New A6 allroad arrives in Ireland

Audi Ireland has announced the arrival of the new Audi A6 allroad e-hybrid quattro, writes Brian Byrne. It's the first plug-in hybrid version of its long-running all-road estate.

Now in its fifth generation, the A6 allroad features a wider, more rugged design, standard adaptive air suspension, quattro all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering for confident performance across a range of driving conditions.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined 362hp and 500Nm of torque, rated for up to 94 kilometres of electric-only driving range.

Inside, the new model offers a high-tech cabin centred around Audi’s panoramic MMI display, along with a strong focus on comfort, practicality and long-distance touring.

The new Audi A6 allroad e-hybrid quattro is available to order in Ireland from June 18, with prices starting at €88,150. 

Cupra Raval here in late August

Cupra Ireland has announced that the all-new Cupra Raval will arrive here from late August 2026, writes Brian Byrne, marking the brand’s first fully electric urban car and its most significant expansion in the Irish market to date.

Priced from €23,495 including applicable EV incentives, the Raval is built on Volkswagen Group’s MEB+ platform. It will be offered in three trims and two battery sizes, with WLTP range figures of up to 318km for entry models and up to 445km for higher-spec versions.

Standard equipment will include a 12.9-inch infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital cockpit, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED lighting and a suite of driver assistance features.

Cupra Ireland said the Raval is aimed at making electric mobility more accessible without losing the brand’s distinctive design and performance appeal. 

Canvas top option for Renault R4 electric

Renault has extended the model choice for its all-new Renault 4 E-Tech Electric in Ireland with the introduction of the Plein Sud, writes Brian Byrne. It's a new variant featuring a large electrically operated canvas roof.

Available with a 52kWh battery and 110kW electric motor, the Plein Sud brings an open-air driving experience to Renault’s latest electric small car while retaining the practicality of the standard model, including five seats, a 420-litre boot and 750kg towing capacity.

Priced from €34,495, the Renault 4 E-Tech Electric Plein Sud is available to order now as a distinctive new option for Irish buyers. 

Production of Epiq starts

Škoda Auto has begun series production of its new all-electric entry model, the Epiq, at Volkswagen Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, writes Brian Byrne, marking the brand’s first-ever vehicle production in the country.

The Epiq is part of the VW group's Electric Urban Car Family, under which four models from CUPRA, Volkswagen and Škoda will be built at Spanish plants. The move helps preserve capacity at Škoda's Czech factories for other high-demand models while expanding its EV lineup.

Positioned in the entry-level electric segment, the Epiq is the brand’s first vehicle based on the new MEB+ platform and the first to fully adopt Škoda’s Modern Solid design language. Together with the upcoming Peaq, it is expected to play a central role in doubling Škoda’s electric portfolio this year. 

RSA alcohol campaign for summer festivals

Main pic by George Charry via Pexels.

The Road Safety Authority is bringing its summer road safety campaign to some of Ireland’s biggest concerts, festivals and sporting events, writes Brian Byrne, with a strong focus on the dangers of drink driving.

The initiative, which began at Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Malahide Castle, will see the RSA attend major events nationwide in the coming months. A key part of the campaign is the use of FlineBox interactive breathalysers, powered by Dräger alcohol sensor technology, allowing people to voluntarily check their breath alcohol level and get guidance on when it is safe to drive.

The campaign comes as new RSA research shows alcohol remains a factor in serious and fatal road collisions. Between 2021 and 2025, 384 surviving drivers involved in fatal and serious injury crashes tested positive for alcohol, with those collisions resulting in 38 deaths and 264 serious injuries.

The RSA said the campaign is aimed at bringing life-saving road safety messages directly to large summer audiences across the country. 

Jeep Avenger 4Xe review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

Bang! The car shook, and I started crying, writes Brian Byrne. My first recollection of the Jeep brand goes back to when I was maybe nine or ten. Our family car was a Jeep Station Wagon. It had a two-tone paint job, I seem to remember as beige and brown. On a memorable day, when we children were being transported to the annual family holiday in Courtown, somebody ran into it while we were parked at a petrol station. I recall being very upset, but there was only some panel damage, and we were able to continue our journey.

Jeeps have featured many times in my some 35 years of motoring journalism. It’s a small brand in Ireland. In 2007, just 93 units were registered. But last year more than 200 were, so there’s growth, due mainly to the arrival of smaller models that make sense in today’s driving world — the Renegade a decade ago, and the Avenger in the last couple of years. The latter is the current biggest seller, offering a smaller and more car-like experience than the chunkier Renegade that is no longer on sale in this market. A new mid-size Compass has just been launched here.

I’ve liked the Avenger since it first arrived. It has a tidy, smart look, is wide enough to give it some presence, and is not so big as to be unwieldy in the urban landscape for which it is designed. The front has a modernised version of the Jeep grille, making the car distinctively of the iconic automotive tribe. Chunky alloys and scratch-proof polymer skid plates added to the character of my review 4Xe version. Black and green painted panels on the bonnet and some special badging gave the car an individual look. I liked the black roof and the rails that come with the 4Xe package, and the stronger sculpting on the front bumper area. 

Inside, there’s enough space to be young-family useful or empty-nester comfortable. The sense of width is reinforced by the straight-edge styling of the dashboard. The driving information screen keeps things simple, and the infotainment-nav one is a neat, non-dominating size. The main climate controls and volume control are toggle switches, and the automatic transmission, which my car had, is selected with a line of PRND buttons under them — a bit fiddly, those, when doing back and forward manoeuvring in tight spaces.

Shoulder and headroom are good, and I found the seats comfortable. The Avenger's boot space is a metre wide and has a capacity of up to 325L with the rear seats in use. The 4Xe interior materials are selected to be easily washed after a day on dirtier terrain than suburban roads.

Originally planned to be sold in electric form only, brand owner Stellantis quickly backed off that thought and added both a standard petrol and its small mild hybrid petrol option to the Avenger's powertrains. The hybrid used in the 4Xe is linked to an electric AWD system developed for the smaller car, and with 136hp compared to the FWD version's 100hp. The off-road ability is real, with selectable terrain control for different conditions. The car rides higher than the standard Avenger and can ford water up to 400mm deep. A rated 5.4L/100km is frugal.

There are three dedicated 4Xe specification levels available, culminating in a North Face that adds some orange-themed detailing outside and in to make the owner feel ahead of the pack. But everything that's really necessary is available in the Upland grade, which was my review car. 

Over my three and a half decades in this business, I have driven Land Rovers in the Argentine Andes and Icelandic glaciers, Range Rovers and Ford Rangers in scary Moroccan mountains, and many other off-road capable vehicles in various rugged conditions that, really, very few owners would need to experience. The little Jeep Avenger 4Xe is probably not in the same league as some of those, but it is a very capable car that I'd be very comfortable living with for everyday use and the occasional adventurous experience.

PRICE: Avenger from €29,995 in petrol, BEV or hybrid; review 4Xe version from €39,995. WHAT I LIKED: Cool style and capability that's accessible for the family motorist.