Volvo ES90 review: Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Volvo’s premium ES90, launched last year, is a mix of saloon, liftback, and crossover. It is the sixth fully electric model in the brand’s line-up. 

One glance confirms excellent design: a confident stance courtesy of a long wheelbase, aerodynamic lines provide a commendable drag coefficient of only 0.25, big 22-inch wheels and raised ride height providing a commanding view of the road. I always like the brand’s unique LED headlight design, inspired by the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, which helps excellent night-time visibility. The coupe-like style looks swell, but results in a letterbox view in the rear view mirror. At the back are C-shaped LED tail lamps. 

The cabin is ‘business class’ all the way with full attention to detail. Volvo uses recycled and natural materials for sustainability, helping lower production CO2 emissions. Some 29% of all aluminium and 18% of all steel used is recycled, while wood panels come from FSC-certified wood. 

My car had beautiful leather upholstery. There’s plenty of head and legroom front and rear. Front seats are sculpted for comfort and designed to ease shoulder strain, and with ‘almost’ integrated headrests. They come with power adjustments, lumbar support, and cushion extensions for extra thigh support. They can be heated and ventilated, depending on specification. 

The 14.5-inch portrait touch screen is quite intuitive to use, but I had to go through it to adjust the side mirrors and steering wheel, and to open the boot and glovebox, which I didn’t appreciate. Thankfully, there are real controls for favourite shortcuts and the audio volume. Apps include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, integrated Google Maps, and Google Assistant. There’s a wireless phone charger, and two C-Type USBs front and rear. 

The customisable 9-inch driver’s cluster sits on top of the steering column, but I mainly relied on the Head-Up display for my current speed. You can choose from three views of Calm, Navi, which shows a detailed map, and Surround, that shows vehicles around. The multi-functional, three-spoke leather steering wheel is lovely to hold, and has voice and remote audio controls. Transmission selection is off the steering wheel, with the parking brake to the side. 

The top two grades include a panoramic roof that runs almost the entire length of the car - there’s no need for a blind as the tinted glass is coated and laminated to reduce glare. Other stand-out features are the double screen, rear-view camera; the 360-degree parking Surround View camera with 3D view; and Volvo’s excellent blind spot alerts on side mirrors. I’m sometimes at a loss to understand why designers include some nerd-like features in some new cars. With the ES90, the key-fob battery is rechargeable, and needs to be regularly placed on the phone charge space. Why not use a normal key fob? 

The three rear seats can all recline individually and have extended cushions. Outer ones can be heated and ventilated and include ISOFIX attachments with top tethers. The rear armrest lowers to reveal two cupholders and a hatch through to the boot. The flat floor makes foot space easier for the person in the middle seat. 

The wide liftgate and high boot floor make it easy to load and unload even large items. Luggage space is up to 424 litres with the rear backrests up; you can fold them individually or together to acquire up to 1,427 litres of space. There’s no spare, just a tyre sealant kit and compressor. A 12-volt outlet in the boot can power an electric cooler, air mattress pump, or camping stove. There’s a 27-litre front frunk to store the charging cable or washer fluid. 

The entry Core grade includes a heat pump, four-zone climate control, heated front and rear seats, and heated steering wheel; Plus adds the head-up display, 360-degree camera, interior illumination with back-lit wood decor; while the top Ultra (my review car) adds the electrochromic panoramic roof, tinted rear windows, ventilated front seats, active air suspension, and a Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 25 speakers throughout the cabin, including in the headrest and ceiling. Features include Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Park Pilot Assist. 

My car was the Single Motor Extended Range Ultra RWD, but buyers have the option of Twin Motor or Twin Motor Performance variants, both with AWD. Charging from 10% to 80% can be achieved at fast charging stations in around 22 minutes. While the claimed range for my car is around 696kms, my driver’s screen showed 50% of battery charge represented another 280kms in real-world driving over all types of routes, which would give a 100% charge allowing around 560kms. I appreciated how sublime and comfy the car was to drive, the 333hp power and huge torque of 480Nm which make it capable of 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds. 

The car proved a very refined drive and was very quiet on the road; the large wheels and high ground clearance as well as the suspension, added to comfort for all on board. The car’s safety system sensors includes five radars, seven cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors, and a lidar. These safety systems are designed to detect obstacles even in darkness, and activate safety measures. 

The ES90 has not yet been tested by Euro NCAP. PRICE: A practical car for those who can afford it. The Core Single Motor Extended Range starts at €82,100; Plus from €89,900, and Ultra from €102,400. Annual road tax is €120.

A practical car for those who can afford it. The Core Single Motor Extended Range starts at €82,100; Plus from €89,900, and Ultra from €102,400. Annual road tax is €120.

Honda Ireland sponsors David McCullagh programme

Tara Farrell, Sponsorship Manager RTÉ, David McCullagh, Ciaran Cusack, Communications & Brands Manager, Honda Ireland, John Saunders, Managing Director, Honda Ireland.

Honda Ireland has announced its sponsorship of RTÉ Radio 1’s ‘Today with David McCullagh’, which airs from 9am to 11am, writes Brian Byrne. The programme covers national and international news, politics, sport, and entertainment, with advice segments on various topics. 

The sponsorship, brokered by WPP, includes six 10-second sponsor-credited stings each morning and additional promos across other RTÉ shows. 

John Saunders, Managing Director of Honda Ireland, highlighted the partnership’s alignment with Honda’s values and RTÉ’s commitment to trusted journalism. Tara Farrell, RTÉ Radio’s Sponsorship Manager, welcomed Honda to their roster of high-calibre partners. 

Honda Ireland is part of Gowan Auto, which imports and distributes several car brands in Ireland. 

New Audi Q9 here at year end

Audi Ireland has unveiled the new Q9, the largest and most luxurious SUV in its lineup, scheduled to arrive by the end of 2026, writes Brian Byrne. Measuring over 5.3 metres, the Q9's maker promises exceptional space, premium materials, and innovative technology.

Features include Audi’s largest panoramic glass roof and a world-first curved digital OLED rear lights. Power is from a 3.0 V6 TDI engine with 299hp, quattro all-wheel drive, and advanced driver assistance systems. 

The Q9 can be configured with six or seven seats, with electrically adjustable rear seats. 

Pricing starts from €172,250. 

Your car is your Big Brother

I remember, back in 2012, at Ford's Innovation Centre in Aachen, sitting in a seat they were developing that would monitor my heart rate and other cardiac details, writes Brian Byrne. Effectively, a constant ECG while driving. The idea was that it would fit into a system which would carefully guide the car to a safe place should I indicate symptoms of a heart attack. It felt a little bit science fiction, but was evidently doable. At the time, I did also wonder about medical privacy, but pushed the concern aside on the basis that the information would probably remain within the car's own system.

Less than a decade and a half on, I don't know if the cars I drive are checking my heart, but they are certainly gathering a lot of other information about me. And it's probably not staying inside the car. The shiny new motor you drive off the sales lot today is a rolling data centre, with sensors that note an occupant's weight in order to switch on the ignition, are aware if you're holding the wheel, how hard you are on the accelerator and brakes, and can even see if you pick your nose. It's only a half-joke when I sometimes start up a Chinese car with its interior camera watching and call: "Good morning, Beijing!" I could just as easily be saluting the monitors in Seoul or Gothenburg or Munich, Rome, Paris, or Madrid. 

Most new cars today are in direct communication with their manufacturers, for over-the-air software upgrades via the vehicle's own internet connection. That's a two-way connection, with the car potentially capable of sending gigabytes of data back about its status, and about you and your driving habits. In the US, where data privacy laws are not as strong as in Europe, some carmakers earn revenue by selling that data on to various entities, including insurance companies — which could enable them to assess the risks of individual drivers if they want.

Then there are navigation systems, which help us all to get to where we want to be, even warning us of traffic issues and incidents, often offering alternative routes to avoid them. They build up reports of where speed cameras are typically located. Drivers can even insert in real-time where there is a police presence, or a crash. But remember that two-way 'data street'? They also log where we have been, how long we were there, and frequent destinations. All of which can be retained in the system, potentially accessible by diagnostics, by law enforcement with a warrant, probably by the car manufacturer remotely through their over-the-air update systems. Even without the car's own systems, when we hook up our personal phones via Bluetooth, we make available all our contacts, our call logs, text messages, even our media preferences. There's potential access to our personal profiles on various apps, which in many cases will have payment information, encrypted but potentially hackable. 

The Advanced Driver Assistance System features which beep and chirp at us and which many turn off before setting out on a journey also leave their data trail. I once asked a distributor if that data could be used after a crash, by insurance investigators, to reduce payouts if the driver had switched off any part of the system. He said no. I flat out didn't believe him. Not that I thought he was lying, just that he didn't know.

About those in-car cameras: as of this month, July 2026, the latest iteration of the EU’s General Safety Regulation means that all new cars sold in Europe must be equipped with them, bringing local manufacturers into the same regime as we already experience with Asian cars. The EU regulation specifically dictates that the video feed is processed in the car in a closed-loop system and destroyed immediately afterwards. The rules also forbid the use of the cameras for expanded surveillance, commercial profiling, or law enforcement non-warrant 'fishing' expeditions, but the electronic facility is there for bypassing any regulation. By the way, the in-car camera works on infrared, so it can see you in the dark.

Can you mitigate this data transfer in any way? Yes, to an extent, and depending on what levels of connectivity are important to you. You can change the settings in your vehicle's system to turn off data sharing, connected services, and analytics. This can mean losing features like emergency SOS calling, over-the-air updates, and built-in remote start. You can also delete the carmaker's companion smartphone apps such as FordPass, MyToyota, and Kia Connect. The full paranoia and techie heads can physically remove the fuse handling the car's telematics, or even unplug the Telematics Control Unit, if they can find it. Be aware that at this level you are probably invalidating at least some level of warranty, if not all.

Recalling what I said about technology guiding a car to a stop in a safe location, in an emergency, that technical ability is already available through the Level 2 autonomous driving systems in most new cars, which include active cruise control and automatic lane-changing. Many connected systems already allow a manufacturer, or someone mandated by them, to 'reach into' a car and immobilise it, say, if it has been stolen. Big Brother is not just watching you, but from the moment you blip your car open before driving away in the morning, he's amassing data on much of your daily life, and has the ability to directly affect it. 

All that said, technology advances mean that we gain a great deal in convenience, safety, and innovation in all parts of our modern lives, including driving our cars. It's really a matter of balancing both sides of the scales, depending on our expectations and needs, our own privacy, and the common good. 

I had my annual ECG at my doctor's clinic the other week. I'm fine, Mr Ford. Thank you, but I don't need your cardiac monitor seat. 

New e-scooter regulations agreed

Image: Cottonbro via Pexels.

The Irish Government has approved new e-scooter regulations led by Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien and Road Safety Minister Seán Canney, writes Brian Byrne. Key changes include raising the minimum age for e-scooter users to 18, mandating helmets and high-visibility clothing, increasing fines for e-scooter offences, and doubling fees for detained e-scooters. 

The Department of Transport will pause public e-scooter scheme funding and explore further proposals like vehicle registration and insurance.

Meanwhile, reforms at the Road Safety Authority (RSA) will introduce a Road Safety Ambassadors Programme, expand education initiatives, and improve driver services. The National Vehicle and Driver File, Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2026 will facilitate traffic collision data sharing, consider careless driving charges, and abolish paper motor tax discs. 

Opel Frontera review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

When I took out the new Opel Frontera for review, I got to thinking about how car sizes have changed, writes Brian Byrne. Because I'm old enough to remember from way back. The Frontera is a B-segment SUV-style car, while the Opel Kadett sold through the 1960s and 1970s was the equivalent of what we call a C-segment — compact family car — today. Why am I comparing two different segments? Because the Kadett was the smallest Opel then available. The new Frontera is longer, wider, and taller than was the Kadett (we did have one in our small but growing family), and even in its lightest form is roughly twice as heavy. The standard technology then was very rudimentary by today's standards — I particularly remember the non-powered steering, which I was reminded of about 20 years ago when Opel gave me the opportunity to get back into one. I suppose that timeline of experience allows me to appreciate the improvements much more than do many of my significantly younger colleagues.

With Opel now owned by the Stellantis group, it's inevitable that different brands share the same platforms and even sheetmetal in places. So the Frontera, which replaces the previous Crossland and is now the entry-level in the German brand's SUV lineup, is a companion car to Citroën’s C3 Aircross and to the new Fiat Grande Panda. If you compare the body style of the Opel and the Citroën, they are almost the same — the differences are only to the front and rear ends, and are fairly superficial. Which is not a criticism, because I find the shape and format quite good-looking and very practical.

The big difference is inside, in the style of the dashboard and instrumentation. The Opel's screen and driving instrumentation are tied together in an angled unit that, for me, works very well (I do like the more innovative Citroën approach, but on balance felt that little bit more comfortable with the Opel's somewhat traditional take). The Frontera's seats and door trims in my review car were cheerful and modern, and on a day trip during the recent very hot spell, proved very comfortable for the two of us on board. There's also decent rear leg and headroom thanks to the SUV format and a good wheelbase, and the 460L cargo capacity is generous (just to continue my opening comparisons, it's substantially more than was in that C-segment Kadett).

The Frontera shares the powertrain options of several other Stellantis B-segment cars: a 1.2 turbo three-cylinder petrol mild hybrid and a 113hp EV unit, the latter of which was in my reviewer’s car. There are two battery options: 44kWh and 54kWh, the larger one in my car, with a rated range of 400km. My rule of thumb on mixed real-world driving is 75 per cent of the claimed range, but the Frontera worked out rather better for me.

I suppose the other comparison from more than half a century ago is the safety systems. The Kadett had safety belts. A padded and telescopic steering column was also introduced during its model run. That was it. In the Frontera today, there are no fewer than 19 different safety and security features listed, including the dratted driver monitoring camera. That doesn't even include the seatbelts, collapsible steering column, traction control, ABS brakes, or airbags and more that we now just take as a given. 

In its current place, Opel is producing cars that are very much suited to today's driving environment and needs. The Frontera is right in that groove.

PRICE: From €24,606; Review car €31,165. WHAT I LIKED: Practicality with a vibe. 

Rising young racer is new Honda ambassador

Ciaran Cusack (Communications and Brand Manager, Honda Ireland), Max Hart (Honda Brand Ambassador), and Orla Flynn (Senior Marketing Executive, Honda Ireland).

Rising Irish motorsport star Max Hart has joined Honda Ireland as a Honda Brand Ambassador, writes Brian Byrne. Fresh from securing his first TCR UK Touring Car Championship victory of the season, Hart will represent the Honda brand off the track throughout the year as he continues to build his reputation on the international motorsport stage. 

The young Baltinglass driver is competing in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series with ALM Motorsport, while also racing in the TCR UK Championship with Hall’s Racing. He currently races a Honda Civic Type R, making the partnership a natural fit for both the driver and the brand. 

Named Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year 2024, Hart has established himself as one of the leading young talents in Irish motorsport, with more than 77 podium finishes and over 22 race victories to his name. 

Euro NCAP calls for US-standard truck under-run tech

Top, the US system outperforms the European system, underneath.

A study by Euro NCAP and UK safety organisations reveals that rear impact guards on trucks and trailers in Europe are inadequate, leading to hundreds of road deaths annually, writes Brian Byrne. The study highlights a double failure in road safety: older ADAS sensors fail to detect trailers, and rear safety guards fail to prevent cars from sliding beneath them. 

Euro NCAP is urging EU and UK legislators to implement changes to R58.03 legislation to match the US IIHS TOUGHGUARD standard and for trailer manufacturers to introduce upgrades and retrofit solutions. 

The investigation analysed collision data, focusing on trailer rear underrun impacts. This crash type potentially causes around 400 fatalities annually in the EU and UK. 

Test vehicles detected threats consistently against standard laboratory GVTs but struggled with real HGV rear-ends and impact protection vehicles used in roadworks, highlighting a gap between current and older ADAS systems. With the average car age rising, it will take over 15 years for most cars to avoid stationary trailers, underscoring the need for improved crash protection now. 

Tests of two commonly used trailers with regulated rear underrun protection systems resulted in severe outcomes, showing the car’s crash structure couldn’t protect occupants due to poor impact resistance. 

Since 2017, 70% of the latest US trailers have IIHS TOUGHGUARD-rated devices. Euro NCAP urges EU and UK legislators to update R58.03 legislation to match the US standard and calls on trailer manufacturers to offer voluntary upgrades and retrofit solutions for existing fleets. They also encourage truck fleet operators to request retrofit solutions to replace inadequate legacy guards on EU and UK roads.

Testing was carried out in laboratories across the UK, Germany, and the US. Supporting organisations are Germany’s ADAC, Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US.