Golf gets World Car award

The Volkswagen Golf has been voted the World Car of the Year 2013.

The announcement at the New York Motor Show puts the new generation Golf, brought to Ireland at the end of last year, to yet another milestone for the iconic nameplate.

Paul Burke, Operations Manager for Volkswagen Ireland Passenger Cars said the compaany has been 'taken aback' with the demand for the car on what is a challenging year for the market here. "But it does show that many loyal customers see buying the Golf as a sound investment.”

The seventh generation model marks over 30 years since the Golf was first introduced. It won the European Car of the Year 2013 three weeks ago at the Geneva Motor Show.

The ‘World Car of the Year’ jury consists of 66 motoring journalists from 23 countries, and the Irish juror is Padraic Deane, a Roscommon based motor journalist with decades of experience in his craft.

Kia dons the stars and stripes

Remember DC Comics' 'Wonderwoman', the original female superhero? Well, to add an extra bit of jizz to the New York Motor Show, Kia in the US has produced this special version of its Sportage, dressed up in the patriotic Wonderwoman style.

The car will be used to promote the DC Entertainment 'We Can Be Heroes' campaign to bring help in alleviating the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Red upholstery and dash pieces combined with blue LED lighting were added to continue the Sportage’s exterior color scheme into the cabin. The custom seats were inspired by Wonder Woman's signature garb and embroidered with her logo, while the cargo area of the vehicle is adorned with stars and an eagle and features a see-through panel, which displays Wonder Woman's tiara, bracelets and glowing Lasso of Truth.

Also at the NYMS, Kia revealed its new generation Soul and a revised Optima.

Fiesta ST coming in April

The new new generation Fiesta ST will arrive in Ireland during April and will be available in two versions, Fiesta ST1 and Fiesta ST2, priced from €25,760.

Power for both is from a 182hp 1.6 Ecoboost petrol engine, with CO2 emissions of 138g/km putting it into band B2 for tax reference.

Specification for Fiesta ST1 will feature 17” alloys; ST design body styling kit; ST rear spoiler; Recaro sport front seats with fabric trim; leather-trimmed ST steering wheel and gearshift lever with red-stitching. The car also comes as standard with Ford SYNC; MyKey technology; ESP; and seven airbags.

Fiesta ST2 adds LED daytime running lights; Recaro sport front seats with partial leather trim; SONY CD + Ford SYNC; manual A/C; privacy glass; and push button start.

Honda 'Most Trusted' Car Maker

New-car buyers have again recognised Honda as the 'Most Trusted Brand' in an on-line survey of over 12,000 new vehicle buyers carried out by Kelley's Blue Book. This is the second year Honda was awarded the title in the study.

Frank Kennedy of Universal Honda Ireland said winning this award is very significant because it is not a manufacturer promoted claim but is the impartial testimonials of real car owners surveyed across many brands that decide who comes out on top.

Honda also won this title last year.

Mini celebrates 100 years

Mini is celebrating 100 years of automotive production.

These British small cars have been built at the Mini Plant in Oxford. To kick off the celebrations, five Oxford-built Minis are on a tour that has taken them to eight former classic Mini production locations the length and breath of Europe.

The Mini convoy yesterday arrived at the classic Mini assembly site at Portobello Dublin. The only remains of the plant today are the entrance and exit gates located on the Lower Rathmines Road in Dublin 6 (pictured left).

The tour finishes this Thursday March 28 at the Mini Oxford Plant.

When the Mini was launched in 1959, it was an overnight sales success in Ireland. But before the car could be sold in the Republic of Ireland, all the component parts had to be packed in wooden crates in the UK, shipped to the Port of Dublin, and then assembled in two separate plants in the Dublin area.

The Brittain Group assembled the Mini at Portobello and there was also a service facility in Ringsend, close to the current Aviva Stadium.

Crates at the Oxford plant

The Brittain Group and rivals Lincoln and Nolan Ltd - who also assembled the Mini at New Wapping Street in East Wall - amalgamated in 1967/68 and became the B.L.N. Motor Company, moving to the Naas Road on the South side of Dublin. The company was then bought by the Smith Group who assembled Renaults in Wexford. Following the B.L.N. merger, the Mini assembly franchise went to Reg Armstrong Motors in Ringsend.

The other Mini production locations were Slovenia, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Mini Ireland extend their gratitude to Irish motoring journalist Brian Foley who provided invaluable knowledge for this piece of Irish automotive history.

Opel Adam arrives

Opel Ireland has launched the Adam small car here at a starting price of €14,995.

There are three grades, Jam, Glam and Slam, power is from a 100hp 1.4 petrol engine.

Available as an extra for €350 is the Opel Intellilink system which uses a touch-screen to manage entertainment and communication, compatible with both Apple IOS and Android smartphones.

Latest Merc E-Class models arrive

First versions of the new restyled Mercedes-Benz E-Class have arrived in Ireland and can now be seen in dealer showrooms around the country, writes Trish Whelan.

The new range comes in two distinctly different design formats. First come the Classic and Elegance versions with their traditional triple-louvre grille and bonnet-mounted star; both are elegantly crafted to appeal to those traditional and loyal E-Class customers whose purchases have accounted for half of all Mercedes-Benz cars sold in Ireland.

Alongside these comes a third very different CLS-inspired Avantgarde version aimed at a younger, sportier buyers who have never owned a Merc before now. This version has punchier lines, squat looks, a sports style grille and inset three-pointed star.

The price package broadly compares to the outgoing range. Among the diesels, the E200 CDI launches at €44,540 (ex-works) with annual road tax of €270 while the more powerful E220 CDI launches at €47,110 with road tax of €270. Third in the trio of diesels, an E250 CDI, launches at €49,495 with road tax of €270.

Pictured (left) is the interior of the E220 CDI Elegance Automatic version that we took for a short drive at the launch.

Two petrol versions are the E200 BlueEFFICIENCY version at €47,015 with annual road tax of €390, and the E300 BlueTec Hybrid Automatic at €53,020 with annual road tax of €190. This model is only available in automatic.

Prices quoted are for Classic versions in all cases. Prices for Elegance and Avantgarde cars will carry a small premium and will be announced as models arrive.

Pictured above at today's launch are Stephen Byrne and Ciaran Allen of Mercedes-Benz.

Road Test: Toyota Auris

This new Auris is a sea-change from Toyota, writes Brian Byrne. And a promise to competitors of more to come as this hatchback precurses a new saloon and estate, arriving in Ireland from the summer.

Longer, lower, and leaner by some 40kg over the previous car, it is certainly a car with style. Strong front end with echoes of aggression from the Lexus IS F Sport design. A crisp profile with lots of character, and a much more defined rear end than we have ever seen from a Toyota in this segment.

Ford 'won't encourage pre-regs'

Irish car market sales figures are being distorted by the practice of pre-registration, according to the MD of Ford Ireland, Eddie Murphy, writes Brian Byrne.

And he said that Ford in Ireland won't promote the practice among its dealers, because it isn't in the interest of customers.

With that, Ford joins Toyota, which also doesn't indulge in pre-registrations, in which dealers are encouraged to register cars themselves at the end of a month, so as to qualify for a sales quota bonus. The pre-registered cars are then sold at a discount the following month, to 'second' owners.

"That doesn't give any consideration to customers who had paid the full price in the earlier part of the month," Eddie Murphy noted.

The practice is also used by some distributors to artificially inflate 'sales' figures so as to achieve high placings in monthly and quarterly listings on models and brands.

The Ford boss did say that individual dealers in the brand might do some pre-registering, but Ford Ireland wouldn't be offering any incentive for them to do so.

He was speaking at the official Irish launch of the new generation Kuga (pictured above). It has gone on sale at an entry price of €33,450. Power options are 140/163hp 2.0 diesel engines, with CO2 ratings from B2-D. 

Honda helps prevent traffic jams

Honda has developed a system to cut traffic jams using driving instructions given by a smartphone, writes Brian Byrne.

In a test on a public road in Jakarta, Indonesia, the system helped to delay the occurrence of a traffic jam by up to six munites, and improved fuel consumption in the cars involved by at least 20 percent.

In the test, the cars were equipped with an application running on a smartphone which directed the drivers how to drive most efficiently for the conditions. The application monitored patterns of acceleration and deceleration of the vehicles, working out if they were running in a way that would cause a traffic jam.

The overall effect was that the test vehicles were running in sync with each other. The interface used was screen colour based, with a green screen showing no traffic jam potential and a blue screen showing otherwise.

Without the system, when the traffic volume exceeded 200 vehicles per three minutes, the average speed of vehicles rapidly decreased, causing a traffic jam. However, with the system, even when the traffic volume exceeded 200 vehicles per three minutes, the average speed of vehicles increased after a while.

New RAV4 is a Toyota statement

Toyota Ireland is 'making a statement' with pricing its new generation RAV4 compact SUV much lower than the predecessor model, writes Brian Byrne.

With the entry price of €27,995 around €5,000 cheaper than was previously the case, and higher grades coming in at around €4,000 less expensive, the Irish distributor is taking direct aim at regaining a significant position in a segment which the original RAV4 established in 1994.

Speaking at the Irish press launch of the vehicle on Friday, Toyota Ireland MD Dave Shannon said some of the price reduction was due to more efficient powertrains bringing the new RAV4 into lower tax bands.

But he also said the company is making a statement on pricing in what has become the third most important segment in the Irish car market.

The new car is longer, wider and lower than the third-generation model, yet offers more power and better fuel consumption.

It's available with 124hp 2.0 diesel power for the FWD variants, and 150hp 2.2 diesel for the AWD versions. There are also petrol versions available, but Dave Shannon said it wasn't envisaged that there would be any significant demand for them.

The segment is responsible for some 10,000 units per annum, and the Toyota boss said he was confident that in the remainder of this year there would be 800 customers for the vehicle. In a full year, and depending on market conditions, he saw now reason why they shouldn't exceed 1,000 units.

Last year, the segment leader was Nissan's Qashqai with 3,257 units registered, followed by Hyundai's ix35 with 1,525, Kia's Sportage with 1,208, Volkswagen's Tiguan (574) and Skoda's Yeti (543).

Pictured above at the launch are Toyota Ireland's Steve Tormey, Nollaig Breen, Dave Shannon and Ian Corbett.

Hyundai unveils luxury sports coupe

Hyundai Motor Company yesterday unveiled the exterior of the HND-9, its latest luxury sports coupe concept.

The ninth concept model developed by the brand's R&D Centre in Korea, the HND-9 with its dramatic long bonnet and wheelbase, is a modern reinterpretation of the elegant image of a classic premium sports coupe.

Butterfly doors, spiral-shaped lines to the headlamp, dual twin exhaust and unique head and rear lamps give the car a sleek futuristic look. As a rear-wheel drive, high-performance sports coupe concept, the HND-9 is equipped with a 3.3 turbo GDi petrol engine and eight-speed auto transmission, delivering maximum output of 370hp.

The car is set to make its world debut during Hyundai's press conference on 28 March at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show. More details will be revealed later.

VW and Topaz praised in Best Workplace 2013

Volkswagen Group Ireland has been officially recognised as a Best Workplace 2013, the only automotive company to make this year's list.

This prestigious accolade was presented at the Great Place to Work Awards in the Burlington Hotel Dublin earlier this month.

Commenting on the accolade, Tom Fleming, Human Resources Director of Volkswagen Group Ireland said their success is built around 'great brands, great people, and a great dealer network'. He said "We recognise that great people thrive in a great work environment. We will celebrate this achievement but we also know that being a great place to work is a never ending journey."

Topaz, the country's biggest fuels and convenience retailer, has also been recognised as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland - for the sixth year in a row. Pictured at the event was Paul Candon, Marketing and Corporate Services Director at Topaz (centre) with Jonathan Diver, Dealer Business Manager, and Judy Wilson, Head of Category Management.

Great Place to Work Ireland is part of a Global network with offices in 48 countries using the same assessment methodology to publish 45 country lists, as well as regional and a Global list.

IF extends 'kids go free'

Irish Ferries has extended its ‘Kids Go Free’ offer on its Irish Sea services and is now taking bookings up to April 2nd.

Applicable to all children under the age of 16, the offer is available on sailings between Dublin to Holyhead and Rosslare to Pembroke up until January 4th next year.

Further information and bookings can be made online at www.irishferries.com or by calling 0818 300 400.

New RAV4 has uphill battle

Toyota's new RAV4 compact SUV is longer, wider, lower and better-looking than the outgoing car, but faces very stiff competition in a segment where it is a long way from the top, writes Brian Byrne.

Last year the vehicle didn't get inside the top ten of comparable SUV-type cars in Ireland, in a segment dominated by Nissan's Qashqai, Hyundai's ix35 and Kia's Sportage.

Perhaps there's some small comfort in the fact that even VW's Tiguan, the segment leader by a long shot across the rest of Europe, only managed a little more than twice the 238 units sold of the Toyota car. Also, that the RAV4 was on runout didn't help.

The fact remains, though, that in a fiercely competitive segment worth around 10,000 units a year, the local Toyota importer has to get through some pretty rough terrain to become relevant again in the compact SUV scene. The arrival of the new generation Ford Kuga next week won't make it any easier.

From its launch in 1994, the RAV4 was segment leader across Europe, but had slipped to sixth at the end of 2012.

Now in its fourth generation, the latest RAV4 is 30mm wider, 205mm longer and 25mm lower than its predecessor. Boot space is also up, by 16 percent to 547L. Toyota has also improved the level of in-car technology, now offering its touch-screen multimedia system and rear view camera.

The new RAV4 went on sale last week at a starting price of €27,495. Road tax is now from €270 a year (Tax Band B1).

Geneva Motor Show lookback

Just for the fun of it, here's a look back at our recent trip to the Geneva Motor Show. It's always nice looking at shiny sheetmetal.

Road Test: Kia Sorento

Kia's new Sorento is above all a handsome car, writes Brian Byrne. The latest generation of the brand's senior SUV brings it forward through the carmaker's design process to where every other model has now reached. But Sorento is more than just good looks and high quality.

Visually, this 7-seater now has the same kind of elegance in its lines as was developed for the smaller Sportage a couple of years ago. The car's version of the Kia grille theme is unmistakable but individual too. The vertical foglight pods give their own special element in the overall 'face' of the Sorento. Side views offer a sense of strength and there's a nice coherence in the rear design. The EX version that was under review lacks the spoiler that comes with the Platinum version, and to my taste is all the better for that.

Trim down road signs, call in UK

The Transport minister in the UK has offered a prize for local authorities who 'declutter' road signs in their area, writes Brian Byrne.

Saying that there are many 'pointless', 'confusing' and 'expensive to maintain' signs blotting the UK landscape, Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said he wants to encourage Councils to tackle the problem.

Those authorities who are working to minimise such signage will be acknowledged at an awards ceremony in June.

VW has China recall over DSG gearboxes

A China recall of Volkswagens to fix potentially faulty gearboxes affects 384,181 cars, writes Brian Byrne.

The recall is over a range of models and involves problems with the 7-speed DSG automatic gearboxes.

The issues reportedly relate both to defective equipment and software problems.

Volkswagen Group cars sold in China last year exceeded 2.8 million units.

i3 range 'up to 330km'

BMW's first production electric car, the i3, will have a range of 220km, the company says.

Set to go on sale before the end of the year in global markets, the car will also have a range-extender system that can boost distance travellable up to 350km.

The 220km range will require use of specific 'Eco' modes which will trim down use of ancillary systems such as aircon and heating.

The 'range extender' is a 2-cylinder motorcycle engine and a generator, using petrol to charge the system for an extra 130km.

There are no prices for the i3 yet.

Motorcycle holidays brochure

If you like motorcycle travelling and fancy giving yourself a special kind of trip this summer, you should really look at the Celtic Horizon Tours brochure for motorcycle tours 2013, writes Brian Byrne.

This Maynooth-based operation is fully bonded and licensed as a tour operator, and has developed a fascinating range of guided and sel-guided tours in the US ... and also closer to home in Wales, Scotland, England and across Europe.

Building on the experience of several charity fund-raising trips along Route 66 in the US, the Celtic Horizon people are now offering drives that include that iconic route, the Canadian Rockies to Yellowstone, the Pony Express Run and many others in the land of the big ride.

But you don't have to be a 2-wheeler to use the services of Celtic Horizon, the company is also offering self-drive runs along Route 66 and others in a car or motorhome.

Their brochure is a mine of information on everything that you'd need to know for any of their offerings, and there's a definite promise that you'll come home with memories far and away from the normal package holiday.

More information online, or by phoning 01 6292000 or 021 4377501.

5* Madeira packages from Concorde Travel

Concorde Travel have slashed the prices of March and April departures to the 5* Vidamar Resort Madeira, with packages now starting from €799pp.

Located in the south coast of Madeira Island, the 5* Vidamar Resort Madeira benefits from an exclusive position with direct access to the ocean and balconies which offer views of the sea and the landscaped mature gardens.

The hotel is centrally located in the Lido area and has a number of swimming pools, restaurants, cafe bars and shops. Public buses to the historical centre of Funchal (5 minute journey) and other island locations stop right outside the hotel.

Those who book their holiday to the resort with Concorde Travel will also receive a free upgrade to a sea-view room on the higher floors, free entrance to the Vidamar Club Spa and one partial body massage per person per stay.

Visit www.concordetravel.ie, or phone (01) 775 9300 to speak with one of Concorde Travels' representatives. Concorde Travel is a fully bonded Tour Operator, part of Joe Walsh Tours group.

Rob and Kathryn get new Audis

Ireland and Leinster rugby player Rob Kearney, and TV celebrity presenter Kathryn Thomas have received new Audis as part of a deal involving their brand ambassadorships with Audi.

McLaren 12C Spider takes on a Snowboarder

The launch of a quarter of a million euro sports car in America was marked by the McLaren 12C Spider taking on a snowboarder in a 'race' through the notoriously treacherous Loveland Pass in Colorado in the Rocky Mountains.

A video shows the 3.8-litre, 616hp McLaren 12C Spider navigating the tricky, snow-covered route 'racing' against professional snowboarder Chanelle Sladics.

The 12C Spider is being driven in the video by Rhys Millen. The native New Zealander is the current overall record holder for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, 2005 Formula Drift champion and 2008 Drifting World Champion. Rhys has appeared in over 500 commercials spanning 20 years and films including several appearances within the Fast and the Furious franchise, Indiana Jones and is curretnly working on a new film project soon to be released.


Chanelle takes the most direct route across the snow covered landscape. At 11,990 (3,655m) above sea level, Loveland is the highest mountain pass in the world that stays open during the winter months.

The 12C Spider made its global debut in North America last year. Check out the video on the official McLaren Automotive YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/McLarenAutomotiveTV.