The Kia EV3 has secured the prestigious title of 2025 World Car of the year, writes Trish Whelan.
Amongst the young drivers of that time, automatics were sneered at as something a real driver wouldn’t have any truck with. Also in an environment of expensive fuel, they were significantly more thirsty than the manual gearboxes that were the absolute norm in this part of the world. All that has changed.
There are real reasons for the big shift evident today, so to speak. The adoption of the Borg Warner-built dual-clutch automatic manual by Volkswagen two decades ago not only changed the clunky earlier automated manual options to much faster moves between the gears, but also did them faster than any stick shift. In addition, the DCT systems are even more fuel frugal than manual transmissions.
The electrification of powertrains has also been responsible for the shift to automatics. Initially the province of Toyota, almost all makers providing combustion engined cars now offer hybrid petrol-electric versions. By their nature, hybrids use automatic transmissions to manage the shifts and mixes between electric and engine modes. Equally, battery electric cars normally don’t have gearshifts because of the instant torque characteristics of an electric motor.
In 2024, 45pc of cars sold in Ireland were electrified or pure electric, so these were classed as autos. In addition, some compact car models such as the Peugeot 308 are only sold here in automatic form. The balance of the increased auto interest is likely due to the realisation that having a car that doesn’t require stirring a manual box, especially in the urban driving that is the most common conditions, is less stressful. And because there’s no fuel consumption penalty, it makes it a very viable option to order even if there's still a bit extra to be paid.
BYD Sealion 7. |
The upcoming models will be launched in June, September and November. In 2026 a B-segment hatchback and a large SUV will be added to the range.
The BYD dealer network in Ireland includes outlets in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Kerry and Galway, and the brand will be further expanding during this year.
Since then the electric vehicle has truly arrived, and now there are more than 30 brands selling in excess of 100 models of electric cars in Ireland. Three in ten EVs currently sold are by five of those brands. Dacia is not in that set, slotting in at number 23 in the EV league this year.
Thing is, the top five models here range in price from €32,000-€50,000. Regular readers will know that I've been getting a lot of electric cars over the last couple of years, almost none of which are for the market segment that doesn't have big bucks to spend.
Dacia tilted for that cohort in Ireland last summer, with the brand's first EV, the Spring. Classed as a small SUV, the car originated via a partnership with Dongfeng in China.
Looks first and, as Dacia have been doing across their models, the Spring has a smart and chirpy look. A bit larger than a Fiat Panda, a little smaller than Renault's Zoe EV which ceased production last year. Some styling details like that panel behind the front numberplate — repeated in the rear bumpers — lift it from the ordinary, and the brand logostyle is likely to remain modern for some time.
The main differences between the two grades available here are the copper details and upholstery, and crucially whether to get the basic clip-on gadget for your mobile phone to be used as entertainment and navigation or a Bluetooth-enabled touchscreen. The first is frustrating and not to be recommended. The second is basic, but works, and does so best for navigation if you use your Google Maps app rather than the inbuilt Here version. Climate controls are knobs and switches.
There are two power motor options, offering either 45hp or 65hp. Both have the same rated range of 225km, but my experience indicated a back to the past of the original Leaf with 180km. Even with a better now charging network, that's short, especially as the charging speed is also pretty slow.
You might also be concerned about the extremely poor single star the original car received in its 2021 EuroENCAP crash test. The revised 2024 version, which seems to be mostly cosmetic in its changes, has not been retested.
PRICE: From €16,990 after grants. WHAT I LIKED: The looks, but not much else.
Three years ago they announced that their strongest nameplate, Focus, would end production this coming November. They also dropped their seven generations winning supermini Fiesta in 2023. The consensus among longtime loyal Ford owners was that US Ford had decreed only SUVs in future because there's a higher profit margin. In its last full year, 2024, the Focus in Ireland still managed a tight third place against top model crossover Puma and number two seller Kuga. Showing the Ford bosses — though they're possibly not seeing it — that there's still a strong appetite for a compact hatchback. The recent plethora of small EVs from Renault, Citroen, Hyundai et al, and upcoming Cupra Raval and ID.2 also highlight that Ford is well behind in that race, a pace it once dominated with combustion engined Fiesta.
It's also true to say that the company hasn't shone in the EV stakes generally, the US-focused Mustang Mach-E and the more recent Explorer launched in Ireland last autumn so far not making much impact. The slightly larger Capri EV just arrived here is in the same size and price bracket as a raft of competitors from Europe and a tidal wave of Chinese offerings already making initial landfall. There's an electric Puma imminent and a vague promise of electric 'replacements' for Focus and Fiesta, but both are down the road.
So, back to the Explorer which I took for a full review a while back. Sized between VW's ID.3 and ID.4 whose platform it is built on, the Ford is styled pleasantly, doesn't look or feel bulky, and makes a good fist of presenting as its own car. In the black I thought it lost a little, the design really showing itself better in lighter colours. That said, from the rear three-quarter viewpoint it looked swell.
The car is roomy for five adults — it's lower but wider than a VW ID.4 — and I found through my time with it to be a really comfortable drive. Especially on one of my occasional long 450km day return trips to the west. That also allowed me to evaluate the accuracy of the range, nominally 602km in my Extended Range review car but in reality 460km or so which over a variety of driving conditions proved to be quite consistent, and adequate. A short coffee stop at Kinnegad on the way home showed a good charging speed.
In my short first time with Explorer last October it had felt good. With more time and distance travelled, it became one that I feel is even better. Much better. But with only one in ten Ford sales so far this year being an Explorer, there's a long and bumpy road to travel before the company finds its way back to where it used to be.
PRICE: From €42,120; review car €43,591. WHAT I LIKED: It is more Ford than I expected.
Inside there are improved front seats and new upholstery and better soundproofing.
The car has a 200hp full hybrid automatic powertrain, offering a rated 4.7L/100km in fuel use.
There are three trim levels and the car is expected in first European markets before the summer.
The research showed that 45pc of those who tested over the limit thought they were fit to drive. With 64pc of those who exceeded the blood alcohol legal limit of 0.50 g/l having said they were going to drive, young men aged 18-34 were most likely to underestimate their alcohol levels and say they were going to drive.
Sarah O’Connor, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs at the RSA, said the data is a stark reminder that our perception of how alcohol affects us is often flawed.
The study was begun at the Electric Picnic, and also included kiosks at the National Ploughing Championships.