

The dashboard and instrumentation design will also be a departure from current Mazdas, with a larger 10.5" infotainment screen as standard and the option of an even bigger one. Head-up displays will also feature larger graphics.

Physical buttons will remain for essential functions, and frequently used screen features will be positioned high on the screen and be permanently visible. 

The new CX-5 is powered by the 2.5-litre e-Skyactiv G petrol engine with Mazda M Hybrid technology.

The all-new Mazda CX-5 will reach European showrooms in 2025, with prices starting at approximately €32,560. 

New Opel Astra production to begin next year

Opel has released teaser images of the new Astra, writes Trish Whelan. 

The new model is sharper, more technical and more eye catching than before with a new front face Vizor inspired by the high-performance Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept car. 

Sharp and precise contours are characteristic for the front. The characteristic brand face will be slimmer than before with the Opel Blitz emblem illuminated for the first time in an Astra. Opel describe the new Astra as being more modern, attractive and comfortable. 

Production will begin next year.

 

Leapmotor to sponsor VHI Womens Mini Marathon

Leapmotor Ireland is the official motor sponsor of the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon, beginning in 2026, writes Trish Whelan. 

As official motor sponsor, Leapmotor Ireland willl provide a fleet of electric cars including the recently launched family SUV Leapmotor C10, the compact T03 city car, and the new Leapmotor B10 SUV to serve as official support vehicles throughout the event. 

The fleet will also include the lead car, guiding thousands of participants along the Dublin route.

Mark Brennan, Marketing Manager of Leapmotor Ireland, is pictured with David O'Leary, Race Director of the event, and Laura Smyth, Marketing Manager DSD Events, at the announcement.

Rochford Motors appointed MG Ireland dealer

Mayo dealership has been appointed the MG Motor Ireland nationwide dealer network, writes Trish Whelan. Rochford Motors of Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo now represents MG Motor Ireland for the West of Ireland, serving customers throughout Mayo and Connacht. 

Welcoming the dealership to the network, Gerard Rice, Managing Director, MG Motor Ireland said Liam Rochford and his team have built a strong reputation over more than 40 years for trust, customer service and professionalism. 

The dealership is a well-established family business founded in 1981 by the late Billy Rochford and now led by Dealer Principal, Liam Rochford.

 

Volkswagen ID.3 GTX review - by Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Volkswagen’s ID.3 GTX hatchback arrived here in the second half of last year as a new addition to the brand's electric model family. It's a real head-turner with an improved interior and very impressive performance. The car is built on Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric vehicle platform, which is also used for other ID. models and for some electric cars from other brands like Cupra, which the Volkswagen Group also owns. 

In size, my review car — the top-of-the-range Performance Plus trim — is a bit shorter, wider, and taller than a VW Golf, with more interior space provided by its longer wheelbase and short overhangs, and with the batteries below the floor. The car looked the business in a King’s Red metallic exterior with black roof, tailgate and pillars. There's a new black air intake with a special diamond design, and the tailgate is a standout feature. GTX badging appears on front doors, but the logo fades against the black background across the rear. New 20-inch alloy wheels are fitted as standard. 

Visibility is good with the forward slope of the windscreen and good A-pillar windows, while the big windscreen wipers cleared the entire windscreen in heavy rainfall. The cabin is well designed with high-quality materials and many GTX-specific features. Front sports seats with integrated headrests feature GTX velour seat trim and power adjustments with lumbar support. Sporty red stitching on the dash, doors and steering wheel added to the car's sporty ambience. The special GTX leather-wrapped multi-functional steering wheel can be heated, and the twist-type transmission selector located here includes the parking brake. 

The dash has a large free-standing 12.9-inch central touchscreen with colourful graphics and menus for things like vent controls, which I didn’t find very intuitive. It has built-in ChatGPT artificial intelligence, voice control, and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Sliders below the screen are for temperature and volume controls. I prefer actual buttons and knobs for key features. The small driver information digital cluster provides all relevant data, and since your current speed is also shown on the head-up display, it really doesn’t need to be any bigger. A small touch panel between the two screens is for adjusting exterior lighting and demisting, but it’s not easy to reach. There’s a good rear-view camera, a Park Assist function that detects a suitable parking space and automatically manoeuvres your car during the parking procedure, and front and rear parking sensors, as well as good blind-spot monitors. 

Details include a wireless mobile phone charger, two C-Type USB ports front and back, three ISOFIX child anchor seats, a really good Harman Kardon sound system, and VW's We Connect Plus connectivity. 

On one trip, three male adults managed to squeeze into the back seats, with the guy in the middle having the narrower seat but appreciating the flat floor. Headroom was fine. Boot capacity is 385 litres with all seats up, expanding to 1,267 litres with the back seats folded down. The high boot floor is not adjustable; there is nowhere below to store the charging cables. 

The GTX Performance Plus has a single rear-mounted electric motor on the rear axle that delivers up to 326hp and a massive 560Nm of torque, powered by a 79kWh battery pack. Combined, they allow for a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 200km/h, making this the fastest ID.3 model yet. The 52kWh battery of the standard ID.3 GTX provides a range of around 388 km and power consumption of 15.2 kWh/100km, while the 79kWh battery provides up to 604km, but in real-world driving is somewhat less, and power consumption of around 15.7kWh/100km. You can charge the battery from 10-80 per cent in around 30 minutes with a DC fast charger; home charging of 11kW AC from 0-100 per cent can be done overnight. 

The Performance Plus version comes with adaptive dampers that you can adjust through the drive modes of Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Individual, allowing you to choose the responses you want in various driving conditions, like on urban or country roads. 

This is a snappy, compact sports car which Volkswagen claims is the electric counterpart to their sporty compact icon, the Golf GTI Clubsport. I found the steering on the heavy side, which I prefer, but the ride was a bit firm even over good roads; the cabin was quiet with little road noise filtering through. 

The ID.3 GTX Performance Plus competes in the electric hot-hatch space where its main competitors include the Cupra Born VZ and Alpine A290, among others. Priced from €39,025 after VRT Rebate and SEAI Grant; my car €41,258. Annual road tax is €120.

 

 

BMW has introduced the iX3 to Ireland

The BMW Group is ushering in a new era with the launch of a brand new generation of cars called the New-e-Klasse which means ‘The New Class’ in German, writes Trish Whelan. 

The iX3, launched last week in Ireland to the motoring press and dealers, will arrive here in March 2026 with three distinct trim levels: iX3, iX3 M Sport and iX3 M Sport Pro each offering a comprehensive range of standard equipment. 

It will have charging capabilities of 400 kW DC / 11kW AC. As the first vehicle of the Neue Klasse, the iX3 introduces innovations that will define the future of BMW’s product portfolio of 40 new models and model updates between now and 2027. 

The first Neue Klasse model will be built in Hungary, the first BMW Group plant not to use fossil fuels in normal operation. 

First Irish customer deliveries of the BMW iX3 50 xDrive will be on 7 March, 2026, with further variants of iX3 to follow. 

It is priced from €73,925 OTR.

New Opel Mokka GSE wins major award

The New Opel Mokka GSE 281hp, the most powerful electric road car ever produced by Opel, has just won a Golden Steering Wheel 2025 ‘Best Small Car’ award, writes Trish Whelan. 

Coming to Ireland as a special order model in 2026, the Mokka GSE is inspired by the Mokka GSE Rally, packaged in a unique GSE motorsport design. Motorsport professionals, car experts and celebrities named the Mokka GSE the ‘Best Small Car 2025’. 

The car offers high-performance as standard, with a peak output of 281hp and immediate torque of 345Nm it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds. Top speed is 200km/h making it the fastest all-electric production Opel. With its 54kWh battery fully charged, the range is up to 336km (WLTP). 

Since 2020, Opel has celebrated success five times with its current lineup of Corsa, Mokka, Astra, Grandland and now Mokka GSE.