Tyre organisation says safety opportunity lost

The Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) says a key opportunity to improve road safety has been missed by not including tyre safety as an element in the new penalty points offences that came into effect on April 3.

Jack Farrell, Chief Executive of the ITIA said that the issue of tyre safety needs to be addressed by including it in the list of penalty point offences.

The ITIA estimates that there are more than 200,000 illegal tyres on Irish roads and contends that the only way to ensure that this number is reduced is to introduce penalty points for drivers in vehicles on such tyres.

Brian Byrne.

IAM welcomes penalty points

The Irish Advanced Motorists organisation has welcomed the introduction of 31 additional penalty points for driving offences. 
 
IAM Director Mike Kavanagh said they will provide a much needed deterrent, and also make enforcement easier.

He also said that a programme of enforcement, while welcomed, should be combined with a 'greater education initiative'.

IAM promotes public awareness of road safety and aims to influence road-user behaviour through the IAM Advanced Driving Test.

Brian Byrne.

First zero fossil emissions hybrid

Saab has unveiled a BioPower Hybrid Concept which delivers zero fossil CO2 emissions, enhanced performance and a range of energy-saving features by combining the use of pure bioethanol fuel and electric power generation for the first time.

The world's first fossil-free hybrid vehicle, the Saab 9-3 Convertible show car unveiled at the Stockholm Motor Show today, also becomes the world's first hybrid soft-top.

The entire system has been packaged without sacrificing cabin accommodation or trunk space, as demonstrated by its unveiling in the Saab 9-3 Convertible.

Brian Byrne.

New Outlander upcoming

Mitsubishi will introduce a new generation Outlander SUV at the New York Auto Show at the end of the month.

For the American market it will be powered by a new 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine.

It will be available in Ireland next year, powered by the same 2.0-litre diesel which has been sourced from VW and is in the Grandis MPV.

Brian Byrne.

Review of tyre regulations plea

The Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) has called for a review of the legal minium tyre tread depth for all cars.

The associations comment comes in the wake of the verdict in the inquest into the tragic death of Ms Mary Seavers, where the jury recommended that there should be a review of the legal minimum tyre tread depth for all emergency vehicles.

In the interests of public safety, the association says this review should not apply just to emergency vehicles, but to all vehicles on our roads.

It cites research which showed that tyres with the legal tread depth of 1.6mm had an 80 percent deterioration in braking performance in comparison with new tyres. 

Trish Whelan.

New Sprinter in June

Mercedes-Benz Ireland expects to sell some 500 units of the new generation Sprinters in the remainder of this year, effectively the full allocation available to them.

First supplies arrive in June, and though no prices have yet been announced, the distributors don't expect that there will be major increases.

Around 1.3 million units of the Sprinter have been sold globally since it was first launched, and last year in a runout situation it actually set a new sales record.

Brian Byrne.

Opel to sponsor Gaelic players

Opel Ireland is to sponsor the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) to the tune of €3 million over the next three years.

The sponsorship will involve a number of initiatives, of which the immediate centrepiece will be a players awards programme entitled the Opel Gaelic Players Awards.

This scheme will run from February to October each year incorporating both the National League and Championship seasons.   

Brian Byrne.

VW plans models spree

Volkswagen is to produce twenty new models over the next five years, ten of which will be in segments where the brand doesn't currently compete.

Among them will be a roadster based on the Concept R shown at Frankfurt in 2003, and a four-door coupe to fit between the Passat and the Phaeton.

The company may have to find a partner for development of the roadster because the mid-engine/rear drive format doesn't fit with any of VW's current platforms.

Meanwhile, the company has brought forward by a year plans for the next generation of the Golf, to 2008.

The Golf has met strong competition from the Opel Astra and the second generation Ford Focus.

Brian Byrne.

Ireland now digitally mapped

A digital map for the Republic of Ireland has finally been completed by key supplier Navteq.

The work took over three years and the map is now available to carmakers to have incorporated in the systems provided by their sat-nav suppliers.

The map is also available for PDA and Smartphone instruments.



The new Navteq map includes all public roads in the Republic and every kilometre was driven and field verified by teams of NAVTEQ geographic analysts.

It covers 95,369 kilometres of road linking over 44,000 cities, towns and villages.

Trish Whelan.

Audi makes Sebring history

A V12 TDI engine with 650hp powered the new Audi R10 sports prototype to victory in 12 hours of the Sebring marathon race in the US.

The history-making 650PS Audi R10 TDI sports prototype was driven by Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello

The 5.5-litre V12 powering the R10 TDI is the world’s first purpose-built diesel racing engine and the first Audi TDI to be built around an all-aluminium block.

It has 1,100Nm of torque which exerts more force on the five-speed sequential transmission than even a Formula 1 car has to contend with.

Brian Byrne.

'Ignorance' of new penalty point offences

What it calls a 'widespread level of ignorance' of the new offences that will incur penalty points from April 1, has been highlighted by the RAC School of Motoring in Rathmines.

Listed among the 31 new offences are not bringing the car to a complete stop at a stop sign; crossing a continuous white line; ailure to obey requirements at junctions; failure to leave appropriate distance between you and the vehicle in front; riving on the hard shoulder.

All regular offences on Irish roads.

Brian Byrne.

New Corsa for London debut

No, that's NOT the new Corsa, just GM Europe's way of advertising the fact that they intend to launch it at the London International Motor Show on July 18.

The new Corsa goes on sale in the autumn.

It's the fourth generation of the nameplate, and both three and five-door versions will be on show in London.

Brian Byrne.

Mazda2 upgrade

Mazda has upgraded its 2 series cars, giving them new front and rear lights and trimming the C-pillar in black.

There are also new designs in the alloy wheels.

Inside there’s a new audio system.

The drivetrain is unchanged.

Brian Byrne.

New Nissan safety idea

Nissan is developing a safety feature which causes a car's accelerator pedal to lift by itself to warn of a possible collision.

The technology utilises existing systems which underpin active cruise control, combining radar sensors and the car’s computer.

Any indication of an oncoming crash will automatically raise the pedal against the driver’s foot. If the driver lifts his foot in response, the brakes automatically begin to work.

It will be widely available on Nissan cars in Japan inside three years and it will be also offered in the US and Europe.

Brian Byrne.

Toyota plans low-cost brand?

Toyota is planning a low-cost sedan for emerging markets, with a view to doing the same as Renault has with its Dacia Logan.

The Japanese carmaker may also create a new low-cost brand to pick up in market segments where it doesn't currently compete.

The brand and its projected two models --- the other is a monospace 'box' style -- would not be sold in western Europe.

A board member said that separate sales channels will be set up for the new brand and its products, which wouldn't be able to offer the same level of quality and refinement as mainstream Toyotas.

The sedan model would be based on a Fiat design, the Albea, which is being developed by Turkish manufacturer Tofas.

The second model would be a van-type MPV, similar in size to the Renault Kangoo and Peugeot Partner.

Brian Byrne.

New Rexton for launch

Ssangyong has released pictures of its forthcoming new Rexton, which will be launched on the South Korean market on the 28th of March.

The car has been re-engineered from ground up and will come equipped with the new 2.0 diesel engine which is already being offered in the Kyron.

There's no word on its coming to Ireland yet.

Brian Byrne.

The passing of Andrew Hamilton

We have learned with shock and a deep sadness of the sudden death of Andrew Hamilton, the former Motoring Editor of the Irish Times. He was also for decades the Irish juror on the European Car of the Year jury.

Andy was a much-loved colleague and an ever-present brightness in the firmament of Irish motoring journalism. Indeed, his star was much more than just Ireland's, for his path was truly global, and his natural gregariousness made him friends in every country in the world, especially in the international motor industry at every level.

A northerner from County Tyrone, he made his home in Dublin many years ago, and also in his beloved west Cork in summers. Much of his life too he spent at far-flung airports, and in transit between them, but his heart was never far from Newtownstewart, where he will be buried tomorrow, Tuesday.

Andy was nothing if not professional in his working life, but he was also a most genuinely friendly man, generous to a fault, and truly considerate of the needs of others around him. He also loved deeply his sister and brother, and particularly his nieces and nephews, for whom he was forever buying little mementoes of the places where he travelled.

As colleagues we will all miss him greatly, as friends we have suffered a heavy loss. We will remember many of his stories of Irish life and politics, and of motoring trips and people, and we now will not ever hear the ones he hadn't told us yet, of which we know there was still a deep untapped fund. Most of all we will miss his ability to make us smile whenever he arrived in our company.

To his family, his friends, and especially to his former colleagues in the Irish Times, we extend our heartfelt condolences.

The skies in which we fly are a little less bright today, and the roads on which we drive are somewhat less interesting.

Brian Byrne.
Trish Whelan.

Toyota leading car sales

Toyota is leading the Irish market in new car sales, with 10,425 units sold up to March 10.

Ford is number two, with 8,680 units, and VW has boosted its sales by more than 50 percent compared to last year to the number three slot with 8,186 cars sold.

Nissan and Opel round out the top five with 6,023 and 5,527 units respectively.

The market to date is 7.1 percent higher than in the same period last year.

Brian Byrne.

Mitsubishi's new pickup next month

The new fourth-generation Mitsubishi L200 pickup is aiming to return the model to being Europe's top pickup in sales terms. It is being launched in Ireland in April.

In 2005 it was passed out by the Nissan Navara after being eight years at the top of the segment league.

The latest version has a new body-on-frame platform, and has features such as ESP and traction control. Power comes from a 136hp 2.5-litre diesel engine.

Brian Byrne.

Brera here soon

Alfa Romeo's new Brera Coupe is going on sale in Ireland with a choice of engines that include a 2.2 16v. JTS that produces 185 bhp, and a 3.2 V6 JTS unit that produces 260 bhp.

There are eight airbags, including knee-bags for driver and front-seat passenger.

Recommended retail prices, excluding delivery and related charges, are €48,000 for the Brera 2.2 and €57,000 for the 3.2 V6.

Brian Byrne.

Call for more of the 'Three Es' in safety

Authorities in Ireland need to focus more on engineering, education and enforcement in terms of road safety, a top Swedish trauma expert said last night.

Dr Per Ortemwell (pictured above second right with Stefan Olsen of Saab, Dr Patricia Houlihan from Beaumont, and Padraic Deane of the Irish Motoring Writers Association)was speaking at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, during a safety information seminar organised by the IMWA in association with Semperit.

Dr Ortemwell is a trauma expert working at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg.

Noting that the three 'performance indicators' in road crashes that can impact on the seriousness of the crash and its outcome are level of driver expertise, roadside and car design, and the quality of EMS and trauma centres, he emphasised that the problems of road safety really require a 'multi-layered approach' in order to have any hope of success.

Saab Vehicle Safety engineer Stefan Olsen said there were many complexities in reproducing simulations of real-life collisions by computer, but by studying the outcome of thousands of real accidents in Sweden, Saab had been able to develop crumple zones and active head restraint systems to make its cars safer.

From the front line perspective in Ireland, Dr Patricia Houlihan, trauma consultant at Beaumont, said that even with the huge advances in car safety and technology, mortality rates 'haven't improved'. "Nearly 27 percent of all patients admitted to Beaumont are the result of car accidents," she added. "A quarter of these need surgery of some kind, and a third need the care of neurosurgeons."

Padraic Deane, chairman of the IMWA, said that while fatalities on Ireland's roads are often highlighted, the 10,000-plus individuals who suffer serious injury as a result of crashes often go unpublicised.

"We're pleased to be able to contribute towards highlighting their plight, and the efforts of Irish medical personnel and the automotive industry to tackle this ongoing tragedy."

Paddy Murphy of Semperit (left) said the inaugural seminar is an example of the automotive industry and the medical sector coming together 'on a huge issue of mutual concern'.

Trish Whelan.

Road Safety campaign in foreign languages

A new foreign language road safety campaign from the National Safety Council was launched today to provide road safety information to the various minority ethnic groups in Ireland.

The campaign includes a leaflet and poster entitled ‘Road Safety & the Law translated into Russian, Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian, French), Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese.
 
They will be distributed through the minority ethnic press, ethnic shops, advice centres, ports and airports, An Garda Síochána and Local Authorities.

Brian Byrne.

Astra TwinTop prices

Opel Ireland has announced the prices for the new Astra TwinTop coupe-convertible, starting at €30,495.

The range will include a diesel version, and orders are now being taken for deliveries which start early summer.

There are three models and four engines to choose from.  As well as the 1.6 Twinport petrol engine, Sport models can be specified with the all-new 1.8 VVT 140hp engine.

Topping off the range is the Design, available from €32,295, and which can be specified with the 1.9CDTi 150HP 6-speed and the 2.0i Turbo in addition to the other power units.

Brian Byrne.

Ford GT, the only one

Tallaght Ford Airton Road recently took delivery of what must rank as Ireland’s rarest car. The Ford GT supercar, delivering 500bhp and a top speed of over 300kph.

The car is destined for the sole Irish–based motorist to have been officially allocated a car in a European-wide lottery organised by Ford.

Powered by a 5.4-litre supercharged V8 engine, the 2-seater Ford GT speeds to 100kph in just 3.3 seconds.

Brian Byrne.

Audi will replace A2

Audi is to target the premium small car market following the more-than-expected success of the BMW-owned Mini brand in the segment.

The new car will replace the A2, production of which ended in 2005 after poor sales throughout its life.

The new car will have standard steel construction and will be based on the VW Polo, and in style will follow the Shooting Brake concept (above) shown at last autumn's Tokyo Motor Show.

Brian Byrne.

Mazda names new pickup

Mazda is changing the name of its B-Series pickup with the introduction of a new generation version at the Bangkok Motor Show.

BT-50 is a global name that will be used in all markets.

The BT-50 will be built in Thailand.

Brian Byrne.

Note was beefed up for Europe

Nissan's Note small MPV, which has just been launched in Ireland, cost the company €150 million to make it suitable for Europe.

Nissan had to reinforce both ends of the car by 25 percent to deal with the more poor roads and higher speeds of European driving.

The European version also has a wider engine range than the 1.5-litre petrol unit that is the only engine in Japan.

In main European markets, the Note is available from just under €13,000. The entry level version in Ireland is just under €18,000.

Brian Byrne.

Bristol hits 60

The Bristol Cars company is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2006.

The quirky Bristol Blenheim 3 four-seater saloon (above) is selling better than ever thanks to a comprehensive suite of revisions.



This year also sees the first deliveries of an enhanced range of 2-seater Bristol Fighter supercars. Thanks to buoyant sales the company has had to defer the start of export production to satisfy the demand in right-hand drive markets.

Brian Byrne.

New Ranger debuts soon

Ford has released details of its all-new Ranger, which will be debuted at the Bangkok Motor Show.

The new pickup is powered by a 2.5-litre engine delivering 143hp and 330Nm of torque. It provides 22% better fuel economy than the Ranger's previous engine, according to Ford. There's also a new 3.0-litre engine with 156hp and 380 Nm torque.

Stylewise it has a raised beltline and a wider front grille as well as new clear-lens reflectors.

Brian Byrne.

Fox comes in April

April next has been fixed as the launch date for the new VW Fox supermini on the Irish market

The new 3-door Fox will come in a choice of two 1.2-litre, 3-door versions of 55 bhp and 65 bhp power output.

A 1.4-litre/75 bhp petrol and a 1.4-litre/80bhp TDi version will be added later.

The 1.2-litre, 55bhp version will come on the market at €12,750 ex works.

Brian Byrne.

Scudo prices cut

Fiat Auto Ireland has confirmed a €2,000 price reduction on both the Scudo 1.9 D and 2.0 JTD vans from March 1: the prices now will be €15,110 for the 1.9 D and €17,205 for the 2.0 JTD.

Both Scudos offer 4.0 cubic metres of load space with a payload of 850 kgs including driver for the 1.9 D and 925 kgs for the 2.0 JTD. The price reduction means that Scudo now competes on price against vans in a lower sector, offering far less capacity.

This price reduction means that one cubic metre of space in a Scudo 1.9 D now costs €3,777.

Brian Byrne.

C70 crowns fashion event

To coincide with the arrival of the new Volvo C70 coupé convertible at H B Dennis Volvo, Airside Motor Park, Managing Director Peter Dennis sponsored the Diffusion Boutique Spring/Summer 2006 fashion show at Howth Yacht Club on Wednesday 1 March.

It was a full house on the night, over 250 people attended and all proceeds from the fashion show will go to The Burrow School, Sutton.

Pictured before the show with the new Volvo C70 are Peter Dennis and Kate Gleeson of Diffusion (on right), with models Aoife Cogan (Miss Ireland) and Kelly O’Byrne.

Brian Byrne.

Land Rover's coming technologies

At the Geneva Motor Show, Land Rover announced a series of innovative application of environmental and efficient technologies that enhance both on- and off-road performance.

These technologies will be available on Land Rovers progressively in the next few years and have a potential to deliver 30 percent improvement in fuel economy and reduce emissions to an approximate 150g/km CO2 on a vehicle similar in size to a Freelander.

The Land-e systems combine mechanical and electrical advances to make gains in areas ranging from transmission function to cooling efficiency, and from battery power management to power steering efficiency - all without compromising the breadth of on- and off-road capability that defines all Land Rover products.

Brian Byrne.

Megane facelifted

Renault Ireland has introduced its facelifted Megane Range.

The facelift coincides with a revised range of engines, all of which are Euro 4 compliant. The diesel range will include an 86bhp and 106bhp version of the 1.5dCI engine. 

In addition to the list of improved diesel power plants, the petrol engines have also been improved on to increase power output.

The new look features a new design of headlamps, grille and front bumper, and new translucent light clusters at the rear.

According to body type, New Megane is equipped with up to eight airbags

Prices of the Megane 5-door Hatch start at  €20,000, the 4-door Sports Saloon from  €20,500, the 3-door Sports Coupe from  €23,300.

Brian Byrne.

Motorcyclists more vulnerable

Motorcycles represent less than 2 percent of licensed vehicles but bikers account for at least 12 percent of road deaths, which means that motorcyclists are 6 times more likely to be killed on our roads.

Between 1996 and 2003, almost 2,000 motorcycle users have been killed or seriously injured. This equates to a motorcycle fatality rate in Ireland of 1.5 per 1,000 licensed motorcycles, the highest in Europe.

In addition to the human cost, figures supplied by the National Roads Authority estimate that the economic cost of fatal and injury motorcycle crashes from 1996 to 2003 was over €1 billion.

Brian Byrne.

BLS arriving next month

The Cadillac BLS goes on sale in Ireland in April at prices starting from around €40,000.

The car is built in Sweden, and is designed specifically for Europe. It will be available with two 2-litre petrol engines of 175bhp and 210bhp output, and a 2.8-litre V6 petrol with 255bhp.

A 1.9-litre diesel outputting 150bhp will also be on the market.

There will be three specification levels: Business, Elegance and Sport Luxury, the last available only with the V6.

All versions will have electric windows and mirrors, ESP, aircon, four airbags and leather covered steering wheel. Elegance and Sport Luxury will add specification ranging from dual zone climate control to leather upholstery and walnut trim.

Cadillac's distributors in Ireland, OHM Ltd, have already appointed dealers in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, and plans to more than double the number by 2008.

The BLS is aimed at buyers of cars such as the BMW 3-Series and C-Class Mercedes, who want something that's different in the elite car segment The larger CTS model available also in April will target buyers of the 5-Series and E-Class.

Brian Byrne.

Note from Nissan

Nissan Ireland has launched its new Note small MPV-segment car.

The car will be available with three different engine types -1.4 manual, 1.6 automatic and 1.5 diesel – and two different specification options – SE & SVE.

Prices start at €17,895 for the SE model and €19,895 for the SVE version.

Trish Whelan.

Price change to Focus FFV

Ford Ireland has issued a price change notice for its Focus FFV flexi-fuel car.

The FFV has been granted a rebate of 50 percent of the Vehicle Registration Tax component of the price, but the company has been told by the Vehicle Registration Office that 21 percent VAT must be paid on the entire VRT amount rather than on the reduced VRT.

This means that instead of the €19,585 and €24,055 net prices for the 5-door and Wagon FFVs, the cars will cost €20,368 and €21,349 respectively.

Brian Byrne.

Kia continues growth

Kia Motors Ireland has reported a 63% increase in new registrations for February 2006 as compared to the same month last year.

The 4x4 Sportage remains the company's biggest selling car in Ireland, closely followed by Kia's popular B-Segment model, the Rio showing significant sales since its re-launch in September 2005.

Brian Byrne.

207 gets 5

The new Peugeot 207, to be launched in Ireland this summer, has been awarded a maximum 5-star occupant safety rating in the latest Euro NCAP tests.

The 207 further accomplished a 4-star child protection rating and a 3-star pedestrian protection rating, scores never before achieved by any small car.

The 207 is one of the first vehicles to be designed to meet the requirements of the new European directive concerning pedestrian impact protection.

Brian Byrne.

Geneva Motor Show 2006

The 76th Geneva international motor show over the next ten days will attract some 750,000 visitors from all over Europe.



For the last two days, Irish Car has been touring the show to see all the new cars and the sometimes wild concepts which are part and parcel of this most important auto show in the European calendar.

A full report, with all the best pictures, will appear in the upcoming edition of Irish Car magazine, but during the rest of the week we will give you a taste here of what we found, and the Irish motor business people we met.



A new Kia based on the cee'd concept shown at Geneva will come to Ireland in December, according to James Brooks of Kia Motors Ireland.

A C segment car, it will be produced in 3- and 5-foor formats, and as a full estate.



The new generation Sedona MPV, the Carnival at the show and in most other markets, will be here in September, and the 7-seat configuration will be 2-3-2. Engines will be 2.9-litre diesel and 2.7-litre petrol.

Mercedes-Benz Ireland will have two completely new models launched in Ireland inside six months, beginning with the R Class Grand Sports Tourer in April.



At the Geneva Motor Show, chief executive of the Mercedes-Benz division of Motor Distributors Limited Stephen Byrne (pictured above right with colleague Ciaran Allen) noted that this was on top of five new models launched already in the past twelve months -- the new generation A-Class, brand new B-Class, the all-new CLS-Class, and new generations of the M-Class and S-Class.



The R-Class is a 6-seater, with a middle row of two individual seats; the back pair can be folded out of sight to give a large flat load space.



We met Ian Corbett of Toyota Ireland with the RAV 4 Sports Concept, a take on the just-launched in Ireland new-generation car. It had light clusters which are different from the standard vehicle, and air intakes on the bonnet, with bigger 19-inch alloys.



One of the two concept vehicles on the stand was the Urban Cruiser, which is a preview of the theme of a new small SUV to replace the discontinued 3-door old RAV 4.



The new Suzuki SX4, revealed at Geneva, will launch in the autumn in Ireland, according to general manager of Suzuki Ireland Niall O'Gorman.



The 'crossover' with AWD as debuted has a 1.9-litre diesel and 1.5- and 1.6-litre petrol engines. It features a 6-speed manual transmission.

It will have two specification levels.



First units of the new Jeep Commander will arrive in Ireland in April, according to brand spokesman for the distributors Ian Bloomer.

The brand-new model is the first 7-seater Jeep, and will be powered by the same 3.0-litre V6 diesel as is used in the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee and in the Chrysler 3000C.



The new Lexus LS 460 will be on view in Ireland at the end of November, and orders will be taken for the car as an '07 model with deliveries next January, according to Lexus Ireland's Steven Kearney (pictured above with Lexus Ireland director Steve Tormey).



The LS 460 was given its European premiere at Geneva and is to be a flagship for new technology when it goes into production. Among the innovations will be the world's first 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The new car has a 4.6-litre V8 engine.

Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan

Car sales up again

Irish car sales in the first two months of the year increased by 9 percent on the same period in 2005 to 68,617.

According to statistics from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) there was a 4% increase in sales in February 2006 (25,636) compared to February 2005 (24,616).