Opel reveals STX Concept at Paris Motor Show

Opel has today premiered its STX Concept, a vision for future estate cars, at the Paris Motor Show, writes Trish Whelan. 

This latest concept car from Russelsheim continues Opel’s long tradition as an estate pioneer in Europe as early as the 1950s when in 1953, the brand introduced the Olympia Record Caravan. The Kadett Caravan and other models followed up to the latest Astra Sports Tourer. STX stands for Opel Sports Tourer eXperimental Concept. 

The brand says this Concept car is a modern expression of Opel's engineering excellence, which combines intelligent technology with bold, precise design. 

The STX Concept symbolises the next stage of Opel’s design and engineering philosophy for all models, which will be bolder, purer, more emotional, and more efficient. The STX Concept combines an electric architecture with all-wheel drive and a top speed of over 200 km/h.

Connolly Motor Group invests €1m in new Volvo Sligo dealership

Connolly Motor Group is investing €1 million in a new Volvo Cars Sligo dealership, further strengthening Volvo’s presence across the West and North West of Ireland, writes Trish Whelan. The investment follows the successful opening of Volvo Cars Galway in Ballybrit 2023. 

Volvo Cars Sligo will initially operate from a temporary showroom while work progresses on a new permanent facility at the Group’s Collooney campus. Scheduled for completion in 2027, the permanent dealership will offer a Scandinavian-inspired retail environment across sales and aftersales, showcasing Volvo’s latest retail concept and creating a seamless customer experience from purchase through to ownership. 

The dealership officially opens today, Monday, 12 October, culminating in an open evening at the Collooney campus from 6pm to 8pm on Friday, 16 October, when guests can explore Volvo’s electrified model range. Run by brothers Kevin and Neil Connolly, Connolly Motor Group employs 335 people across its outlets throughout the West and North West of Ireland, including 85 employees in Sligo

SKODA ENYAQ 130 LIMITED EDITION REVIEW: TRISH WHELAN, IRISH CAR

For decades, Czech car company Skoda has been renowned for producing good diesel cars. That won’t change in the near future. What has changed, however, is how the company has adapted to also producing some excellent electric motors. 

The brand refreshed its fully-electric Enyaq crossover/SUV in Spring 2025 with a new design, extended driving range, improved aerodynamics, greater use of sustainable materials, and an expanded list of standard equipment. Enhanced digital capabilities and the latest in driver assistance technologies also featured prominently in the refresh. Enyaq is also available as a sleek coupe. Both variants are built on the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated MEB platform for electric vehicles. The update includes a Limited 130 Edition to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Czech company as a car manufacturer. Only 130 units were produced, featuring more premium equipment than the standard ’85’. 

The 130 Edition trim is based on the top luxury Laurent & Klement trim (L&K), and ’85’ architecture – L&K is in honour of the original two founders who established the company 130 years ago. It is the most elegant trim line with some exclusive touches and extensive equipment to distinguish it from other Enyaqs. The car’s dimensions are as before, including a wheelbase of 2,772mm, as the upgrade mostly involved exterior and interior styling, and improved technology. L&K models feature the brand’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design era, with an updated front featuring a glossy black panel, special bumpers, diffuser and door mirror design with exclusive Platinum Grey detailing, as well as slimmer headlights and the name ‘Skoda’ now in black letters front and rear in place of the old logo. Even front wing mirrors have discreet L&K badges. Roof rails are finished in silver; window frames have brushed chrome surrounds. Special, multi-spoke 21-inch Aquarius alloy wheels looked absolutely stunning. 

The luxurious interior, with a black and Shell cream colour scheme, looked classy and welcoming. Cream seats can be heated and ventilated and are so comfortable to sink into. They have manual seat adjustments including lumbar support, a massage function and the Laurent & Klement signature embroidered discreetly in gold stitching on seat headrests. Extra light filters into the cabin via the panoramic glass sunroof, with shade, that can tilt open for ventilation. The free-standing, user-friendly infotainment touchscreen has lovely colourful and clear graphics, and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Below are controls for the 3-zone climate control and for drive mode options. The automatic gear shifter is located on the central console flat and includes a ‘B’ mode for regenerative braking. The smaller driver’s cluster provides all drive information and can be customised to your preference. Features include a wireless smartphone charger but I’m not a fan of a slider to control volume. As the glovebox is small, I used the open shelf down below the central console to store some items out of sight. 

Rear passengers enjoy huge head and legroom, and their own temperature control, as well as two USBs. The middle seat back lowers to provide two cupholders and a hatch through to the boot. My car had a power tailgate that can be opened with a kicking motion, and huge square-shaped boot space of 585 litres with all seats up. Charging cables can be stored beneath the floor. 

Customers can choose from two battery sizes and from three powertrains including the rear-wheel drive Enyaq 60 with 430kms of driving range, or the Enyaq 85 with an extended range of up to 574 kms, which was my review car. The 85x features all-wheel drive with dual motors for added traction in all conditions. A high-performance Enyaq RS variant is also available. 

The ’85’ offers improved charging performance with charging from 10% to 80% of the battery in just 28 minutes with DC charging at up to 175kW. I achieved 15.9 kWh/100kms during my days driving the 82kWh battery variant that delivers a claimed range of up to 563kms on a full charge. When recharging the battery, my screen read-out showed a 50% charge equalled 260km of range in real-world driving. Driving in traffic, superb blind-spot monitors light up on the insides of both wing mirrors. The 82kWh battery allows a 0-100km/h sprint of 6.7 seconds, which is nippy enough. 

I liked the well-balanced, direct steering, and appreciated the car’s tight turning circle when manoeuvring in a multi-storey car park. The large wheels, though, can make the suspension feel on the firm side, and a fair amount of road noise filters through into the cabin. 

All things considered, this is a car I felt very confident and comfortable driving at all times. A very practical family car with plenty of space for five people and their luggage. The Skoda Enyaq range achieved a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP under rigorous testing criteria. Enyaq 60 is from €43,259; Enyaq 85 from €45,250; RS performance variant from €61,240. Prices include SEAI grant and VRT rebate.

HONDA REVEALS UPDATES FOR CIVIC MODEL 2027

Honda Ireland has announced updates for the Civic Model Year 2027 including the introduction of the new ‘Sport’ grade priced from €43,750, and the debut of S+ Shift technology on a mainstream Honda model, writes Trish Whelan. The latest updates also bring refreshed interior styling, and upgraded equipment specifications as well as introducing a new exterior colour of Meteoroid Grey Metallic. 

This new Sport grade combines distinctive styling with a comprehensive specification, and is designed to deliver a more dynamic driving experience, as well as comfort, technology, and everyday usability. Revisions include red stitching on front seats, front and rear armrests, and distinctive red accents surrounding the air vents. 

Standard features include a 9-inch Honda Connect touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, new 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels, and the latest suite of Honda SENSING safety and driver assistance technologies as well as a heated leather steering wheel, privacy glass, and exclusive Sport-inspired detailing for a more premium and engaging environment for both driver and passengers.

The Honda Civic 2027 model year range is now available to test drive and order at Honda Dealerships nationwide.

CUPRA RAVAL LAUNCHES IN IRELAND

The new Cupra Raval has been launched in Ireland at a starting price of €23,495, writes Brian Byrne. With front-wheel drive, customers can choose between a 37kWh LFP battery for urban use with up to 323km rated range or a 52kWh NMC battery with a range of up to 448km. Charging capabilities range from 50 to 105 kW, allowing for a charge time of approximately 23–28 minutes.

The grades lineup includes Urban V1 and V2, Endurance V1 and V2, and the performance-oriented VZ, with the Endurance producing 211hp and the VZ 226hp.

Features include heated seats and steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, a rear camera, mobile digital keys, and a 12.9-inch infotainment screen with Android OS. The Endurance V2 is expected to be the best-seller, with the VZ also attracting interest. The Irish market is anticipated to prefer the larger battery option.

The Raval competes against models like the Volkswagen ID Polo and Renault 5. As a brand, Cupra is gaining traction among younger buyers. 

BWM iX3 REVIEW: BRIAN BYRNE, IRISH CAR

BMW's supply chain is some 2,700 providers long, across 31 global production sites, writes Brian Byrne. That's a complicated web of people, equipment, products and processes to keep tabs on, along with development, design, and production of over 70 variations on its core lineup of around 11 model series. So it's a big decision when it comes to a total platform renewal like the Neue Klasse that's to underpin all future cars from the Munich-based company. With the fourth generation of the X3 crossover only launched in 2024, it probably surprised most of us when the battery-electric new iX3 was revealed last year as the first of the Neue Klasse cars, eschewing the older platform on which the first BEV X3 had been built. Yet it makes sense: just taking the Irish market, if the electric and combustion X3s are combined, it makes the model series the biggest seller for the brand.

The car certainly makes a visual impact for Neue Klasse, with styling details that completely sever from most of the largely evolutionary changes that have been a BMW hallmark over two decades. There are things, of course, that must be retained. The 'kidney' style grille shape, in this instance, and thankfully, much smaller than some of the more brutish iterations of recent years. The signature 'Hofmeister kink' on the rearmost window pillar. After these, the designers had free rein. The tall fascia is still impressive enough to give the car an unmissable presence when trying to nose into moving traffic. The rear, with a very distinctive lighting pattern, will distinguish the car from behind in these upcoming dark evenings. Overall the new iX3 looks leaner than the predecessor, thanks to being a little longer and rather lower, which provides both more legroom for passengers and some extra luggage space.

The interior has drama and a technological buzz. The clean basic dashboard structure sports a centre screen with edge-to-edge graphics and a kinky shape that is quite attractive and shows its information and virtual buttons in bright and colourful fashion. The driver information is provided by a panoramic screen that runs the full width of the windscreen base (the Citroën C3 uses a similar system, though it's only in front of the driver). The owner can decide which 'widgets' to have across the panorama, besides the essentials such as speed. The centre console offers charging for two phones, and also houses the transmission selector and the radio volume. The really futuristic item is the steering wheel, styled to encourage the quarter-to-three hold that I learned during a driving course with the company many years ago. The button controls on the wheel have their own distinctive styling, all quite intuitive. Some of the buttons only become visible when triggered, such as by an incoming call.

The seats, front and rear, are a comfortable mix of artificial leather and suede, and I found them well supportive and long-distance comfortable. The middle rear seat is best used for a smaller person, but there's lots of legroom.

There's a lot of improved tech in the drivetrain. Notably with the battery pack, which is next-generation and offers a 20 per cent energy efficiency improvement over the previous iX3. Worth noting too is that, taking overall lifecycle CO2 reduction, this car reaches emissions break-even with a combustion-engined car at around the 20,000km stage: that's a 42 per cent reduction compared to its predecessor, which should give owners something of a warm glow of smugness.

The rated range is up to 805km, my calculations in my time suggest a real-world figure of around 680km, which is in itself impressive anyway. If you're at a fast charger, you can get up to 372km in ten minutes. There's 469hp available, which will allow a sprint to 100km/h in under five seconds (if you do a lot of that, forget about my range calculations).

I took delivery of the new iX3 expecting to be impressed. But not as much as I actually was. This is one of those cars that you really enjoy, and look forward to the next while every time you click the key fob to open it up. It's not any one thing; more that in their work in the development of the car, including directing those 2,700 component suppliers, they have put together a vehicle that just feels right in almost every aspect. That's what makes the brand premium.

PRICE: From €66,985. WHAT I LIKED: The determination to get something right. 

EV VRT RELIEF TO CONTINUE TO END 2028

VRT relief for electric vehicles has been extended for two years in Budget 2027, writes Brian Byrne. Finance Minister Simon Harris announced that the relief will continue until 31 December 2028, while VRT on more polluting cars (A3 to F) will increase by one per cent to encourage low-emission vehicle purchases. 

Additionally, the temporary fuel excise reduction is extended until 28 February 2027, with gradual restoration by 30 June 2027. 

Recent analysis of customer searches by Done Deal Cars indicates a strong shift in consumer preferences, with electric vehicle searches rising by 75% and hybrid searches by 17% between September 2025 and September 2026. Diesel searches fell by 23% and petrol searches increased by 3% in the same period. 

JAGUAR DETAILS TYPE 01

Rendered images: JLR.

Jaguar has provided details the Type 01, a luxury four-door grand tourer with a unique body architecture and electric powertrain, writes Brian Byrne. Featuring a low roofline, long bonnet, and 23-inch wheels, it includes over 360 patent applications, making it the most technically advanced Jaguar ever according to the company. 

The Type 01 achieves a drag coefficient of 0.23 and offers two dynamic driving modes, with a power output of up to 1,030PS and 1,365Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds and has an expected range of up to 644km. The interior includes a 24-inch OLED screen, a central touchscreen, and a bespoke Jaguar Immersive Sound System. 

The car is expected to go on sale early in 2027. 

RANGE ROVER ELECTRIC REVEALED IN IRELAND

Range Rover Electric has been unveiled, maintaining the brand’s luxury and capability while introducing EV performance, writes Brian Byrne. The starting price in Ireland is €160,620.

The design brief was for a “Range Rover first, electric vehicle second” approach, preserving the iconic design and all-terrain abilities. The car is built on the Jaguar Land Rover MLA platform, which was developed from the start to use various powertrains, including electric. 

JLR developed the battery and twin electric drive units in-house, and the new car claims a 531km WLTP range, and has 900mm wading capability. 

Performance figures include the capability to accelerate from 0–100km/h in as little as 4.5 seconds. Features like twin-chamber air springs and active noise cancellation enhance refinement and performance, and the car is said to be the quietest Range Rover yet. 

BYD EXPANDS IRISH LINEUP

Atto 2.

The BYD lineup in Ireland has been expanded with the introduction of the Atto 2 Super Hybrid and the Atto 3 EVO, writes Brian Byrne. The Atto 2 Super Hybrid, available in ‘Active’ and ‘Boost’ models priced at €32,990 and €35,990 respectively, offers up to 1,000km range and 90km electric-only range. 

The Atto 3 EVO, available in ‘Design’ and ‘Excellence’ variants at €40,530 and €43,985, features all-wheel drive, a rated 510km range, and rapid charging capabilities. 

Both models include a 15.6-inch touchscreen, panoramic sunroof, and vehicle-to-load technology, with a six-year vehicle and eight-year battery warranty. 

BYD is distributed in Ireland by Motor Distributors Limited (MDL).

TEXACO CHILDREN'S ART EXHIBITION

Junction 14 Mayfield on the M7 in County Kildare is hosting an exhibition of the top 21 artworks from the 72nd Texaco Children’s Art Competition, running until 1st November, writes Brian Byrne. The competition dates back to 1955.

Located off the M7 motorway near Monasterevin, the exhibition features 1.5-metre-tall artworks visible to thousands of daily visitors. Liam Fitzpatrick, co-owner of the venue, praised the young artists’ talents, while James Twohig of Valero Energy highlighted the long-standing partnership with the Fitzpatrick family. 

The exhibition showcases artists from counties including Cork, Dublin, and Galway.

Pictured at the opening is James Twohig, Director of Operation, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited; Pauline O’Connell, Final Adjudicator of the Texaco Children’s Art Competition; Mary Therese Fitzpatrick, co-owner of Junction 14 Mayfield; Laois student artist, Abdul Ahad Zulfiqar; and local art teachers Sandra Doyle and Ciara Connolly.