New MGS6 provides generous all-electric range

MG's new MGS6 EV is now on sale in the brand’s showrooms nationwide priced from €39,495-€46,495, writes Trish Whelan. Powered by a 77 kWh battery and available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, this is a spacious, refined and generously equipped mid-size SUV that has already achieved a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. 

Three variants are offered, Excite Long Range with a single motor and power output of 180kW and a combined range of 530km; the Exclusive Long Range with the same 530km capability, power and rear wheel drive configuration but with a high level of specification and more comfort and technology features, and the Exclusive Dual Motor with a power output to 266kW and with a 0-100km/h time of 5.1 seconds. This performance-focused variant achieves a claimed range of 485km. All three models can charge from 10-80 per cent in 38 minutes using rapid public chargers. Five drive modes and five regeneration modes, including One-Pedal mode, also feature across all variants. 

Boot capacity with rear seats up is 674 litres and up to 1,910 litres with them folded. The Exclusive single motor variant has up to 124 litres of frunk space. Standard equipment includes MG Pilot safety systems, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, dual screens, wireless smartphone connectivity and satellite navigation. Higher trims add features such as a head-up display, panoramic roof, ventilated seats and a 360 deg camera. MG offers an eight-year/150,000km warranty. 

MG has announced the appointment of two new dealers, Frank Keane Drogheda, located on North Road, Drogheda, Co Louth; and Doyle’s Garage on Coast Road, Courtown, Gorey, Co. Wexford. 

Polestar 5 makes its Irish debut

Polestar, the Swedish electric car brand, unveiled the Polestar 5, four-door performance Grand Tourer last week, writes Trish Whelan. 

Available to order now, Polestar 5 Dual motor Launch edition (550kW, 812Nm, 0-100km/h 3.9 secs) is priced from €130,700. The Polestar 5 Performance Launch edition (650kW, 1,015Nm) is available from €145,700. 

Polestar Ireland Brand Director, Jordan Killen, says this is the purest Polestar yet and completes the current line-up. 

Launching in Ireland in Summer 2026, full specification and pricing is available at polestar.com/ie.

New BYD Seal 6 Super Hybrid saloon and touring models

BYD has introduced their family-sized Seal 6 Super Hybrid - a plug-in hybrid with intelligent BYD Super DM-i technology, writes Trish Whelan. 

The model arrives in Ireland both as a saloon version and, in a new body style for BYD in Europe, an estate version named the BYD Seal 6 Super Hybrid Touring. 

With its compact petrol engine, the combination of battery and motorised power translates into over 100km of pure-electric driving, and a combined range of 1,505kms on the saloon ‘Boost’ variant, with a full charge and full tank of fuel. Boot space is a decent 491 litres increasing to 1,370 litres with rear seat backs folded; the Touring model has 675 litres, extendable to 1,535 litres. The car is capable of 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds, has peak torque of 300Nm. 

The new Seal 6 Super Hybrid is the second BYD to come to Ireland equipped with their DM-i dual mode technology and is the first of six new models to arrive here this year. It is available in Ireland in ‘Boost’ and ‘Comfort’ trim variants and comes equipped with a big array of standard specifications. 

A short test drive in the saloon version on launch day, proved this is quite an upmarket car, comfortable and spacious. The car provides an efficient, practical and eco-conscious solution for daily mobility and long worry-free journeys. 

Both versions are capable of 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds. Peak torque is 300Nm. 

Awarded a full five-star Euro NCAP rating, safety fitments include numerous advanced driver assistance systems such as front parking sensors, rear radar, 360-degree camera, sensors and reversing camera. 

Prices start at €37,490 for the saloon body style, and from €38,999 for the Touring model (pictured below).

 

Citroen C5 Aircross First Drive: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

I've long believed the SUV definition needs clarification, writes Brian Byrne. Originally, the term 'Sports Utility Vehicle' referred to heavy-duty 4x4s built for work, often for use in rugged terrain. They were, by nature, heavy, noisy, and quite uncomfortable. Later, luxury SUVs emerged, equipped with large engines and high fuel consumption that their affluent owners could afford to overlook. To environmentalists, they became — and remain — anathema. 

Over the past decade or so, the SUV style has been adapted for the family car market, built on standard car platforms, and known as crossovers. Usually taller than the hatchbacks they are based on, they consume more fuel. But in reality, that increase is minor and reasonable considering their extra space and practicality as family vehicles. They do not merit the criticism sometimes directed at them solely because they have an SUV shape and are called SUVs 

With close to a third of registrations in 2025, the medium SUV category is now the most popular car type on the Irish market. Indeed, four of the top ten car models sold here last year were in that category: Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4, and Volkswagen's Tiguan. Other makers big in the segment are Nissan, Skoda, Peugeot, and Ford. The premium brands are also represented, though for obvious reasons in smaller numbers.

Citroen has also been on the list for many years, though as a minority brand. Still, the C5 Aircross, which debuted in 2017, has been the leading model in that carmaker's range in recent years. The completely new second-generation C5 Aircross has just gone on sale in Ireland, and I've had an introductory drive in it.

The production version has stayed true to much of the concept debuted at the Paris Mondiale some 16 months ago. The previous model had rather quirky styling; the new C5 Aircross is a little more subdued than its predecessor, but arguably has at least as much presence. A handsome vehicle, it's longer than the first generation, has an extended wheelbase, and offers significantly more headroom for rear passengers.

The latest version of the Citroen chevron badge is set large and proud in the centre of the facia — in my case, the grille-less electric variant. The thin matrix headlights give the car a quietly determined look. There's a subtlety to the profile character lines that nevertheless provides enhanced aerodynamics, as does the angled rear section of the roof. Squared-off wheel arches and angular details on the rear also suggest strength.

Inside, there's a deep flat dashboard with a full-width trim element designed to increase the feeling of width. Totally new to the brand — indeed to the Stellantis Group — is a vertical centre screen in what they call a floating 'waterfall' format, melding into the centre console and forming a useful open storage space underneath. Shiny black plastics and soft-touch trim elements have been integrated well together, and the ergonomics of the switchgear and virtual screen controls are well thought out. As a Stellantis Group brand, some control relationships with cousin models, such as the Opel Grandland and its Peugeot equivalents, are evident and welcome.

Citroën has made comfort its unique selling proposition, and the seating in the latest C5 Aircross is an excellent example of the brand's efforts there. The quilted finish and high-density foam make for a very comfortable travel experience. Aided under the car by Citroen's patented progressive hydraulic shock absorbers, which really do work as well as they are promised to. For rear passengers, there's claimed segment-leading legroom in seats with a 3-way split option and adjustable backrests. The luggage space behind them at 651L is exceptional and remains the same across powertrains.

As I said, my first driving experience was in the full-electric version, which offers 210hp and a 73kWh battery, with a rated range of up to 520 km. The other drives include a 145hp petrol-hybrid and a 225hp plug-in hybrid with a rated electric-only range of 96 km. The fuel tank in that one is also larger, with a total PHEV range of 1,100 km.

On my drive, I appreciated the easy entry and the car's interior space. The electric drive was smooth and quiet, and there was an overall feeling of strength about the car, which I'll be interested in learning more about when I take one for a full review.

In the meantime, the new C5 Aircross certainly leaves a positive feeling.

PRICE: From €39,300 for the hybrid; electric from €39,939. WHAT I LIKED: Comfort in a stylish package. 

Government extends eSPSV grant for 2006

The Government has extended its electric small public service vehicle (eSPSV) grant scheme through 2026, writes Brian Byrne. The scheme, open for applications from 25 February, provides financial support to taxi, hackney, and limousine operators wishing to upgrade to cleaner, electric vehicles. 

A funding allocation of €7 million has been confirmed for 2026. Eligible operators will have access to grants of up to €7,500 for purchasing a new battery electric SPSV, and up to €17,500 for those scrapping older, high-polluting vehicles as part of their transition. Additionally, operators can receive up to €25,000 for the purchase of a wheelchair-accessible battery electric SPSV.

Since its launch in 2018, the scheme has allocated over €65 million, assisting more than 3,600 operators to transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric, thereby helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality across Irish cities and towns.

 

Peugeot 408 hybrid review: Trish Whelan, Irish Car

When Peugeot’s stunning-looking 408 model went on sale here at the start of 2023, it was heralded as the first of its kind in the history of the brand, offering a new fastback silhouette to compete at the top of the C-segment. It provides a very stylish alternative to a much taller SUV. Based on the same underpinnings as the Peugeot 3008 and its first cousin, the Citroën C5 X, the 408 is offered in both petrol-hybrid and fully electric formats. 

My 408 review car measured 4.69m in length, with a long wheelbase of 2.79m, which provides good interior space and a big boot. It was attractive from every angle, with its low-slung, streamlined, fastback-coupe-like silhouette, sleek appearance, sharp lines, and a grille the same colour as the bodywork. It sat on very smart-looking 17-inch alloy wheels that came as standard. The spacious interior is fitted with some very nice tweed-like materials and trims on the dash and doors, and the big sloping handles located near the hinges on the front doors meant I did not have to stretch far out to grab a handle to close my door. 

The dash is dominated by Peugeot’s i-cockpit design (standard on all 408s), which comprises a 10-inch touchscreen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a similarly sized 3D driver’s digital instrument screen, and a small, flat top-and-bottom steering wheel. With my shorter frame, I could clearly see my current speed on this instrument cluster, but the lower steering wheel blocked my view of the bottom section of the screen. Both screens feature colourful graphics against a dark background. I found the central screen a bit fiddly to use, but the row of i-Toggle buttons below makes it easy to access key features on that screen. Virtual buttons are for Mirror Screen, Phone, Navigation, Air Direction, Dual-Zone Climate Control, Media, and Home. There is a C-type USB port, a 12-volt power socket, and a mobile phone charging pad on the front. Other pluses included the high-definition reversing camera and blind-spot monitors on the side mirrors. Cubbies include a twin-door front armrest with ample space below, C-type USB ports, a decent-sized glovebox, and large door bins. The front seats held me in well and were really comfy; they had manual adjustments. The two-level area of the central console doesn’t much appeal to me but includes two cupholders, the gear selector for the automatic transmission, the engine Stop/Start button, the drive mode selector for Sport, Normal or Eco modes, and an electric parking brake. 

People seated in the rear have decent legroom, but with the roof slope, headroom could be tight for very tall people. The middle seat back lowers as an armrest with two large cupholders, and there’s a hatch through to the boot. The liftback operates manually; luggage capacity of 536 litres can expand to 1,611 litres with the rear seats folded down; the boot has a bespoke rubber mat, a 12V power socket and light, and a puncture repair and tyre inflation kit. 

The Allure model includes keyless entry, LED headlights, High Beam Assist, Hill Assist, Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, extended traffic sign recognition, and cruise control with adaptive Stop & Go. The top GT trim adds a choice of 8 ambient lighting colours, Matrix LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, a power tailgate, 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, and GT model designation badging. The hybrid model is a 145bhp petrol matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. Hybrid driving lets you drive in electric mode for over 50 per cent of the time in urban areas, helping lower fuel consumption. The battery charges automatically when the car is decelerating. 

On the road, I had a good driving position thanks to the adjustable steering wheel and the high seating position. The car proved very easy to drive, and the three-cylinder engine was peppy enough for a family’s everyday use, with a 0-100km/h time of around 9.4 seconds. Peugeot claims a combined fuel consumption of around 5.1 L/100kms. The narrow rear window hampers visibility due to the car's coupe styling. Parking sensors are standard. When tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, the 408 scored four out of a possible five stars; 76 per cent for adult protection, 84 per cent for child occupant protection, 78 per cent for vulnerable road users and 65 per cent for safety assist systems. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) include Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. 

Peugeot offers a five-year warranty, limited to 100,000 km. The entry-level Allure hybrid starts at €28,995; my 145 hybrid starts at €37,995. Prices exclude dealer delivery-related charges. Road tax is €180 for the hybrid.