Ford Ranger Wildtrak PHEV Review: Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Pick-ups appeal to a wide audience. Those involved in the building industry who need to carry workers to and from jobs along with their equipment, materials, and tools. Tradespeople. The agriculture sector — farmers for transporting foodstuffs to their animals or other essentials, often over rough terrain. And people with active lifestyles for carrying heavy sports and leisure equipment for weekend pursuits. I’d previously enjoyed off-road thrills with the 3.0 V6 petrol-powered Ford Ranger Raptor developed by Ford Performance, outputting just under 300hp, and with 491Nm of torque that had me grinning from ear to ear. Now it was the turn of the Ranger Wildtrak plug-in hybrid (PHEV), a first hybrid for the model and with the most torque of any production Ranger at a huge 690Nm and an urban electric range of 43km. It is boosted by an advanced hybrid powertrain that can put electric power to use on the road or the worksite. 

My review Ranger blended a rugged pick-up profile with modern, premium styling. The front features a unique grille, matrix LED headlamps, and front fog lamps. Muscular wheel arches and distinctive 18-inch alloy wheels, and Wildtrak and PHEV badging around the car add interest. The rear taillight design with the ‘Ranger’ name embossed into the tailgate, and a strong tow bar make for a distinctive look. Running boards help with getting in and out. Huge side mirrors have blind spot monitors. 

The cabin is built for wear and tear with big seats and a big dashboard that features soft-touch materials. Seats are well bolstered for comfort and security when going off-road and come in a partial leather trim, so they are easy to wipe clean. My seat had power adjustments, including lumbar support — but no memory seat setting — while the front passenger’s seat had manual adjustments. The model’s name is stitched into the front two seat backs. Burnt orange-coloured stitching on the dash, seats, steering wheel, and doors helps brighten the dark look. 

The dash is dominated by a 12.0-inch portrait-type touchscreen which runs on Ford’s latest SYNC infotainment system and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I found this screen intuitive and easy to use. A camera button shows your immediate surroundings when parked and allows multiple views around your vehicle, while a smaller screen below shows a bird’s eye view of the car. There’s also a control to navigate to a parking space. Below are controls for the front seats and steering wheel heaters, rear window heater, fan, and steering wheel. There are physical buttons for dual-zone climate control, air conditioning, and a volume knob. The customisable digital driver’s screen shows the vehicle’s stats, petrol usage, and range left in the battery. Features on the central console include a wireless phone charger, USB ports, two cupholders, a sturdy lever for the automatic transmission, and an electric parking brake. Storage areas are two lidded gloveboxes, big door bins front and rear, and a cavernous area below the front armrest with a 12V socket. 

Those in the rear enjoy good head and legroom, but the high tunnel may impede the latter. You have a 10A 230V power socket, an AC 230V 10A and a USB port. A choice of four EV driving modes allows you to drive on petrol, battery power, or a combination of both. The PHEV version combines a 2.3 EcoBoost engine with a 75kW battery-powered motor, offering 279hp, all that massive torque, and a 10-speed automatic transmission. 

A true off-roader, the Terrain Management System allows you to fine-tune your Ranger PHEV settings to suit the conditions using a rotary dial to shift between Normal, Eco, or Sport for ordinary roads; Tow Haul when towing; Slippery for loose surfaces; and Mud/Ruts or Sand for more rugged off-roading. You can tow up to 3,500kg max. During my lengthy time with the car, I achieved an average fuel consumption of 9.8 L/100kms. 

The heavy-duty cargo area measures 1,638mm long and is wide enough to fit a standard Euro pallet between the wheel arches. It features an easy-lift tailgate that can be used as a sturdy workbench. Gross payload is up to 1,000kg. For convenience, there’s a step on both sides and at the rear to access the load bed. You can open the roller cargo cover with a button on the dashboard. The Pro Power Onboard mobile power source is a big help to busy operators, as they can leave the generator behind and free up some load space. 

The standard 2.3 kW (10 amp) system lets you recharge batteries and power most electric hand tools, while the 6.9 kW (16 amp) option can power a host of heavier gear from grinding tools to camping stoves and EV dirt bikes. Priced from €62,458; my review model €69,452 before extras.

Polestar 4 family expanding

Polestar has confirmed that the new Polestar 4 SUV will arrive in Europe in September 2026, expanding the brand’s best-selling model line-up, writes Brian Byrne. The SUV is based on the Polestar 4 coupé, adding more practicality and versatility while retaining the coupé’s design, performance, and sustainability focus.

Both the Polestar 4 SUV and the latest Polestar 4 coupé feature retuned chassis components aimed at delivering a more refined yet sporty driving experience. Powered by a proven 400V architecture, the line-up offers up to 544 hp in dual-motor versions and a claimed range of up to 630km.

The Polestar 4 SUV will be manufactured in Busan, South Korea, supporting the Swedish-based electric performance brand’s growing global footprint. 

New Fiats unveiled in birthday video

Fiat has marked its 127th anniversary with the reveal of two new family-focused models, the Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback, writes Brian Byrne. Unveiled in a playful launch video set in an Italian registry office, the pair offer two distinct silhouettes.

The Grizzly is a 4.4-metre SUV aimed at customers prioritising comfort, space and everyday usability. The 4.5-metre Grizzly Fastback adds a more distinctive coupe-style profile while maintaining generous interior room and a 600-litre boot. Both will be offered with petrol, mild hybrid and fully electric powertrains delivering up to 145 hp, with manual or automatic transmissions depending on market.

The duo will be available in seven body colours and will make their public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, ahead of a commercial launch from the final quarter of 2026. Irish-market timing, specifications and pricing will be confirmed closer to launch. 

Kia K4 review: Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Kia Ireland has been on a roll this year with a number of new car launches, which included the K4 hatchback in early March as a replacement for the brand’s Ceed. This very stylish C-segment car offers generous interior space, lots of premium features and advanced technologies, as well as a long list of standard specifications. Compared to its Ceed predecessor, the K4 is longer, wider, and has a bigger wheelbase that allows more interior space and comfort. 

My review car, in a Snow White Pearl exterior, turned heads with its distinctive floating roofline that slips into the rear hatch, white A-pillars that curved up along the roofline, contrasting black B-pillars and door mirrors, the Star Map Light Signature, unique C-pillar graphics, and hidden rear door handles. Distinctive LED taillights with an inverted L shape light up beautifully at night. Doors open wide to allow ease of getting in and out. You sit low in the car, which may not suit those used to driving a taller crossover or high SUV. But it suited me just fine. 

The large sunroof allowed lots of light to filter into the cabin, helping make it bright and airy. My car had two-tone, soft bio-artificial leather seats that were both comfy and stylish. The driver’s seat had two seat memory settings and power adjustments, including lumbar support. Heat and ventilation controls for both front seats are on the doors. The multi-function 3-spoke steering wheel features paddle shifts that allow manual control of the 7-Speed gearbox. The Drive Mode Selector is located near the steering wheel with options of Eco, Normal, and Sport. The main feature, though, is the triple panoramic display that merges a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with a 5.3-inch climate control and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s cluster. This is standard on all three trims of K2, K3, and GT-Line. The system comes with Kia Connect and Kia App and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Voice Control, and over-the-air updates. There are physical buttons to select maps, radio, phone, air conditioning, and temperature. 

The customisable driver’s cluster shows your current speed, fuel remaining, and average fuel consumption, which during my days with the car showed at 6.0 L/100kms. The chubby automatic gear selector is located on the flat of the central console with the Start Stop button and Auto Hold control. Rear headroom is good, but leg room is truly excellent. However, foot space for the person in the middle seat is rather impeded by the extended central console that sits over the high transmission tunnel. The middle seat back lowers to reveal a pair of cup holders and a small hatch to the boot. Both outer seats can be heated and have ISOFIX child seat tethers and anchors. Rear seats fold 60:40. 

The wide-opening tailgate reveals 328 litres of luggage space with rear seats up, with only a small area below for a mobility repair kit. The floor is high because the hybrid battery pack is located below. The base K2 grade model features 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, privacy glass, driver-power adjustable seats with lumbar support, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, forward collision avoidance assist, and rear blind-spot collision avoidance assist. A K3 level upgrades to 17-inch alloy wheels, vegan leather seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, Cube LED headlights, and a wireless phone charger. The top GT-Line has related styling, 17-inch alloys, Digital Key, ventilated front seats, and Highway Driver Assist, forward collision avoidance assist 2 for city/pedestrian/cyclist/junction/turning. 

All models are powered by the same 1.0 TGDi Mild Hybrid (MHEV) powertrain outputting 115hp. The K2 and K3 grades are offered with a 6-speed manual transmission, while the GT-Line is solely available with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, which, while the most expensive of the three, would be my choice mainly due to ease of driving in heavy traffic. Torque is 200Nm. A full-hybrid 1.6 GDI (HEV) version with 154hp is due in October. 

On the road, I felt very snug behind the wheel and enjoyed very good all-round visibility. The K4 feels smooth, confident, and composed. There was plenty of oomph for everyday use, but you can shift to manual for overtaking if desired. A 7-year warranty is standard. The K4 has not yet been appraised by Euro NCAP. 

The K2 trim is priced from €31,500, K3 from €34,000, and GT-Line from €38,500. (Prices exclude dealer and delivery-related charges.) Annual road tax is €200. 

Boyne Valley worth a discovery trip

Johnsfort House.

The Boyne Valley is pitching itself as Ireland’s go‑to summer staycation spot, writes Brian Byrne, offering everything from luxury spa breaks to budget farm stays within easy reach of major heritage sites.

Fáilte Ireland‑approved hotels and B&Bs in Trim, Drogheda and Kells report strong interest from families, couples and groups of friends. Bellinter House Hotel & Spa, Castle Arch Hotel and Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort are promoting spa escapes, family‑friendly leisure clubs and proximity to Newgrange, the Hill of Tara and Trim Castle.

Budget travellers and visitors seeking more space are turning to self‑catering and rural retreats. Slane Farm Hostel, Johnsfort House and Farm, and Hideaway at Foxhollow offer camping, glamping, restored farmhouses and organic farm experiences.

The Boyne Valley’s blend of historic landscapes, scenic countryside and modern amenities makes it a real alternative to overseas travel this summer, with full details available on DiscoverBoyneValley.ie. 

Bellinter House Hotel & Spa.

Castle Arch.

Leapmotor Ireland announces pricing for new B05 hatchback

The Leapmotor B05 C-Hatchback, arriving on Irish forecourts next month, is priced from €28,998 (inclusive of SEAI grant and VRT rebate), writes Trish Whelan. 

The interior features a dual-screen cockpit featuring a 14.6-inch floating infotainment display and an 8.8-inch digital cluster. 

The Style trim version features a coupe-inspired silhouette, frameless doors, 19-inch alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, 21 ADAS safety features, and a 56.2 kWh battery with a WLTP-rated range of up to 401km. 

Design trim, from €32,984, adds eco-leather upholstery, ambient lighting, heated front seats, and a dedicated Launch Control model with a 67.1 kWh battery and range of up to 485km. Both battery variants are supported by ultra-fast DC charging, enabling a 30%-80% charge in around 17 minutes. 

Leapmotor Ireland now has nine retail partners around the country in Dublin, Westmeath, Cork, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Galway. Supported by Gowan Auto network nationwide, the vehicle is backed by a 6-year/unlimited mileage warranty.

Mercedes-Benz CLA review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

Mercedes-Benz has a very long tradition of producing coupe-styled cars, notably the legendary 300 S Coupe (and roadster convertible) of the early 1950s, writes Brian Byrne. The theme continued with the 220 SE Coupe of the late 50s and early 60s, followed by, amongst others, the third-generation SL that was iconic of the brand all through the 1970s and 80s. 

The thing about those, and coupes from other car brands, was that they were all 2-door automobiles, access to and space in the rear seats very much an afterthought. In December 2003, the carmaker that had invented the automobile broke new ground again with the CLS, the first 4-door executive coupe, with adequate space for four people. Based on the E-Class saloon underpinnings, the CLS went through three generations until production ceased in 2023 due to a seriously diminished demand.

But the format's original success had encouraged Mercedes-Benz to bring it to their smaller A segment, and when the CLA was introduced for the 2013 model year, it began a steady success performance that has remained very consistent in overall sales. The third generation arrived in Ireland earlier this year, and sales since its European launch last year suggest it will maintain the momentum.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a saying ascribed to the founder of another global carmaker, and Mercedes-Benz seem to have taken it to heart with the styling of their newest CLA. Very much a further gentle evolution of the Concept Style Coupe first shown at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. But the underpinnings are completely new, with this CLA being the first model on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA). This 'skateboard'-type platform is designed primarily for EVs, but is capable of using traditional ICE engines — this generation CLA has the model's first electric variant. In styling, it also marks a shift by M-B, which is dropping separate styles for electric cars, a sign that EV powertrains are now a mainstream choice. My review car is the petrol hybrid.

The interior is the latest full-width iteration of the Mercedes-Benz digital dashboard known by the incredibly ugly name MBUX. Now with a Virtual Assistant based on ChatGPT4o, Google Gemini and Microsoft Bing. Physically, it is quite different from the more sporty and cosseting style of that first CLA, where the relatively small screen sat on top of the centre air vents, this dashboard is full-width flat glass, comprising integrated driving information and infotainment screens and allowing for an optional extra screen for the front passenger to play with (which, rather thankfully, wasn't on my car). The graphics are bright and clear, the lower part of the centre screen holding a line of easily-read virtual buttons for climate management and a few other functions. Below the centre vents, the hazard, camera, and volume are operated by physical controls. There's appropriate brightwork detailing throughout the well-designed and premium-quality space.

The car is the brand's smallest sedan, but there's no sense of tight space for the front occupants, while there's a surprising amount of leg-room behind me, suggesting that travel as a rear passenger won't be any hardship. The boot's 455L capacity is adequate rather than generous.

My review car's 4-cylinder 1.5 petrol engine with mild hybrid technology was developed by Mercedes-Benz specifically as a compact unit for vehicles on this MMA architecture. In the CLA 200 configuration, it offers 163hp and a 0-100km/h of 8 seconds. With the standard 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, it proved to be a smooth-shifting performer, with the low stance suggesting an even speedier progress. A little snarly engine note on acceleration, touching the forelock to earlier motoring times, is artificial and provided at no extra cost. 

I don't normally mention driver assistance systems these days, but it's worth noting that those in the CLA are operated by no less than five radar sensors, eight cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and, they say, a water-cooled supercomputer. Along with all that AI-Assistant stuff, it's something like a data centre on wheels, with possibly equivalent energy consumption wherever that's managed out of the car. In fuel use, M-B claim diesel-like frugality (there's no diesel option), and the 5.1L/100km I got was right on the button with the claimed consumption. All my travel in the car was smooth, quiet, and suitably Mercedes-like.

PRICE: From €57,960; Review car €64,621. WHAT I LIKED: Updated underpinnings of what has become a classic style.