S-MAX gets 5 stars safety

Ford's S-MAX has been awarded a top 5-star occupant safety rating in the Euro NCAP crash test programme. The car also achieved a 4-star rating for child protection.

The S-MAX safety includes the latest-technology front air bags and a new driver's knee air bag as well as side-mounted thorax air bags for the front seats plus window curtain air bags.

"We are very proud of the vehicle's safety performance and the class-leading Euro NCAP ratings," says Eddie Murphy, Chairman and Managing Director, Ford Ireland. "It shows that we are fully committed to continually improving the safety of our cars."

Brian Byrne.

New Fiat safety initiative

Fiat Auto Ireland has introduced a road safety initiative by which it will pay for an advanced driving course for the buyer of every new Fiat car. Pictured at the announcement are Eoin Murray, Racing Driver, Geoff Smyth, MD Fiat Auto Ireland, and Mike Kavanagh, Director, Irish Advanced Motoring.

The programme is undertaken with Irish Advanced Motorists (IAM) and consists of a modular course consisting of two half-day on-road training sessions followed by the IAM Test.

During the course the IAM trainer will identify strengths and weaknesses, demonstrate the standard of driving required to pass the test and will provide coaching on key areas where attention is required.

The Fiat/IAM programme runs from September 1.

Trish Whelan.

Passing predictor developed

A new Dynamic Pass Predictor from the BMW group -- a technological innovation which can help drivers understand opportunities to pass the vehicle in front -- is based on digital map data provided by NAVTEQ, a provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation. 

NAVTEQ’s patented 'electronic horizon' technology enables the attributes in the NAVTEQ digital map to be used to provide information to the vehicle on the road ahead. However, as it is not able to include the oncoming traffic in its calculations, the navigation system does not make pass recommendations.

The software for this solution has been developed by NAVTEQ and the BMW group.

Brian Byrne.

RS4 Avant, Cabrio prices announced

Audi have released prices for their new RS4 Avant and RS4 Cabriolet models both of which are now available in right hand drive format.

Based on the RS4 Saloon, first versions of which arrived here in March, the RS4 Avant and Cabriolet are powered by a 4.2-litre, 420bhp engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Prices are €106,660 ex works (Avant) and €116,400 (Cabriolet).

Brian Byrne.

Defender changes revealed

Major changes to the Land Rover Defender for 2007 include a new engine, completely new interior including a modern fascia, and more comfortable seats.

The company has retained the unique Defender architecture, with 90, 110 and 130 wheelbase versions supporting a wide range of bespoke derivatives.

The 2.4-litre diesel engine offers increased torque and improved driveability while the new six-speed gearbox provides a lower first gear ratio and a high sixth gear.

There's a 360 Nm torque peak from the 122hp engine, delivered at 2000 rpm, and over 315 Nm is available from 1500 rpm to 2700 rpm.

These are the latest in a long line of evolutionary updates to a vehicle whose roots date back to 1948.



Brian Byrne.

'Dodge Caliber: It's anything but cute!'

Cars with attitude are set to make buying decisions more interesting from today as the first Dodge hits the Irish market.

The Dodge Caliber is aimed at owners looking for a car that stands out from the crowd while giving them the versatility and flexibility to accommodate their active lifestyles. It is available in Jeep and Chrysler dealerships throughout Ireland, and the marketing reflects that it is a macho, tough car.

This is a five-door vehicle with a sporty couple-like profile but with the strength and stance of an SUV, and with plenty of room inside.

Buyers can chose from two spec levels, SE and SXT and three engine options, 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre Turbo Diesel. Prices are from €22,295-32,295 not including delivery and related charges.

Pictured at the launch are Conal O'Brien, Gabriel Hogan and Declan McCourt of OHM Group, at the launch of the Dodge brand in Ireland.



Trish Whelan.

New Altea variant

Seat has announced a new model in its current range in Europe, the Altea XL.

The car has similar lines to the Leon, but is 18.7cm longer than the Altea, increasing the 409-litre capacity of the Altea's boot to 532 litres. Sliding the rear seats forwards by 14cm expands the boot's volume further to 635 litres.

It will be launched with a choice of two petrol models – the 102 hp 1.6 and the 2.0 FSI developing 150 hp (only available with the six-speed Tiptronic gearshift) – and three diesel engines: the 1.9 TDI with 105 hp, the 140 hp 2.0 TDI (with the six-speed DSG gearshift as an option) as well as the 170 hp 2.0 TDI.

Brian Byrne.

Ford S-MAXes FAI

Ford has been selected as the official vehicle supplier to the FAI and the Republic of Ireland International Squad.

A €2million agreement was revealed at a sponsorship announcement in Dublin by International manager Stephen Staunton and CEO of the FAI John Delaney ahead of the first of the Euro 2008 qualifying games against Germany on September 2nd next.

As part of the 4-year programme, Ford will supply up to 50 new Ford S-MAX models and other cars to FAI officials involved in developing the game nationwide.

Eddie Murphy, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford Ireland, noted that Ford has been a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League since the inception of the tournament in the early 90s.

Brian Byrne.

Irishman is Jaguar top tech

An Irishman, Pat Faherty, has won the 2006 Jaguar Global Challenge, an annual event to find the world's top Jaguar technician.

Participants in the Global Challenge must complete five papers designed to test their product and technical knowledge and must achieve over 95% to qualify for the final. Pat was the only Irish qualifier with a score of 99%.

The Global Challenge Final is held at the Jaguar Technical Academy in the UK over a number of days and entrants travel from all over the world.

Pat is senior Jaguar technician with Bradley Jaguar in Galway, where he served his apprenticeship.

Brian Byrne.

Kia goes with cee'd name

Kia has chosen the name of its concept car for the production model of its new small family car.

It will be called the cee'd (pronounced 'seed') and it is first Kia to be designed and manufactured in Europe, at Kia’s first-ever European manufacturing facility in Slovakia.

Kia is part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group.

Brian Byrne.

M-B supports Irish Sea record bid

Mercedes-Benz and main dealer Annesley Williams are to support an attempt to set a new Sailing World Record for crossing the Irish Sea by Ireland’s leading wavesailing expert Oisin van Gelderen.

The dealership is providing a Vito Van as Oisin's support vehicle in the build-up to the challenge.

Van Gelderen (centre) is pictured at the Vito hand-over with Fergus Conheady (left), Commercial Vehicles Sales Manager of Mercedes-Benz and Jeff Williams of Annesley Williams.

Brian Byrne.

Renault offers free phone kit

Renault Ireland is offering a free Bluetooth hands free phone kit with every Renault car and van sold this month.

The kits will be installed before a customer takes delivery of their new Renault car or van. Suitable for use with all Bluetooth enabled mobile phones, there is no cradle, wires or headset in the car.

An LCD display screen provides information such as caller ID, carrier signal strength, or last calls received.

Brian Byrne.

Land Rover to continue show sponsorship

At the end of the Land Rover Puissance at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show in the RDS on Saturday, Land Rover Ireland announced that it is to continue its sponsorship of the event until 2008.

The Land Rover Puissance has the largest prize fund of any Puissance competition in the world. It is also one of the most exciting and nail biting events at the show and was won this year by Cian O'Connor riding Casper.

The event at the RDS has been sponsored by Land Rover Ireland since 2004.

Pictured competing in the Land Rover Puissance in the RDS on Saturday, 12th August, is Cian O'Connor riding Casper. O'Connor made an unsuccessful but valiant attempt to break the Puissance record by jumping 2m31. He won the event jumping 2m19.

Brian Byrne.

Loeb equals WRC record

The two-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb has equalled the record for the highest number of WRC wins (26, held jointly by Carlos Sainz) thanks to a personal fifth win in Germany, the fixture that gave him his first world class success in 2002.

The Frenchman's fifth win of 2006 takes him 33 points clear at the top of the provisional Drivers' standings, while the one-two finish of Loeb and his Spanish team-mate Dani Sordo (Citroën/BFGoodrich) sees Kronos Racing strengthen its lead at the top of the Manufacturers' table, 23 points ahead of BP-Ford/BFGoodrich.

Brian Byrne.

Mini Volvo

The Volvo Car Corporation has built a mini-Volvo that takes care of very special transport requirements during the European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

The car, which is a 1:5 scale model of a Volvo XC90, was developed to be able to quickly and smoothly transport javelins, hammers or discuses from the place where they land, back to the thrower again.

Volvo Cars does not have any plans afoot to mass produce the mini XC90 model.

Brian Byrne.

Panoramic Astra next month

The Astra Sport Hatch will be available with the panoramic windscreen in Ireland from September with prices starting from €24,895.

A 1.5 metre sweep of glass extends to the middle of the roof without the distraction of bars or pillars. 

The heat absorbing glass cuts right back across the roof leaving a clear uninterrupted view, and if you require some shade from the sun an electric blind can be slid forward.

Brian Byrne.

GM sticks to fuel cell target

General Motors is still expecting that it will have fuel cell technology ready for production by 2010.

This is against general motor industry expectation that it will be at least 2015 before such technology is ready to go on the road.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner told an industry conference this week that the company's Sequel fuel cell test car will be ready for testing in around a month's time.

The Sequel is the latest of a number of fuel cell concept car platform revealed by GM. It was shown at Detroit a year and a half ago, and Wagoner says it will have a range of 300 miles.

GM is spending $100 million a year on fuel cell development.

Brian Byrne.

'Quiet tunnels' cut noise

Toyota engineers in America have managed to eliminate noise and vibration by 90 percent by installing so-called 'quiet tunnels' at their manufacturing plant in Kentucky.

The plant builds mainly Camrys, and every unit produced is run through the tunnels so that engineers can listen for improper noises and rattles.

The system allows the engineers to hear things that normally would be muffled by tyre and engine noise.

Brian Byrne.

Fiat wins European Rally Championship

A factory-run Fiat Grande Punto Rally, built to Super2000 regulations and driven by Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta, has won the 2006 FIA European Rally Championship with three rounds still remaining.

The title was clinched at the weekend when the Grande Punto scored a decisive victory in the Rally Vinho da Madeira.

The victory in Madeira means that Fiat has now clinched its fourth FIA European Rally Championship crown, following in the footsteps of Raffaele Pinto (Fiat 124 Sport Spider) in 1972; Maurizio Verini (Fiat Abarth 124 Rally) in 1975; and Adartico Vudafieri (Fiat 131 Abarth) in 1981.

Brian Byrne.

New X5 revealed

BMW has revealed details of its next generation X5, which will be the first car from the marque to have a third row of seats.

The new car will also have more power, lower emissions, and better fuel consumption

It also comes with an all-new six-speed automatic gearbox and Adaptive Drive suspension management.

A choice of three power units will offered, 3.0-litre diesel and petrol and a 4.8-litre V8 petrol.

There's an increase of 19cms in overall body length and an increase in body width of 6cms and even with all seven seats in place there is still 200 litres of boot space.



Brian Byrne.

Highlights in latest Irish Car

The current issue of Irish Car magazine features first drives in the new Audi TT and the new BMW Z4 Coupe, among other cars.

We also review Opel's hot Meriva OPC, Ford's latest Galaxy, and in sporting vein we have a run in the Lotus Exige S, while Shane O'Donoghue reports on the amazing ambience of the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race.

A look at the triplets born from a liaison between Toyota and Peugeot-Citroen suggests that the 'small shall inherit the road', while moving up a notch we also test Peugeot's new 207, a 'winning bet' in our estimation. We also have a special preview report on the new Land Rover Freelander 2.

A visit to Citroen's Conservatoire near Paris is a rare picture essay in automotive history, and a full report from the recent British International Motor Show in London represents an interim snapshot of the modern car industry between the major European shows of Geneva and Paris.

In news we report on the new Corsa, coming in October, an upshift to BMW's X3, and Volvo's coming C30 Coupe.

All the above and more in Ireland's brightest car magazine.

Brian Byrne.

A moo Civic by Honda

Honda 'churned' one of its Civic Hybrid cars into a cow for an appearance at a London country festival, Fruitstock.

The Civic Hybrid is nicknamed Clover and will be loaned to innocent drinks (the organisers of the festival) for one year following its appearance at the festival to help spread the word about cleaner cars.

Clover grazed on the ‘Meet innocent’ Stand at Fruitstock, while a ‘Hybrid explained’ car was on the Honda stand.

Research conducted by Honda earlier this year suggested three out of four people don’t know how a Hybrid car works, while one in two had never even heard of the term.

Brian Byrne.

New MPV from Citroen

Citroën has revealed first details of its new seven-seat compact MPV, the C4 Picasso.

This new people carrier will make its world debut at the Paris Motor show next month and will complement the company’s existing MPV line-up.

The C4 Picasso features a vast panoramic windscreen, a new 6-speed electronic gearbox system, an original seat-folding design, zonal air conditioning, soundproofed windows, air quality sensor and the use of innovative interior lighting.

The C4 Picasso will be powered by either a 143bhp 2.0i petrol engine or 110bhp or 138bhp HDi diesel powerplants, both equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter system.

Brian Byrne.

Irish Ferries mini cruise offer

Irish Ferries has launched their autumn Mini Cruise to France programme, attractive to bargain hunters and those who want to re-stock their cellar with wines at prices half of what you would pay at home.  

Effective from end-August/early September at a return fare of EUR99 per adult and EUR39 per child, including ensuite cabin accommodation in a two-berth cabin, they include the option of travelling by car for EUR59 extra return when two or more adults travel together.  

Further information and bookings can be made by phoning 0818 300 400.

G4 Challenge on TV

The Land Rover G4 Challenge which was held during April and May in SE Asia and South America will be screened on Channel 4 through August and into September.

Six half-hour programmes will capture the mud, sweat, adrenaline and tears that 18 men and women experienced as they competed throughout 28 days of intense 4x4 and multi-sport competition. 

Among the competitors featured in the programmes is Gary Robertson, a 34 year old paramedic from Fermanagh who represented Ireland.

The scheduled times for the Channel 4 programmes are Saturdays at 7am, beginning August 5 and ending September 16.

Europe late for Lancer

A replacement Mitsubishi Lancer is now not expected to be available in Europe until late 2007, because Russia is a bigger market for the brand.

Russia will get the next-generation Lancer in the spring of 2006, in sedan form. The European market car will debut as a five-door hatch.

The cars will be styled like the Concept Sportback shown at Frankfurt last September.