Review: Volvo C40 Recharge - Brian Byrne, Irish Car

The 'Recharge' suffix used by Volvo cars can be somewhat confusing, writes Brian Byrne. Initially used for any version of one of its models that had an electric drive component, it could mean petrol-hybrid, plug-in petrol hybrid, or a fully electric car. The C40 Recharge is that last, and unique so far in the Volvo range in that the model is only available with battery-electric power.

I've reviewed the C40 Recharge before, earlier this year. And also the XC40 Recharge, the electric version of the company's compact SUV, as well as the related Polestar 2. They share powertrains, interiors to a great degree, and infotainment interfaces. So my recent stint with the C40 Recharge brought very familiar impressions. The reason for my revisiting the particular model was its powertrain, this time a single RWD electric motor instead of the AWD dual motors of my C40 of earlier this year.

The C40 Recharge is essentially an XC40 with a coupe rear end, a format that has become an almost de rigeur variant within the SUV classes. As I reported on the VW Taigo last week, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't (it does on the Taigo, you may remember). For the C40, yes, I think it pretty well does too. It's lower than the XC40 stablemate, I think also with a lower ride height. And the car is a little shorter and narrower. So overall it doesn't look like a mere roof chop job. A couple of sculpted bits on the rear roof, which presumably help with airflow, also add pleasant visual detail. The longer you look at the car, the more pleasing it is with the blockiness of the SUV style eliminated.

There are compromises, of course. The slope of the roof means a bit less airiness than the SUV gives for rear passengers, and the boot capacity is  significantly diminished though still decent. The rest of the interior has the classic simplicity in design and trim as in all the brand's current offerings, and in the same high quality. The centre screen feels small compared to a lot of what’s out there now, but as a positive requiring less time and head turning to understand information. Speaker volumes are adjusted by a nice big centre knob. Navigation and voice actuation of various functions is by the Google developed system which is simple and seems in practice very effective. 

All seats are comfortable. On the review car there was also a very nice detail on the dashboard trim and repeated on the doors, of a stylised map in relief of the Göta älv river in Gothenberg as it flows through parts of the city. It was somehow much more characterful than the usual run of trim pieces. 

As mentioned, this car had the single-motor powertrain. Which means a couple of things, not least that it takes around €5,000 off the price. There's also a substantial reduction in power, from 408hp to 252hp. Which to my mind is no big deal — the single motor machine has absolutely plenty adequate punch. The smaller output car also gets you further on a full charge. The rated range is 525km, and it makes sense to trim real-world expectations to 80pc of that. One little thing, Volvos don't give you an indication on the instrumentation of how many kms are left in the charge, just a battery percentage level. Might be clever, because it reduces potential complaints over actual distance travelled compared to estimated range. But on balance, I'd like to have that estimate ...

PRICE: From €62,515. WHAT I LIKED: The Scandinavian attitude to clean style and high quality. 

Review: Kia Sportage PHEV - Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Kia’s Sportage model has been the company’s best-selling car for over 10 years, writes Trish Whelan. Year to date, official Irish sales of the new fifth-generation Sportage are over 3,532.

The Sportage range consists of hybrid, mild hybrid, diesel, and a plug-in hybrid electric which arrived here in mid July sharing the characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric vehicle and an all-electric vehicle. 

Many motorists would like to make the switch to EV but are not confident in the charging infrastructure which currently leaves a lot to be desired, so a plug-in hybrid makes sense as a half-way choice, going electric but backed up by a petrol engine. PHEV models account for 11pc of Kia Ireland’s sales. Adding this PHEV to their 22pc EV volume means that one in every three Kia cars sold here comes with a plug. 

In looks, the exterior styling is sleek yet muscular, not too aggressive but still an impressive look. The type that appeals to buyers seeking a practical family means of transport. It has road presence when viewed from every angle. I especially liked the side view, that addition of a chrome belt-line that kicks up onto the rear side of the car created lovely lines with the rear spoiler. 

The car is also a neat size for those who don’t want a larger SUV as a family car. On the practical side, it comes with improved luggage capacity, head room and legroom over the outgoing model with very good legroom for the second-row passengers. Luggage space of 540 litres expands to 1,780 litres with rear seats down. It’s a simple operation just by pulling a lever. Luggage capacity is 591 litres for ICE models. 

Kia engineers have cleverly packaged the PHEV version to minimise impact on passenger and luggage space by locating the high-voltage battery centrally between the two axles under the body of the SUV. This ensures a balanced weight distribution and a comfortable and versatile interior space. 

Just two trims are offered, K3 and K4. K3 has a very generous level of standard specification including 19-inch alloys, dual zone climate control, privacy glass, parking sensors, reversing camera, Blind Spot Alerts on side mirrors, smart cruise control, highway driving assist, Downhill Descent Assist, Auto Hold, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with Kia Connect. K4 adds the full leather trim, drivers’ memory seat, ventilated front seats, and mobile phone charger. Both models come with All Wheel Drive system that delivers engine power to front and rear wheels for maximum traction. The Drive/Terrain button covers driving in conditions of Snow, Mud or Sand. Kia’s Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) helps avoid potential hazards, fully protecting occupants and other road users on every journey. 

Good quality materials are evident throughout the cabin. It makes for a very comfortable environment. Front seats have a slim design and house fast-charge USB ports on the sides and hooks within the headrests to hang clothing or handbags. The upholstery in my car was in an attractive beige leather which contrasted well with the high gloss finish on the centre facia. Seats were very comfortable for long journeys. The rear middle one is of a good size for an adult to sit in comfort. 

The high-tech curved driver display touchscreen and the multimode touch display look after the driver and passenger connectivity and information needs. Both are easy-to-use and intuitive. Graphics are beautiful in design and are very clear. 

My PHEV version was powered by a sprightly four-cylinder 1.6 T-GDI turbo petrol engine, part of the powertrain package that also uses a 66.9kW electric motor and a 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack which, combined, deliver a power output of 265hp, with 180hp originating from the petrol engine. Both the motor and engine are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Annual road tax is €140. The car is capable of an electric-only range of up to 70kms that can cover most daily trips from home to work, or for school runs and daily shopping needs. To get the most use from your PHEV car, and to save on petrol, you should charge the battery every night at home.

The car is a delight to drive and to travel in. Agile, responsive and easy to park with its neat size. On returning the car after a week’s test drives, the computer showed a petrol fuel consumption of 5.7 L/100kms. Sportage PHEV can tow up to 1,350kg braked, or 750kg unbraked. 

This is one of the safest cars in its class having gained a maximum five stars for safety from Euro NCAP. All new Kia cars come with a 7-year unlimited warranty.

PRICE: Sportage K3 is priced from €46,000; K4 as tested, from €48,000. 

Review: BMW i4 - Brian Byrne, Irish Car

Of 44 cars I have reviewed through 2022, 16 have been electric, writes Brian Byrne. That's more than a third. And significantly more than the 15pc which electric cars represent in the 2022 national car sales figures. But the key figure there is that this year sales of EVs increased by some 83pc over 2021, so the trend is unmistakeable, and only going in one direction. For the record, the biggest seller by several of the proverbial country miles is Volkswagen's ID.4, with almost 3,000 delivered, from Hyundai's Ionioq 5 (1,164), Tesla's Model 3 (1,042), Kia's EV6 (955), and VW's ID.3 (922) together making up the top five models among the more than 60 different electric passenger vehicles available here.

My review car this week, the BMW i4, is down in 15th place, which is still a respectable position for a premium D-segment saloon in liftback format. The really interesting part here is that what is BMW's first dedicated electric non-SUV model outsold its related 4 Series internal combustion siblings during this year.

The i4 is smooth and stylish in its large 4-door coupe design. It's virtually the same as the latest 4 Series Gran Coupe, the only difference being the ICE car is a few millimetres lower, probably related to the battery positioning. There's a classic symmetry in the overall shape of the car and how that has been executed. I suppose I've gotten used to the big grille style of recent BMWs, which I initially felt as being somewhat brutish. Meantime, everything else about the i4 is refined sporty strength through elegance.

Inside, the evolution of BMW's trim design retains a continuity from previous models, with enough moving forward to stay with modern themes. The extended graphics screen incorporating both the driving and infotainment instrumentation is straight out of the current design playbook adopted by many other brands, especially in the premium market space. Maybe I personally find the 'corner' design in the main instruments a little hard, but like everything else I'd probably get used to it. One particular reservation is solid, though — having to manage the seat heating controls by four distinct taps on the screen is not appreciated, purely in terms of distraction from minding the road. That might sound a little nerdy, but the fact is that seat-heating is the preferred range-saving way of maintaining temperature in an electric car during the winter, and a simple real click button would be preferable.

But that's about the sum of my cribs about the i4. Which means things can only get better from here on. And they do. The car is immediately comfortable, roomier both front and rear than might be expected from its low-slung and coupe design, and a breeze to drive. The silence from the electric powertrain is part of what made my time with the i4 one of the most relaxing driving experiences of the year, albeit somewhat curtailed by my local roads being dangerously icy during the Arctic spell we experienced. Still, on those roads, even with the substantial overall weight of a big electric car, I never felt it inclined to slide away with me. Touching brakes as little as possible is best in icy conditions, and the 'one-pedal' element of driving an EV, set to charge on lifting the throttle, is a big help with that.

The review car came in M Sport specification, which added interior and exterior detail touches. The base car comes well specified, but this one had a range of paid-for 'packs' added related to lighting, comfort and infotainment, upgraded alloys, 'pro' grade driver assist, and adaptive suspension. Probably anyone buying at this price level will go for most of them.

The electric powertrain in the car offered 340hp and was rear-drive — there's an xDrive AWD version too with dual motors and a whopping 536hp. The car had an 84kWh battery and a rated range of 493–580km. My average energy consumption of 21kWh/100km would suggest a real-world 400km range, but I did find in a mix of motorway-main road-suburban driving that up to 480km could be achievable.

The weather of the week meant I couldn't safely do a long trip to properly test out that last. But, all in all, my underpinning sense of the i4 was at a high level of appreciation. Relaxed, comfortable, and reassuring all the time.

PRICE: From €68,825; Review car €78,965. WHAT I LIKED: Classic style in tomorrow's world. 

Cupra teams with 3Arena

Sian Redmond, Director of Marketing Partnerships at Live Nation; Caroline Lawlor, Marketing Communications Manager at CUPRA Ireland; Virginia Fortune, Head of Private Members Clubs at 3Arena.

The Cupra performance car brand from Volkswagen has teamed with 3Arena in Dublin to provide information about its range of cars, writes Brian Byrne.

On the reasoning that music is very important in Irish culture and that the Cupra brand likes to be associated with music, the partnership means that over a million people attending gigs in the Dublin venue each year will have access to 'touchpoints' offering insights into the Cupra range.

The models to date include the Formentor SUV, the Leon hatchnack and Leon Sportstourer, the Ateca SUV and the 100pc electric Born.

Review: Jeep Compass PHEV - Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Jeep, which had been part of Chrysler, is now owned by Stellantis Group that also owns Peugeot, Opel, Citroen, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo, writes Trish Whelan. My latest Jeep test drive was the Compass 4xe S plug-in hybrid.

The car retains the model’s muscular but refined lines and the solid design, including a seven-slot grille and rugged rear styling. My S version had a black roof, privacy glass, roof rails, LED headlights, sunroofs, 40/20/40 folding rear seats, air con, 8-way power adjustments on the driver’s seat and lumbar adjustment. A tall vehicle, you get a high driving position with good visibility. 

The interior is quite airy with a large sunroof that allows light into the cabin. It’s spacious up front but somewhat tighter in the rear, suitable only for three adults on a short journey, or two adults (and a child) to travel in comfort. But they enjoy good head- and leg-room. The cabin boasts nice quality materials and finishes and comfy seating. Leather upholstery adds a nice touch and is easy to wipe clean. 

I liked the whole sweep of the dash and the use of silver patterned trim. Screens include a 7-inch instrument panel that provides all the relevant hybrid stuff as well as your speed and the remaining range for both petrol and EV. The UConnect interactive system with an 8.4-inch high definition touchscreen allows access to functions through the steering wheel controls as well as by touch and voice controls. Below the central screen are temperature up and down arrow controls and a knob for the fan. 

Drive operating modes include a hybrid button, an electric one and an e-Save button on the lower row of controls. Activating the hybrid mode optimises fuel consumption. An e-Coasting system allows you charge the battery while driving, allowing charge to be saved for use in urban areas driving quietly. The car comes with charging cables that allow you plug it into a domestic socket. A full charge with a home Wallbox will take 240 minutes. A Mode 3 cable for public charging stations is an optional extra. The 11.4 kWh battery comes with an 8-year or 160,000kms warranty. The warranty can be extended up to five years.

A ‘real’ 4x4, the Compass PHEV comes with 4WD Low, Downhill Descent, and 4WD Lock functions while the Select Terrain system includes Sand/Mud, Snow, Auto, and Sport driving modes.  Jeep claim up to 70 state-of-the-art active and passive safety systems are installed in the car. 

I found the Compass 4xe a good car to drive especially for family use. The steering is a tad light for me.  If used as a family car, it would allow a bit of an adventure, taking in some rough terrain or a sandy beach, though I didn’t make enough use of its 4x4 system on this occasion. Maybe another time. No slouch, it can do 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds. Annual road tax is €140. 

PRICES: From €43,995;  Car as tested €54,995. WHAT I LIKED: The flexibility of driving modes offering efficient fuel consumption.

Review: Volvo XC40 Recharge - Brian Byrne, Irish Car

Volvo’s XC40 is a deceptive car, writes Brian Byrne. The styling suggests it is smaller than it actually is, but its dimensions are similar to Nissan’s Qashqai and it is larger in most measurements than the Range Rover Evoque, which appears bigger. My neighbour has an Evoque and that visual comparison was easy when I had the electric version of the XC40, the Recharge, outside my house last week.

I have liked the styling of the XC40 since it first arrived here in early 2018. There’s something about the angular details, almost boxy, that sets it away from the usually curvier competition in the compact SUV space. It kind of radiates ‘no nonsense’. As you’d expect from the Swedish brand. With a bit of swish added in the form of the diamond cut and black alloys. The vehicle was good enough to win Car of the Year accolades in both Europe and Japan as well as the Women’s World COTY in 2018, and the Continental Irish Car of the Year for 2019.

The no nonsense ethos is also largely true for the interior which has a fairly classic simplicity in its design and trim, but that latter in high quality. The centre screen feels small compared to a lot of what’s out there now, but that’s a plus in my book, requiring less time and head turning to assimilate whatever information it’s showing. And a hurrah for the big central knob to adjust volumes. The Google system used for navigation I like too — it’s appearing more often, in the related Polestar 2 and latest in the new electric Renault Megane. The main instruments cluster doesn’t play around with many views — speed on one side, the power/charge indicator on the other, and you can have navigation indication between them or not.

Apart from that all too common issue of headroom in the door ope while getting in and out (just tall me and not so supple as I was, in truth) there’s really plenty of room in the XC40. Indeed, given its length, those assigned the rear seats will be pleasantly surprised in most cases. All seats are comfortable — I find it’s best to get the view of a passenger in this regard, and on a couple of decent trips she gave the distance comfort a solid thumbs-up. There’s a fair sized boot, with some storage also beneath its floor.

I’ve reviewed the XC40 in different guises since its first arrival, previously in diesel and hybrid power, and also the 2-motor Recharge electric version with AWD. My reason for taking it again is the single-motor electric powertrain, less expensive and still a satisfying drive.

There’s no novelty any more in driving electric. Which I figure is a good thing. I get in. I drive. And I rate the experience on its own merits. In this one the 231 hp available provided a decent acceleration, something I appreciate most when exiting a couple of regularly problematic busy junctions around my area. The normal relatively silent travel we’re now well used to.

You want to know about range? Yes, of course you do. Volvo claims ‘up to 417 km’ with this one. But even with our relatively mild autumn, the lower daytime temperatures, along with the fact I did quite a bit of motorway driving, brought that down to a more realistic 320 km. And at that I kept my highway speed at 110 km/h instead of lashing at the permitted limit.  No, I didn’t feel I was travelling too slowly. For charging, my local 150 kW fast charger pumped in 30pc-95pc in around 35 minutes — enough time to do the Simplex Crossword, now my preferred way of passing such time.

As interest, charging at such a unit these days costs 0.47 cents/kWh — my son’s smart meter package gives him a middle of the night rate of a fifth of that to charge his PHEV. Just sayin’.

PRICE: €53,980 after grant. WHAT I LIKED: No nonsense. 

Windsor Belgard joins Opel network

Opel Ireland has announced the appointment of Windsor Belgard to the Opel Dealer Network, effective 1 February 2023, at dealership located on the Belgard Road, Dublin 24.

Peter Nicholson, Managing Director of Windsor Motor Group, said that as the Group has already enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Opel at their Windsor Liffey Valley and Windsor Deansgrange showrooms, the move is 'a natural step'.

James Brooks, Managing Director of Opel Ireland said the appointment gives him great confidence that the brand is very well positioned to further strengthen Opel's market share in 2023.

Pictured are Peter Nicholson, Managing Director of Windsor Motor Group and James Brooks, Managing Director, Opel Ireland.

Opel upcharges Mokka

Opel has changed the name of its battery electric version of the Mokka SUV to Mokka Electric rather than Mokka-e, writes Brian Byrne.

The car also gets a new 54kWh battery, increasing the rated range by 20pc to 406km.

Mokka was the first Opel available from launch with fully electric drive as well as combustion engines, thus giving customers the choice of which drive suits their needs best. In November, no less than 65pc of all Mokka customers in Germany opted for the battery-electric variant.

Twelve electrified Opel models are already available today, including a range of light commercial vehicles. By 2024, the manufacturer will also offer every model in an electrified version. And by 2028, Opel expects become an all-electric brand in Europe. 

We hate to see other motorists using mobiles

Seeing other motorists using mobile phones while driving is the top thing that gets our goat, according to a recent survey by parking and tolling company Easytrip, writes Brian Byrne.

It seems more than a fifth of respondents gave that as their top no-no, followed by non-use of indicators (17pc), driving too close to other cars (12pc), and not using roundabouts correctly (10pc). Only 6pc complained about other drivers going higher than the speed limit.

And if you have views about your partner's driving, do they tally with these three uncovered in the survey? Not cleaning the car was the top complaint with 20pc, thinking they are the better driver (10pc) and driving too slowly (12pc). Really, best to say nothing ...

Next Amarok details revealed

Volkswagen Commercials have revealed details of the new generation Amarok, due to arrive here in the second quarter of 2023, writes Brian Byrne.

It will be available with 4- and 6-cylinder turbodiesel engines ranging 168hp-237hp and with five trim levels.

The second generation of the nameplate will be in Double Cab format, with a towing capability of up to 3,500kg and a payload capacity of up to 1.19 tonnes. AWD is standard. 

Review: Volkswagen Taigo - Brian Byrne, Irish Car

This one surprised me, writes Brian Byrne. For various reasons, it has been a while since I had a Volkswagen for review apart from their electric range. When the offer came of a Taigo, I was a little unsure about where it would fit.

Taigo has a Latin America pedigree, designed in and for Volkswagen's big market presence in that part of the world, and locally named Nivus. In style it's a small SUV coupe, in substance it is based on the Polo hatchback, and in our market it sits above that car with the T-Cross small SUV. All related by platform, all different in sheetmetal designs. And each aimed at quite different potential customers.

I was well aware of the Taigo in photographs, but this is one of those cars that looks much better in reality than pictures suggest. In particular, sometimes when an SUV is 'coupefied', the aesthetics just don't work. There's often something about high-riding and a sporty profile which can jar the visual senses. Categorically not so with the Taigo — the lines look absolutely coherent from any angle.  My review car was the top end R-Line in a fetching and sporty red, and looked a lot more than its B-segment placing would suggest, it could easily be very much in the compact family arena. 

There's enough style going on both front and rear to give the car character, while the side view is cleanly designed and won't frighten away the family driver who wants good looks without fuss. It's not quite as tall as the T-Roc, but is high enough to make it easy to get in and out of. Despite the coupe rear, there's adequate rear seats headroom, and the luggage space is well up on the Polo and only slightly less than in the T-Roc.

The dashboard setup is well designed, with bright graphics straightforward to read, and — glory be — has real knobs for radio volume and climate control. There is still some gesture control gimmickry for some of the infotainment screen action, but now minimal.

The powertrains are simple too. At this level there's no electrification, so the choice is petrol with manual or automatic. My car had a 110hp 1.0 petrol with the 7-speed dual clutch auto, and nicely matched the whole thing was too — though the combination did put the car at the upper end of cost. It won't burn any rubber, but is still a sweet drive with a perfectly acceptable fuel consumption of 5.4L/100km. Nothing on this VW platform offers all-wheel drive, so that makes things simple too. It was a pleasant driver for the kind of local to-ing and fro-ing I was doing that particular heavily desk-bound week, but my overall feeling was that there would be no hardship on any long distance drive around Ireland.

Altogether an ordinary car that does all of what it offers to do, in a pleasant style and a capable manner. And yet it surprised me. In a very positive way.

PRICE: From €28,995; review car from €37,140. WHAT I LIKED: The competency of a small car that feels more. 

Toyota showcases upcoming new cars

Toyota has showcased two new models which will arrive in Ireland for 2024, writes Brian Byrne. 

They include the prologue of a new-generation C-HR compact SUV with an even bolder design than the hybrid car that's one of the brand's most popular models. It will be available as both a hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Mixing both sharp and fluid styles, the concept restates this and more, not afraid of polarising reaction.

The new bZ Compact SUV Concept also made its debut at an event in Brussels, marking the second of six full battery-electric bZ models planned for Europe by 2026. The bZ prefix denotes a 'Beyond Zero' approach to Toyota cars that will help propel the brand towards its global goal of carbon neutrality by 2040 in Europe. 

Appeal to use correct tyres for driving needs

The boss of Continental Tyres Ireland has appealed to motorists to make sure they use the correct tyres for the kind of driving they do, especially if they drive SUVs, writes Brian Byrne.

Noting that SUV-type cars have come to dominate the motoring market over the last decade and more, Tom Dennigan said owners need to pay special attention when replacing their tyres on vehicles that are generally heavier than saloon or hatchback vehicles.

He says that most small and medium SUV type cars will come originally with summer tyres because their owners are driving all the time on standard tarmac roads. "Larger SUVs and 4x4s may well come with tyres that have a degree of off-road and/or all-season capability," he adds. "If you regularly use off-road tyres on tarmac, you might be in for a hard, noisy ride. And vice versa – use on-road tyres on irregular terrain, and you’re likely to struggle for grip. Get it right though, and you’ll enjoy the best experience at the wheel of your SUV."

Continental has put together a checklist to run through when you’re thinking about tyres for your SUV.

* Is it electric, hybrid or does it have a traditional combustion engine?

* How powerful is it?

* How large and heavy is it?

* Do you often tow heavy loads?

* Is it an AWD (all-wheel drive), 4WD (four-wheel drive/4X4/four-by-four) or 2WD (two-wheel drive)?

* Do you often face tough conditions like gravel, mud, snow, and steep inclines?

* And will you use it in the city or suburban areas?

Continental has developed tyres to suit each of those conditions, and also where there's a mix of driving conditions. When it comes to changing your tyres, especially now with winter here, do discuss with and take the advice of an expert, your dedicated tyre dealer. 

Dacia celebrates 10 years in Ireland

The Dacia brand arrived in Ireland in 2012, the year the country was in recession after the banking crisis and failed bailouts, writes Trish Whelan. 

At the time, the media said that Dacia’s arrival was timely as people were looking for smart buys and value for money. Ten years later, Dacia is now a mainstream volume brand in Ireland. 

January 2013 saw the first registrations for Sandero and Duster with Stepway following in March and the Logan MCV in September. In 2016, Dacia registered its 10,000th vehicle in Ireland. Models progressed and the volumes went up. In 2019, some 20,000 vehicles had been registered here. Today, that number has stretched to over 30,000. The Dacia Sandero won the Irish Compact Car of the Year 2022 award. 

We have now been introduced to the New Dacia Bigster Concept which embodies the Dacia brand evolution, taking the company to new customers and segments. Bigster Concept is roomy, robust and meant for open air and dusty roads. A 4.6 metre-long SUV, Bigster is the Dacia way of making the C-segment accessible delivering a larger, more capable vehicle at the cost guyers would expect from the segment below, and soon to be made a reality in 2024. 

This year, Dacia also revealed its new brand identity which includes a new logo, new dealerships, new design and new colours. All Irish Dacia dealerships will have the new brand identity in place by the first half of 2024 with over 70pc completed by end of next year. 

Dacia’s financial partner Mobilize Financial Services (formerly Dacia Bank) has lent over €300 million to new and used Dacia customers since 2013 with over €130 million lent to Duster customers. 

Paddy Magee, Country Operations Director, Dacia Ireland said at a special celebration of the brand’s decade in Ireland at Keary’s Belgard in Dublin, and the new Bigster reveal: “We are so proud of Dacia which has grown in the past 10 years into an established, trusted and smart buy brand in Ireland. Huge kudos to the dealerships that embraced the Dacia brand and to the Irish customer for making the smart choice over the years. Having our own finance arm has made a huge difference to the volumes of Dacia vehicles on Irish roads and we believe that the brand has many more stories to tell.” 

The Dacia management committee of Tim Devane, Cian Allman, Lynne Boucher, Liz O’Gorman, Alan Gormley, Jeremy Warnock and Paddy Magee, Country Operations Director, Dacia Ireland, are pictured above with the Bigster concept. 

Paddy Magee is also pictured below with the Dacia Duster.

 

Are you ready for the self-driving (and safer) car?

I remember when disc brakes and ABS anti-skid braking systems first started to appear, writes Brian Byrne, each potentially bringing us out of the scary places of unpredictable behaviour by our cars and their drivers in emergency situations. One maker offered ABS or sun-roofs as options on a high selling model, and buyers plumped overwhelmingly for the sun-roofs instead of the safety system.

Just goes to show, while we all were in favour of better motoring safety, we weren't prepared to sacrifice perceived comfort for it. Eventually the authorities made it mandatory for carmakers to include ABS on their products as standard, and the leap to the next level of safety was made. It was the same with seat-belts, until they were made an integral part of a car's equipment, and then mandatory wearing was regulated, a large cohort of drivers just weren't interested. (My father's Ford Consul, in which I learned to drive, had the first seatbelts in town — and he had to have the car structure drilled for their installation.)

We have come a long way even in my half-century of driving. We have connected cars, satellite navigation, automatic emergency braking (EAB) and a plethora of other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). We have sensors and computer chips everywhere in our vehicles, many which we're not even aware of. Even in our smallest cars there's the availability of Level 2 autonomous driving technology (that's the stage where we still have to keep our hands on the wheel and eyes on the road). At the powertrain end, electrification is barreling on. While the internal combustion engine will continue to have a place for some time, in different markets, in places like Europe the battery electric vehicle is well on course to become dominant in short order. Many of these things have come about not just because carmakers are constantly trying to give more than their competitors, but also because regulatory authorities have insisted on them, in efforts to cut road deaths and injuries, or to mitigate the impact of transport on climate change.

One example is the European New Car Assessment Programme (ENCAP) crash test regime, which is independent of governments. Though there's no direct regulation requiring a car model to achieve a minimum or maximum number of stars, carmakers vie to reach the maximum of five all the time, not least as a marketing tool. Thing is, the goalposts are constantly being changed, and now to get five stars the model has to include a full suite of ADAS technology. The 5-star car of a decade ago would probably not achieve 2-star rating today.

Can we measure the effect of having these improved, and expensive technologies in terms of road deaths? Well, indirectly yes. For instance, in 2006 there were 365 road traffic fatalities in Ireland, but last year just 119 people lost their lives on our roads. Some of that is better traffic enforcement, but a big chunk can be from substantially safer cars. Go back further, in 1978 there were 628 fatalities, a time also when there were far fewer cars in use. And last week came joint research results from the University of Limerick and Luxembourg based scientists that  suggested that installing ADAS technology on all cars could reduce the current level of road incidents by almost a quarter. In particular they found that automatic emergency braking reduces three out of four of the most frequent accident categories – intersection (by 28pc), rear-end (by 27.7pc), and pedestrian accidents (by 28.4pc). The conclusions are based on UK road statistics but the research team believe similar results could be achieved in Ireland.

That brings us to the future trends in technologically-improved safety. This is autonomous driving to the next levels, managed by artificial intelligence and the increasingly connected and sensor-rich car. The modelling by carmakers and technology providers shows that there would undoubtedly be significant further safety improvements by reduced driver error. But is there a mass belief in this amongst drivers? Well, it depends on where you ask, and what you're asking. 

Recently published research from the safety charity Lloyd’s Register Foundation found that on a global basis, only a little over a quarter (27pc) of respondents would feel safe in a fully self-driving car. Education levels were important to the results — more than one third (35pc) of those with post-secondary education would feel safe, compared to only a quarter (25pc) of those with primary education or less. Internet access was also independently associated with feeling safe — across each educational level, the proportion who said they would feel safe was at least nine percentage points higher among those with internet access than among those without. The country that came out with the highest level of acceptance was Denmark at 45pc, followed by the UAE and Afghanistan at 44pc each, and Italy, Spain, Kyrgystan and Sweden in the 40s percentile. There's no figure for Ireland, but we could conceivably be up there too. Bottom line, the future challenge facing car manufacturers is as much about convincing people that driverless vehicles are safe to travel in as about developing the technology itself.

There's a lot of bar-counter negativism about full self-driving cars ever becoming mainstream. But here's a question — how would you have explained the computer to your grandfather when he was your age? Or your smartphone? Or GPS? Or relatively affordable travel to Australia in jet planes that most of the time fly on automatic pilot and are also capable of landing autonomously? The lesson? ... we have no idea of what technologies will develop even in the next decade that will allow for fully self-driving cars to become mainstream. Or even, at the other extreme, make the need for cars unnecessary.

Beam me up, Scotty? (Don't laugh. That dummy 'universal communicator' that Star Trek actors used in the original series is the smartphone in your hand today.)