Volvo on growth spurt

Volvo Car Ireland ends the year as the second fastest growing car brand in this country in 2005 with sales figures growing a huge 40% on 2004 figures.

2005 was the first full sales year for the new Volvo S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon and this has reflected in sales volumes.

Next March sees the launch of the new retractable hard topped C70.

Brian Byrne.

Audi's diesel racer

Audi is to race a diesel powered supercar at Le Mans next June.

The R10 car will have a V12 TDI engine producing over 650 hp -- the world’s most powerful racing diesel engine.

The engine is a totally new 5.5-litre, 12-cylinder twin-turbo and has a colossal 1,100 Newton metres of torque.

Brian Byrne.

Ford to put Edge on Detroit

For US only for the moment anyhow, a new Ford crossover vehicle will debut at the January Detroit Motor Show.

The Ford Edge is powered by Ford's new 3.5-litre V-6 engine and new 6-speed automatic transmission.

Edge goes on sale in fourth quarter 2006.

Brian Byrne.

2,000th Phantom

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have produced the 2,000th Phantom at its manufacturing plant at Goodwood, England.

The car is destined for China, which is an important market for Rolls-Royce.

A convertible version of the Phantom is scheduled for launch in the next 12 to 18 months.

The company, owned by BMW, is celebrating its third birthday in its present incarnation on 1 January 2006.

Brian Byrne.

Chrysler 300C gets notice

There's considerable interest in the new Chrysler 300C saloon, which goes on sale in Ireland in January at a starting price of €58,500.

The car is powered by either a 3-litre Merc-sourced diesel V6 or a 5.7-litre V8 'hemi' from the US. The latter costs €73,700.

There are no plans to bring the estate version of the 300C to Ireland.

Brian Byrne.

Ford's disability road show

Ford Ireland has launched a roadshow aimed at the thousands of drivers with a disability which requires adaptions to their cars.

The event will make its way to dealerships across the country over the course of 2006.

The show features a specially equipped Ford Focus ‘assessment’ vehicle, fitted with €20,000 worth of disabled driver aids and technology.

Brian Byrne.

New S-Class now on sale

The new-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class will sell around 400 copies next year, a figure substantially limited by allocation.

The new car is now on sale in four initial versions with a choice of three petrol engines and one diesel.

The petrol units are 3.5-litre and two different 5.5-litres, with power outputs of 200hp, 285hp and 380hp respectively, and a 173hp 3-litre diesel.

The price range for the new car is €105,100-€214,335.

Caliber in 2006

It's official: the Dodge brand is coming back to Ireland in the middle of next year.

The first car to carry the famous American brand, currently the fifth biggest in its home country, will be the new Caliber which was shown in concept form at recent motor shows. It will be followed in the early part of 2007 by a new SUV on the same platform, the Nitro.

Dodge sold more than 1.4 million vehicles worldwide in 2004, representing half of all sales in the Chrysler Group.

The vehicles will include diesel variants to suit the European market.

Brian Byrne.

Call for single agency for road safety

A call for a single agency to be responsible and accountable for road safety has been made by the chairman of the Irish Motoring Writers Association, Padraic Deane.

Speaking at the recent Semperit Irish Car of the Year Awards, he said it should be an 'all-encompassing' body with just one focus, reducing road deaths figures.

He specifically challenged the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to be the 'accountable person' to take on the role of maximising the efforst of all agencies in reducing road deaths.

Mr Deane also appealed for a change in use of speed detection units from the publicly-perceived use as 'cash collection machines' to usage near schools and hospitals and other places where there are specific risks.

Finally he suggested to the motor industry that they should put stickers on their cars and advertising urging motorists to 'Please Drive Responsibly' in a similar way to the slogans being used by the drinks industry.

Brian Byrne.

Deputy says Minister's toll remarks 'dishonest'

Leixlip-based independent TD Deputy Catherine Murphy has described Transport Minister Martin Cullen comments following the opening of the new section of the M4 as 'dishonest'.

"He described the new toll as good value for money for the journey from Dublin to Galway when he knows full well the selection process for toll roads is deliberately aimed at daily commuters that travel a fraction of that journey," she said yesterday.

"There are only two sections of roads to the West where tolls are planned, the section of the M4 which was officially opened today and the new section of the N6 just outside of Galway which is not due to open for two years."

Deputy Murphy says the toll locations selected are intended to yield the highest level of commuter traffic, a point that is further emphasised when the issue of increasing house prices driving workers further away from our cities.

"Those who commute daily will contribute towards the cost of constructing other sections of the road in two ways, through general taxation and also by the imposition of tolls. This is an inequitable way to pay for national infrastructure according to the Deputy. For those living along the sections in between the two tolled sections no toll will apply."

Deputy Murphy says experience shows widespread evidence of traffic diverting away from the tolled roads, evidence of which can be seen daily on back roads around the M50 or near the M1 at Drogheda. The 'double whammy' of paying a toll and keeping the traffic are a major disappointment to neighbouring communities, she concludes.

To use the M50 as a daily commuter costs in excess of €800 per annum, the new section of the M4 for daily use will cost in excess of €1,200. Deputy Murphy notes that both apply to after-taxed income and unfairly penalise those living in what are the new suburbs.

"There is no doubt there is a need to pay for new infrastructure, however that must be done in an equitable way, selective tolling in congested areas is plainly unfair."

Suzuki SX4 for Geneva launch

Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) will start production of its new SX4 this month and the car's world launch will be at the Geneva Motor Show next March.

The SX4 was created as a result of a joint development agreement between Suzuki and Fiat Auto, with Suzuki responsible for the project management from concept to mass production.

The SX4 has two variants. The 'Urban Line' emphasises the passenger car characteristics with fewer SUV design elements whilst the 'Outdoor Line' is distinctly more of an SUV in appearance.

There is a choice of three engines -- 99hp 1,490cc and 107hp 1,586cc petrol units and a 120hp 1,910cc diesel unit.

There's a new six-speed manual transmission – available with the diesel engine only.

Brian Byrne.

Panda Cross revealed

Fiat has revealed its new Panda Cross variant, a more rugged version of the Panda 4x4 range.

The car is due to go on sale in Italy from the beginning of 2006 and later in other countries.

It features a 4x4 system with viscous coupling and a locking differential that acts at speeds below 30 km/h to brake slipping wheels and transfer torque to the other wheels on the same axis.

The Cross is powered by a 70 bhp 1.3 Multijet diesel engine.

Brian Byrne.

Hybrid sales soar

Global cumulative sales of Toyota hybrid vehicles have topped the 500,000 mark, with approximately 513,000 units sold worldwide by the end of October this year.

Toyota launched the Prius — the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle — in Japan in 1997 and began selling it in North America, Europe and elsewhere in 2000.

In 2001, it added in Japan the Estima Hybrid minivan, the Crown luxury sedan mild hybrid and the Dyna light-duty hybrid truck.

In 2003 came the second-generation Prius with a new-generation hybrid system based on the concept of Hybrid Synergy Drive.

In 2005, it expanded use of this system to the Lexus RX400h and the Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota is preparing a Hybrid Synergy Drive-based hybrid system for rear-wheel-drive passenger vehicles and expects to introduce it on the Lexus GS450h, scheduled for launch in spring 2006.

Brian Byrne.

New Chevrolet for Ireland

The Chevrolet Aveo sedan will be launched on the Irish market in April.

It will have a choice of 1.2- and 1.4-litre engines.

Brian Byrne.

Drunk pedestrians danger

Drunken pedestrians leave themselves open to injury or death because their condition means that they are not in a fit state to consider the road safety dangers, RAC Ireland has warned.

Already this year, 56 pedestrians have been killed on Irish roads – a significant percentage of the overall fatalities on our roads.

Brian Byrne.

Revised Fiesta, Fusion

Ford's revised Fiesta and Fusion are are available in the ‘Steel’ series that provides extra equipment levels at special value prices.

Fiesta's 'Steel' specifications provide 16” alloy wheels, front fogs, electric front windows, remote radio/CD, sunroof and remote central double locking. The cost is €350 over the LX model.



The Fusion's Steel edition adds rear privacy glass, air conditioning, alloy wheels and remote CD and central locking.

Prices from €15,530 and €18,060 respectively.

Brian Byrne.

Tosca for Europe?

Wonder if we're going to see Chevrolet in Europe attack the Mondeo-size segment with a version of this Daewoo Tosca, just revealed for the Korean market?

The car is already sold in Canada as the Chevrolet Epica, and elsewhere in North America as the Suzuki Verona.

The car is built by GM Daewoo in all guises, and the D segment is the only one where the Chevrolet brand new to here doesn't have a contender.

The Tosca comes with a choice of 2- and 2.5-litre petrol engines.

Brian Byrne.

Smooth concept from Citroen

This is Citroen's latest concept car, the C-AirPlay, unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show.

The car is in the supermini segment and features iridescent white bodywork, porthole windows on the lower part of the doors which offer a direct vision of the road, and a wheel base that gives it a strong on-road stance.

C-AirPlay is equipped with a 110 bhp petrol engine, a SensoDrive automated gearbox, and Stop & Start technology.

Brian Byrne.

New Fiat SUV

Fiat Auto has revealed its first compact SUV, the Sedici, which will come to market in in Europe next February.

The vehicle is built for Fiat by Suzuki and comes with two power units -- a 107bhp 1.6-litre petrol supplied by Suzuki and a and 120 bhp 1.9-litre Multijet diesel.

C6 in the spring

Citroen's new C6 flagship luxury car will arrive in Ireland next spring at a starting price of €61,500.

There will be three trim levels – C6, C6 Lignage and C6 Exclusive, available with a choice of two Euro IV engines -- a 215bhp 3-litre V6 petrol or a Twin Turbo 2.7-litre V6 208bhp HDi diesel. Both will have automatic 6-speed gearboxes.

The top-end price will be €78,500.