RSA warning on sun glare dangers

Photo by Ekaterina Kryachko via Pexels.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is urging road users to be aware of sun glare dangers in the continuing sunny weather, which can temporarily blind or dazzle drivers, writes Brian Byrne.

The RSA advises wearing sunglasses to reduce glare, being cautious when travelling east in the mornings and west later in the day, and ensuring clear windscreens by having enough window washer fluid.

A special watch should be made for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, and motorcyclists. Those road users also need to be aware of sun glare issues, especially when crossing roads and at junctions.

 

Dacia Bigster arrives in Ireland

Dacia Ireland has launched a new compact SUV, the Bigster, at a starting price of €29,990, writes Brian Byrne. Based on the same platform as the Duster SUV, the Bigster is longer, taller, and has a longer wheelbase.

Powertrains at launch include mild and full hybrid petrol options, and there's also a 4WD version available. The engines offer more power than those previously available on the Duster and Jogger vehicles. In city driving, the full-hybrid automatic can operate in electric mode up to 80 per cent of the time, according to the company.

There are three trim levels, and up to 20 per cent of the plastic used is from recycled material. 

XPeng G6 review: Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Introduced to Ireland earlier this year, XPENG is a new name for Irish motorists seeking to buy an electric car. The first model to arrive here from the Chinese electric car company is the ‘ultra smart’ all-electric G6 Coupe mid-sized crossover SUV quite similar in size to its main rival, Tesla’s Model Y. The G6 is already making inroads into the Irish passenger car sales charts. 

The G6 has a streamlined silhouette, contoured bodywork, forward sloping bonnet, full LED headlights, a discreet facia, recessed door handles, sporty 20-inch alloy wheels, beautiful full-width diamond-design taillights and 20-inch rims with Michelin tyres. The front end has double-row headlights formed by two closely spaced LED strips. The slim light bars front and rear give the car a very futuristic appearance. 

The gorgeous interior has simplicity at its core with an unfussy dashboard and centre console. There’s no On/Off button; you just select the gear you want and drive off. Features include a treated panoramic glass roof, soft-touch coverings and padding and nice tweed-like trim across dash and doors. Upholstery was in an off-white faux leather which looked extremely well. 

The car was developed using AI technology, so touch-button technology is to the fore. The main feature is a 14.96-inch standing infotainment touchscreen with integrated controls that allow for a nearly buttonless dashboard. This screen controls almost all of the car’s technology bar a few permanent controls on the base of the screen - for the 360deg camera, fan, seat heaters etc. It means going through screen menus to adjust such things as side mirrors, radio, phone etc. There was even a Sentry mode to protect your car, a mindfulness space and a sleep space - I didn’t try them! For me, there’s so much technology, it would take me a week to understand it all. I’d prefer more physical buttons for key features. 

Front seats have 6-way adjustment, 4-way lumbar support and memory settings; seat cushions and backrests can be heated and ventilated. I needed to turn off the ventilation on my seat after collecting the car but couldn’t see how to do so driving. A request to the Voice Assist solved the problem! The steering wheel also gets the minimalist treatment with just two thick spokes, while the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster provides all relevant information. Gears are located off the steering wheel column. There are two USB ports, a mobile phone charger pad for two devices, and a powerful 960W audio system with 18 speakers. Storage areas include excellent front door bins, an enormous area below the front armrest, a large central storage area, but no glovebox. 

Rear seat spaciousness is class-leading with very good head and legroom and a flat floor. Rear seats can be heated. The boot is self-closing; the boot floor is quite high and luggage capacity a generous 571 to 1,374 litres with rear seats folded. There’s a big area below for cables, but no frunk. 

Standard equipment includes X-Pilot with adaptive cruise control, active lane change, an auto exit parking assist, a good reversing camera and parking sensors. The driver monitoring system I turned off. Plusses were the all-round coverage of the car with a 360deg camera, and standard heat pump to improve driving range in winter. 

Variants are: Standard and Long Range (both with rear-wheel drive), and Performance with permanent all-wheel drive here in Q3 2025. Both Standard and Long Range versions are powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor while Performance has an additional electric front wheel motor that boosts output to a combined 476hp. From 0-100km/h acceleration times are 6.9 secs and 6.7 secs, annual road tax is €120. Standard model (258hp and 440Nm, 435km range) is powered by a 66kWh battery pack; Long Range (570km range) and all-wheel drive versions with 87.5kWh batteries offer up to 570kms. Energy consumption is a claimed 17.5kWh/100km. As an electric car, you get immediate torque of 440Nm, and automatic transmission. Fast DC charging 215/280kW from 10pc - 80pc takes 20 minutes. The G6 was awarded a top five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. 

On the road, I found this a beautiful car to drive with very good acceleration and all onboard travelled in high comfort. I found the steering a bit light at first but soon got used to it, and there’s good feedback from the steering wheel. When I indicated to make a turn, the front light bar on that side flashed my intention. 

For now, the G6 Coupe SUV is sold through XPENG South Dublin. The brand is distributed here by Motor Distributors Limited (MDL) on the Naas Road in Dublin. PRICE: The car is very competitively priced at €42,000 for the Standard model and €49,440 for the Long Range, inclusive of all EV grants and incentives.

 

 

SEAT Leon FR review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

For no particular reason, it's been three and a half years since I reviewed a SEAT car, writes Brian Byrne, but a recent opportunity put me back into a Leon, once one of the brand's mainstay models but, like elsewhere, diminished by the inexorable advance of compact crossover-SUVs. 

As it happens, this week is the 75th anniversary of the formation of the original Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo as a joint venture between the Spanish government and Fiat. In 1990, after four years as a majority shareholder following the company's falling out with the Italian partner, Volkswagen bought total control of the brand.

The Leon, named after the city in Spain as is the company's practice, was launched nine years later as a sportier and cheaper alternative to VW's own consistently successful Golf.

This fourth-generation Leon has been around since 2020. The car is wearing its sharp-with-softness styling well, it must be said. Illustrating the benefits of not going overboard with design flourishes that can quickly go out of favour. A clean front end, with the LED headlight styling giving the car a slight bird of prey look. A particularly well-characterised rear with full-width LED-line linking the main light clusters. The scripted Leon badge font is pleasant, and there are extra chromed treatments with the FR grade that the review car was.

The edgy design of the dashboard suits the sporty ethos, though for me the large centre screen is too dominant, albeit graphically well designed as is the driver instruments cluster. The DSG automatic finger-shift in the centre console is the type I like, and the steering wheel feels just about right. 

That FR grade also gives a pleasant design and some red-stitch detailing on the trim and seats, leather-type with cloth inserts in my review car. There's good room for two adults in the rear, three would be a pinch. The fit and finish of everything is top class and well-matched in every element.

The FR also gets the eHybrid PHEV powertrain, based on a 1.5 turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor, giving a total output of 204hp. Worth mentioning that this is similar power to that of Golf GTIs when this generation was first rolled out, though the current GTI is 240hp. It gives the Leon FR an acceleration potential of a decent 7.7s to 100km/h, but in a really smooth and non-intimidating manner thanks to the fast-acting dual-clutch gearbox. The electric-only range is rated up to 133 km, though the real world is probably closer to the 100 km point, but that gives the opportunity for some frugal commuting.

The FR gets a different suspension setting than standard Leons, which I found to be a little too firm on any surface that wasn't highway smooth ... but that's probably not an issue for the performance-tending real buyer of this particular car.

The future of SEAT itself is unclear. Two years ago, Volkswagen said they were going to cease building cars under the brand, in favour of the Cupra sister brand spun off as an upmarket performance entity, which also uses the Leon in a more powerful version. By 2030 was given as the end game. But policies can change surprisingly quickly in the automotive industry, so it may be too soon to organise the wake. Meanwhile, for those who appreciate a solid hatchback with good performance and plenty of specification for the money, the Leon FR as we have it now is worth taking for a spin. 

PRICE: From €29,910; FR from €44,470. WHAT I LIKED: Good specification and style with perky performance. 

New Jeep Compass revealed

A third-generation Jeep Compass will go on sale in first European markets this summer with first deliveries to customers in Q4 2025, writes Brian Byrne. The vehicle will use the same platform as the Opel Grandland and the Peugeot 5008.

The C-segment SUV will be available with both hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains as well as three battery-electric versions, including an AWD variant.

Compared to the current Compass, the new generation offers extra interior space and more storage capacity.

First on sale in 2007, two generations of the Compass have sold to some 2.5 million customers globally. 

Concern about vans tyre test failures

More than 50,000 vans and commercial vehicles failed the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Tests (CVRT) last year because issues with wheels and tyres, writes Brian Byrne. According to the RSA, that category is consistently in the top five reasons for failure of the test.

Compared to the other areas of most failure — suspension, mechanical and operating condition, and chassis — the tyres issue is the easiest to get right, according to Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres Ireland. "If in any doubt about the tyres on a van, get them checked out by a tyre dealer who will be able to quickly diagnose any issues," he says. "Most good tyre dealers will carry out a tyre check for free.”

He also noted that the risk posed by a fully laden van in the case of a tyre failure is greater compared to a much lighter car. "The extra weight of a commercial vehicle means it will travel a good distance further before it can come to a safe stop.” 

A tyre check that focuses on key elements, such as tread depth, pressure, and signs of bumps or uneven wear can be carried out in a matter of minutes.