Review: Renault Megane E-Tech Electric - Brian Byrne, Irish Car

After not having had an electric car larger than the city Zoe while its Alliance partner Nissan pushed the compact EV envelope out with the Leaf, Renault has at last got a contender in that important family car space, writes Brian Byrne.

The Megane E-Tech Electric takes the name of the hatchback that has soldiered for four generations for the French carmaker, but is built on a dedicated new EV platform and is shorter and narrower than that car. It also has very much its own style, outside and in.

This is a first drive impression, as I took the car out for a couple of days in advance of a formal launch yet to take place. So the review is very much a preliminary one.

Visually the first impressions are very positive indeed. There's a good balance of the car being styled for the 'ordinary' buyer — as opposed to those who like to show they are into cutting edge design — and enough flair to move the nameplate forward. The result is a handsome hatchback in a shape that suggests a sporty wagon, and looks bigger than its actual dimensions. The very fetching design of the alloys on my car and a certain muscular styling on the rear quarter are likely part of this overall sense.

Inside, there's no reference at all to the rest of the current Megane family. The styling is leaner, the materials lighter. And there's a horizontal theme to the instrumentation that also lifts it away. All that's probably a reflection of the rest of the current Megane range being ended next year anyhow. The central infotainment screen and the main instruments set are all part of an integrated module of which the screen bit is angled towards the driver. Tidy switchgear under that screen manages the climate control in a pleasingly manual way. Other 'buttons' are touchscreen-actuated but lined out in an easily operated way. The screen operating system, including the navigation, is that Google-based one which I recently liked in the Polestar 2. An underneath shelf to hold and charge one's phone is a very practical detail. The main instruments, as appropriate for the EV age, are simple and clear. Most of the time all we really need are speed and range, both of which are near each other, as is the speed limit indicator.

The driving position is comfortable, and though the seats have a similar leaner look as the rest of the interior, they certainly seemed perfectly comfortable and supportive as I expect from the brand. The boot capacity, despite the fact that the car is shorter than either, is substantially ahead of the standard Megane hatch and the Nissan Leaf. I mention that latter because the new Megane is not simply a rebodied and badged Leaf, which is on an older architecture, but is in fact related to Nissan's larger Ariya SUV EV.

There will be two battery options with the new Megane E-Tech Electric. The one in my car was the smaller, offering a range in the region of 300km. I'll explore the pros and cons of both options when I have my full review time with the car, but 300km is adequate for most family use in this segment. A more powerful motor will also be an option.

The behaviour of the car on the drive came across as pleasant from the very start. And over the couple of days nothing happened to change this. The powertrain seemed tuned for adequate rather than exceptional acceleration, which is correct for the target market. Renault may have something here that will surprise the overall sales expectation.

PRICE: From €37,495. WHAT I LIKED: The sensible style and drive. 

Review: DS 4 - Brian Byrne, Irish Car

I finished a recent review of the current DS 7 by saying ‘not there yet’ in terms of being the premium luxury car that DS Automobiles aspires to, writes Brian Byrne. The upcoming DS 9 flagship saloon may well be the one that brings the French brand over the line. In the meantime, though, they're pushing to or maybe even through that boundary with their latest compact car, the new DS 4.

With 14 passenger car brands under its umbrella, from Alfa Romeo to Opel-Vauxhall and including Chrysler and Maserati, the Stellantis Group is now one of the world’s major automotive players. Combining resources is going to be a key part of its viability and with that comes also a need to be skilful at differentiating between models sharing common platforms and powertrains.

The new DS 4 is an example. In core platform, it is equivalent to the Opel Astra, Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4. Four models with the same DNA which have to appeal to different customers in the very competitive compact hatch segment. Given that all will have available the same engines and other technology, it is style preference that’s going to bring to each its targeted customer. Plus the customer experience, a relatively new touchstone for the car trade over a decade or so.

The Opel Astra has a sharp-edged styling with a tilt towards historic Opel models detailing, and there’s a distinct market group out there for this. The Peugeot 308 sheetmetal is softer, geared to the steady middle family buyer of which there is a particularly strong cohort in the French homeland. Citroen’s C4 appeals to those who have always valued that brand’s quirkiness and tradition of comfort. And the DS 4 is aimed at those in the segment who want to feel they are rather more special, who aspire towards something more than the ordinary in everything they acquire. Especially more ordinary that is visible or tangible.

So the DS 4, which I drove over a couple of days very recently, is offering a relative design luxury compared to its related cousins. It is distinction like an expensive watch on the wrist, or a high-end sweater with a subtle but carefully-placed brand tag, or the undeniably luxury scent of a Chanel Grand Extrait.

The visibility of the DS 4 is certainly way beyond its in-house brand cousins. A front face of glittering presence with cut diamond-sharp edges, the very powerful DS logo framed in a constellation of reflections as the grille elements catch the light. The distinctiveness is continued along the profile with especially the roofline bringing the overall style to a very pleasing and uncluttered rear treatment that has the look of a good designer's concept sketch made real.

Inside, within the overall dimensions available as a compact hatchback, there is an upscaled sense of premium. A quality leather look amongst the textures. Etched switchgear to offer more diamond effect. But, unlike the DS 3 smaller sibling, the treatment of controls and instrumentation is coherent and unambiguous.

This is a first drive report, so I'll reserve more detail and commentary until after I've had a full review period with the DS 4. There are five grades, and the car comes with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains. There will be a full-electric version next year in a similar policy to that effected in the companion models from the other Stellantis brands.

I drove the 180hp petrol and the 225hp plug-in petrol hybrid, which latter had the added technology of a camera operated suspension system which looks at the oncoming road and adjusts shock absorber settings to provide an extra level of comfort. It does seem to work.

My overall experience over the couple of days was good. The DS 4 in both guises felt a special place to be. Even a premium place. But I'll wait a while to see if the 'are we there yet?' question on luxury gets an affirmative.

PRICE: From €37,295-€54,640. WHAT I LIKED: The feeling that DS is at least almost there. 

First Drive: Jeep Cherokee

When the new generation Jeep Cherokee comes to Ireland in September, it will likely change a lot of perceptions about the brand, and the model, writes Brian Byrne.

Even when tweaked for European tastes and needs, the previous Cherokee never managed the ride and dynamics handling preferred on this side of the Atlantic. The car was fine for long straight American roads, driven by people who go slower and brake easier than the average citizen driver in the EU. it did have strengths, the decent lugging power which the fairly basic diesel offered. It was a good towcar, and farm vehicle.

The new one has all the visual cues of American Jeep, brought very modern. But underneath, it is all European. The platform is Alfa-developed, and the diesel engine is from Italy's MV Motori, brought fully into Fiat's ownership earlier this year.

Though the Jeep heritage is the great outdoors, go anywhere in the wilderness, most owners buy into that as an ethos rather than actual experience. Certainly in Europe. So the brand acknowledges that the new Cherokee is primarily a road car. And that the 2WD versions will be the predominant choice. AWD in this instance is as much 'All Weather Drive' as an indication of off-road capability.

But don't write it off the rugged terrain map. Even the most basic of the AWD versions can comfortably manage the hills and dales of Gloucestershire farmlands, and ford the small rivers that run through them to finally merge as the headwaters of the mighty River Thames. And several 'Active Drive' variants coming a little later will offer much more aggressive offroad capability.

In a short visit this week, I got a chance to experience that in advance of the car's arrival to this market. In the winding roads around and in between those same hills and dales, it also showed its European DNA, with a sophisticated poise and elegant way of progress.

No prices have been set yet for Ireland, but in the UK it sits in a 'basket' of competitors such as Honda's CR-V, the BMW X3, Audi's Q5, and Volvo's XC60. The Irish price will probably reflect that.

Power is from a 2.0 diesel, with 140hp or 170hp options. Transmissions are a 6-speed manual or 9-speed automatic, the latter based on the ZF unit recently introduced to the Range Rover Evoque, but licenced for Jeep to build to its own specification.

Having driven both over a couple of hundred kilometres, I certainly was impressed by the auto, perfectly suitable for the short rev-bands response of a diesel. It's available in all of the three grades on offer, Latitude, Latitude+ and Limited.

The short first impressions summary: the new Cherokee is a real good looker, with high quality interior finish and responsive handling far beyond the American tradition. Jeep has a lot of new stuff coming into play which has the potential to make it a much more interesting brand for us Euros.

As always, more when I get it for a home test.

First View: new Mercedes-Benz C-Class

A projected 2015 sales of 600 units of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class which launches in Ireland next week has factored into it difficulties in meeting demand, writes Brian Byrne.

According to Mercedes-Benz Ireland's Ciaran Allen, there could be around 200 more units sold but currently allocated supplies don't reflect that.

The new car currently represents a fifth of M-B sales in Ireland, where the larger E-Class has traditionally been the best selling model, but Allen is expecting that this could rise to 30 percent, albeit at a cost of some poaching from E-Class sales.

First Drive: New Fiat Ducato van

Some years ago, Fiat designed in a clipboard on the dashboard of a Ducato van, an idea which reflected the paperwork ethos of most of its customers, writes Brian Byrne.

Now, in the sixth generation of Fiat's large van, the clipboard has become more techie — it's a clamp to hold all sizes of digital devices, from a smartphone to any tablet up to an iPad size.



Times have changed, the company said at its international launch of the latest Ducato this week. People have changed and needs have changed. And Ducato has changed too.

First Drive: SsangYong Rexton W

Korean car brand SsangYong is gaining a growing reputation in Ireland since its 2013 re-entry to the market with a complete new range, writes Trish Whelan.

SsangYong Motors here expect the Rexton W will become a flagship vehicle of the brand. Launched yesterday, the strong looking and stylish SUV joins 'range mates' Korando, Korando Commercial, Korando Sports pick-up, and the seven-seater Rodius. The Korando Commercial, from €24,995, was voted Continental Irish Commercial SUV of the Year 2014 by the van jury of the Irish Motoring Writers Association.

Having driven the car at launch yesterday at Bill Cullen Premier Motors in Dublin, this feels a robust, strong 4x4 with the appeal of an urban cruiser but with off-road ability and a range of creature comforts that equate to good value for money. It will appeal particularly to businesses wishing to enhance their image while keeping pricing affordable.

The commercial automatic is priced from €36,769; the Business Edition 5-seater Commercial utility from €38,329 - automatic from €41,377; and the 7-seater passenger from €44,474 - automatic from €48,185. All prices include VAT. All models come with 5-year warranty and road side assistance.

With four adults on board, there was plenty of room in the cabin with those in the rear enjoying good head and leg room. We also liked the new look of the cabin which is both well thought out, and practical. Leatherette seating is standard with optional rear leather as an extra. Leather featured on the gearstick and steering wheel. The overall quietness of the 2.0 diesel engine was noted as were the nice gear changes from the 6-speed manual transmission in the car tested, the Commercial version. We also noted that Bluetooth connectivity and air conditioning were standard features.

The drivability of the car reflected its ambitions in the upper end of the larger SUV arena. Even though the trial car was manual, the initial sense is seamless progress in traffic or on the motorway, and the target vehicles such as Hyundai's Santa Fe and the upcoming new Nissan X-Trail will feel the wind of real competition from this one.

More when I get to spend time with it.

First Drive: Ford EcoSport

Ford people admit that they're coming to the small urban SUV party in Europe late, writes Brian Byrne from the European launch of the EcoSport in Barcelona. But being a global carmaker they had something in the closet they could arrive in fairly respectably.

The timing was good. A rugged small SUV which they introduced in Brazil was very successful there, and due for a regeneration. The EcoSport we'll see in Ireland around April or May will be that second generation Brazil-designed car.



With some changes, they say. About 300 changes, mostly under the skin and inside the car itself. A lot to do with higher grade interiors, different mapping of the ESP and steering to suit European drivers. Powertrains to meet Euro 5 requirements. A more pedestrian friendly front end to help with ENCAP rating.

Which latter, by the way, is four stars. Nick Fitzgerald, chief programme engineer for EcoSport, said the fifth star would have taken time to achieve, delaying bringing the car to Europe even further. Getting there would have needed stuff like a speed limiter, City Safe, warning lights for rear seatbelts. Fitzgerald says proving all that could have taken another 18 months. And he's not convinced it would have made much difference to sales.

Besides, the car did achieve 93 percent occupant protection, which is arguably the most important part of the regime. It also has as standard ESP, rollover mitigation, and a bunch of the usual acronyms related to electronic management of the car's handling in extremes. It will also come with rear parking sensors, automatic climate, and keyless entry in the Titanium grade which is the only one coming to Ireland. Ford's SYNC connectivity, with AppLink that will allow voice-actuated apps on the user's smartphone, will be offered.



It's a roomy car, considering it's on a Fiesta platform. There's quite decent accommodation for adults in the back, and because only a FWD version will be sold in Europe, there's good room in the boot too. Partly because the spare wheel — yes, there's a real full one — is hung off the back door. South American and Indian markets favour that, as a macho image. Besides, there simply isn't room under the rear floor for it without major reengineering.







The interior styling is very familiar, originally debuted in the Fiesta and used in a variant form in the Focus, and coming too with the new Transit Connect and Tourneo Connect. We were advised that the quality and colour schemes on the international launch cars were pre-production, and to expect something of an upshift in perceived quality when we see the final cars.

The EcoSport will come to Ireland with three powertrain options, a 1.0 125hp EcoBoost 3-cylinder which we're all familiar with and impressed by, a 1.5 petrol four with automatic transmission and more sluggish 115hp, and a 90hp 1.5 diesel four. Ford Ireland is reviving an old marketing trick by offering all three at the same price.

I only got to drive the 1.0 petrol on the Barcelona introduction today, and found it well capable even around the twisty hills up at the back of the city. The EcoBoost is basically built for tougher terrains and isn't the lightest of vehicles in its class, so I'd have reservations on paper as to how the diesel might suit it.

But the structural build quality seemed good, and no squeaks or rattles made themselves evident. Apart from the distinctive note of the 3-pot, which I find pleasant enough, it seems like a relatively quiet car too. A nice driving position and a tidy handling experience left me feeling quite positive about a car which was not originally designed for Europe.

At a quick glance, the €24,000 price tag for Ireland might look a tad high, compared to the entry prices for some of the competition already here. But the level of specification might well even things out.

We'll see, when it comes. Meantime, nothing on the introduction to the car has so far put me off it.

First Drive: Kia Carens

Yet another example of the renaissance of Kia is represented in the new generation Carens, which goes on sale in May, writes Brian Byrne.

From a dumpy and dull model that was practical but uninspiring, the nameplate now represents a thoroughly modern, attractive and handsome family car.

It's a real alternative to the SUV, yet one that isn't likely to diminish the sales performance of Kia's Sportage, the brand's best selling car in Ireland.

A-Class aimed at younger buyer

Mercedes-Benz expect the new A-Class to introduce the brand to a new and younger generation of customers who traditionally see a Merc as a car for their parents' generation, writes Trish Whelan.

The launch plan features heavily on Facebook and smart phone App technology to allow prospective customers feel at home as they scroll through all the relevant information and select the model that suits them best.

And when they arrive at a dealership, they enter a communications corner, complete with iPad, giving information on car colours, and interior trends. Ciaran Allen of Mercedes-Benz points out "It should feel it's part of their modern world and not a strange place. It won't be like when their parents went to buy a car."

First Drive: VW Golf Mk 7

If you’re a VW Golf fan, you’re in big company. More than 29m of them have been produced since the nameplate was first rolled out in 1974, writes Brian Byrne.

If you’re a Golf fan since that time, you’ll have watched it develop through six generations without ever losing key styling cues that identify it as a Golf.

If you’re a Golf fan, you’ll be waiting for mid-December in your local VW dealership to see the Mk 7 Golf arrive on the showroom floor.



And you’ll be very happy to see that the essential shape that has become the iconic car of Volkswagen in almost four decades still looks like it should do. Like a Golf. Arguably only two other cars in the world have retained their original visual identities. One of them’s a VW too, the Beetle. The other is a Porsche, now coincidentally owned by VW.

Early drive in new Golf impresses

There will be 25 VW Golf variants on sale in Ireland by early next year, writes Brian Byrne, and driving two of them today convinces me that Volkswagen has come up with another real winner.

Granted, the two variants were top of their sectors, a 1.4 TSI petrol with 140hp that puts pizazz into Golf motoring at fuel efficiency that rivals the nameplate's current diesels, and a new 150hp 2.0 TDI that has given more oomph with less fuel cost.

In the twisty but excellent roads of north Sardinia, they showed off equally zippy performances, and a handling ability that arguably brings Golf back to the top of the league in driving dynamics.

With a caveat, though: both cars had VW's adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control, which electronically changes the shocks and suspension to suit different driving modes. But there's a new 'ordinary' rear axle too which will be on all versions under 120hp. It is 15kg lighter than the unit on the Mk 6 Golf and is a contributor to a 100kg saving in weight of the new car against the old.

Indeed, the weight of the Mk 7 Golf is now the same as was the smaller Mk 4 of 15 years ago, with consequent gains in agility and fuel efficiency.

The new Golf has a longer wheelbase, made possible by moving the front wheels forward in the car's 'footprint'. This allows more room inside for occupants, where there is also 33cm more shoulder room.

Next year is going to be 'the year of the Golf' in a big way, with the new car available from January in most key markets, and upcoming special variants including the new generation GTI, GTD, and even more frugal Bluemotion than the current one.

From mid-December, Irish VW dealers will have the 1.2 and 1.4 petrol TSIs, and the 90hp 1.6 TDI, with other options becoming available through coming months.

The new Golf is a high-tech car in many ways, but especially in the new TSI 1.4 engine, which is available optionally with automatic cylinder deactivation (in translation the acronym is ACT) that cuts fuel and ignition to two of the four cylinders when the load on the engine is least. This trims CO2 emissions from 119g/km to 109g/km.

There's also a neat element to the central information screen for sat-nav and other functions—by bringing your hand close to it, the function touch-keys become visible, disappearing again when you take your hand away.

Lots more, and I'll do a more extensive first appraisal for Monday. In the meantime, Volkswagen is determined that what is now the iconic car which defines the company will gain further converts.

Price range in Ireland has already been announced at €19,995-€31,645, with a recommended €750 dealer-related charge across all models.

Sneak peek at new Mazda6

When the new generation Mazda6 arrives in Ireland next February it might offer the Irish distributor a chance to tap into the key business market where the model hasn't really competed before, writes Brian Byrne.

I've just had an early drive in a near-production prototype outside Paris, and short though the experience was, it impressed.

Coming immediately after the Paris Motor Show European reveal of the new version, and the global introduction of the wagon variant, I was already primed to like a car that by general concensus at the show was one of the nicest of the 'real' cars there.

The new lines of the Mazda6 make it the first model to fully take on board the latest design 'language' developed by the company. It certainly extends the elegance factor, and punches home in style anyhow the sporty ethos which Mazda tries to live to.

Apart from the strong and muscular shapes and character lines, the passenger compartment has been moved rearwards significantly, and this adds a long bonnet sportiness to the car.

The designers have also worked to improve the interior, which have in the versions I drove today a much higher level of perceived quality than previously. In some respects, they had to, because this is an area where the Korean competition particularly has been leapfrogging their Japanese neighbours.

That said, the cockpit of the Mazda6 is still understated compared to many competitors, but there's no gainsaying the actual quality of the materials in the trim.

Also, it remains an immediately intuitive car to find your way around the controls and switches, a quality which a number of European manufacturers in particular seem to have forgotten about.

This is a first view, and the cars driven were not quite final production quality, so I'm not going to go into much detail here.

Just to say that the driving experiences themselves, in the two 2.2 diesels of 150/175hp, provided an insight into a strong effort towards achieving refinement in operation. A pretty successful effort.

Some technical details. The car is longer, roomier especially for rear seat passengers, and has the longest wheelbase in its class. Though there's more of it, the structure of the car is substantially lighter, which is part of Mazda's SkyActiv strategy to make its products more efficient.

Powertrains when it gets to Ireland will include a 145hp 2.0 petrol as a lead-in version, plus the 2.2 150hp diesel which is expected to be the main attraction for the anticipated 500 buyers who will roll out in one in 2013. Fuel consumption in that one will be 4.1L/100km (69mpg) and emissions 108g/km. A high-power 175hp version of that diesel will also be available.

Prices aren't finalised yet, but a guide would be that the petrol car will be under €30,000, and the main diesel at or a bit above that figure.

There will be much more to write about the car when it comes to Ireland, not least the significant range of standard and optional safety technologies. The new car is expected to perform at the top level of the EuroNCAP crash test regime.

And then there's that energy regeneration system which uses a capacitor rather than a battery to store that recovered energy, the first production car to do so. 

But for the moment, from the pretty town of Mery sur l'Oise, that's enough to be going on with.

New Volvo V40 first view

You know that unnerving feeling sometimes when you have to reverse out of a nose-in parking space, writes Brian Byrne, and you can't see if there's anything coming?

Well, the new Volvo V40 can sort that one out, with a 'Cross Traffic Alert' gidget amongst its electronic safety arsenal. Basically it has sensors at the rear sides of the car which can detect any traffic coming along at up to 30 metres away.

And then you often wondered just how much longer a space than the length of your car do you need to parallel park? Well, it's 1.2 times if you use the new car's parking wizard.

There's also an intriguing 'first', an airbag for pedestrians. A long time mooted, now standard on the V40, if sensors on the bumper feel you hitting a walker, the bonnet pops up a bit to keep the poor victim from the hard parts of the engine, and an airbag lifts around the scuttle, aimed at minimising impact against the windscreen and A pillars.

That City Safe technology that we first saw on the XC60 has been further refined, and now will now stop the car from rear-ending the one in front from up to 50km/h.

Of course, there's all the other stuff we're getting used to now. Blind spot warnings (BLIS), which now operate from further behind the car; lane wander alerts, new for Volvo in this segment; and a Distance Alert which flashes up a neat red warning on your windscreen if you're approaching another vehicle too quickly or are driving unsafely close to it.

The instrumentation is also high tech, offering a number of 'themes' named Elegance, Eco and Performance, and within these you can also choose different colour schemes. In fairness, the Performance one is preferred, giving a nice choice of digital speed readout and rev-counter against an active red background. Other information on all themes includes camera-read recent road signs and a warning if you're travelling faster than the local speed limit.

All that's great stuff. And a 'here be dragons' caveat—apart from the City Safe and the Pedestrian Airbag, you'll pay extra for most of the foregoing, in part by going up a grade, otherwise in 'Packs'. 

Meantime, if Volvo wants to get a younger age profile, it has to have a car that will grab the younger driver. Does the new car qualify?

Certainly it looks sexier than its wagony predecessor, and it is being presented as a hatchback rather than an estate. A long sleek profile, strong character lines along the shoulder and rocker levels, a tilt at the old P1800 in a 'kick' on that shoulder. Fronts and rear are recognisably Volvo, with more sculpting than we have been used to from the brand.

Early on the road impressions are positive, the 115hp D2 is adequate, the 177hp D4 is a flyer, as is the 2.0 petrol T4. The drive is very composed, and seemingly immune to backdraft on truck convoys on Italy's motorways. In the twisty sub-Alps back of Verona it just felt totally together. Gone is the squishiness of other Volvos, yet without inducing harshness. Build quality and interior feel is at the level of quality needed to pull from Audi, BMW and Merc. Argument could be made that the Volvo is better in many respects.

Prices in Ireland start at €27,000 for both D2 diesel and T3 petrol, both 1.6 in capacity and in Bands A and B respectively. The 94g/km of the D2 is probably class-leading just now. We're also getting the 150hp D3, and an automatic option in that last. Only the auto is in Band C, and range fuel consumptions are between 54-78mpg equivalents. Top price is around the €36,000 mark.

Former marketing manager of Volvo Ireland Adrian Yeates is now the new MD of the company following the departure of David Baddeley to greater things in Volvo UK. It isn’t the most propitious of times, but he is starting his new position with a brand new car that can seriously put it up to those who feel they have the divine right to own the premium game.

Here's news. They don't.

First Drive: new Honda Civic

The new Honda Civic pictured with the previous and first generations behind it.

With what is claimed as the highest level of standard specification in its class, Honda in Ireland are directly targeting the mainstream players in the compact family car arena with their new generation Civic, writes Brian Byrne.

And on a first run in the car on Irish roads, it looks like they have a fairly potent weapon in their arsenal to do just this.

It's the ninth generation of the Civic, a car that accounts for half of all Honda sales in Ireland at the moment. In style terms it has evolved from the very high-tech look of the outgoing car to something a little smoother, but still highly distinctive.



Interior upshifts in quality—an element where Honda was always at the high levels anyhow—will also help the distributor to extend market share, it hopes to around 750 units this year despite the delayed arrival of the car.

In powertrains there has been a shift too, in efficiency and improved refinement. The engines are 1.4 and 1.8 petrol, both Band B, and a Band A 150hp 2.2 diesel which is being competitively priced against the 1.6 diesels of its competitors from VW, Ford and others. That will be maintained until a new 1.6 diesel with 120hp is made available this time next year.

We're the first country in Europe to get the new Civic. After a rough year for Honda production because of the devastating effects of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the subsequent floods in Thailand, a source of key components for the company's cars.

There's a solid base of loyalty to the brand and the model on which the Irish Honda network can build. In almost 40 years of selling Civics, more than 42,000 copies of the model in its various generations have been sold.

Although the Irish market has been swung strongly to diesel under the current road tax systems, with four in five cars using diesel powertrains, Honda in Ireland reckon they'll sell the respective powertrains on a fifty-fifty split. Not least because the petrol offerings are so efficient anyhow.

A few relatively short drives in and around the drumlin county of Cavan this weekend showed me a car that is arguably the best built in its segment, certainly it feels that way. The improved interiors also challenge seriously the so-called 'prestige' brands. Honda has always considered premium to equate with quality and engineering rather than bling and swank.

In both versions experienced, the new Civic handled very well indeed—Cavan is a good test area for such things. The diesel is certainly the punchier of the two, but I was quite happy with the performance of the 1.4 too.

It was just a taster, and I'll be lining up opportunities soon to give the car a more extensive trial. I don't expect to be anything except further impressed.

Prices from €21,395 in petrol and €25,445 in diesel.

First View: Chrysler Delta

I got a chance this week to spend a couple of days with the new Chrysler Delta, not yet launched in Ireland, writes Brian Byrne.

The car is born of the new Fiat-Chrysler alliance, and is a rebadged Lancia Delta. It is being sold as a Chrysler only on the UK and Ireland. Why, we don't know, but it may be that the Chrysler brand has more resonance and sales appeal in these markets because Lancia has been gone from them for most of two decades.

The Delta is a truly distinctive car, smart in style, and much bigger inside than it looks. The interior finish and trim in the car I drove was to high quality, and only a typical Lancia quirk in the driving position caused me thought. It wasn't really a problem, but might for shorter legged drivers.

A C segment offering, the Delta will come to market before the end of October as a niche option to the likes of VW's Golf and Ford's Focus.

The differences between it and the Lancia model sold across continental Europe are just badges, with the grille requiring a slightly more significant modification at the top.

The car I drove was powered by a 120hp 1.6 diesel, a powertrain we have experienced already in Alfa and Fiat models. It is a willing and plucky performer and is well chosen for the car. I enjoyed it particularly on some of the twistier roads around my County Kildare.

Prices haven't yet been revealed, and a competitive number here will be crucial for success in Ireland.

I'll be driving it properly in a few weeks and we'll engage with it more. But already I like it.

First View: Volkswagen Beetle

I didn't get to drive the new Volkswagen Beetle I would have liked to when I was in Berlin at the recent media launch, writes Brian Byrne. A 200hp variant with a 7-speed DSG autobox is all very well, but it isn't what the Beetle means in Ireland.

And that last is why the outgoing version never sold in serious numbers here. Even though the generations who experienced the original are now in the grey part of their lives, there's a strong folk memory of what was once the only Volkswagen—a relatively cheap, reliable personal car. A family car, even if it was only a 2-door and a squeeze for the three children in the back.

First Drive: A teasing taste of Veloster

I got fooled at the recent Geneva Motor Show when I first saw the Hyundai Veloster in the metal, writes Brian Byrne. As I took my first pictures, I assumed it was a four-door coupe, with concealed rear doors handles a la Alfa Romeo.

Later I returned to the stand, and was surprised to see that they had replaced the first car already with a two-door version.

Of course, I was wrong on both counts. It was the same car. But Veloster has three passenger doors, the one for rear access being on the curb side.

First View: New Ford Focus

Focus has set benchmarks in its segment for driving dynamics since the first one came along, writes Brian Byrne. Now we have generation three, and I feel at first view that they once again have a seriously good car to sell.

If some of my colleagues are complaining that the third generation Focus is not as sharp as was the first game-changing one when it came out in 1998, maybe they're looking for old glories to be repeated.

What has really happened is that the new Focus is an overall much more mature car, and better suited all round for the vast bulk of the people who will buy it.

A key part of that is its greater comfort, more amenable ride, and a seriously better package in accommodation, powertrains, and just general good feeling.

First View: Nissan Juke

Sometimes a car rolls up and says 'you're gonna like me. A lot', writes Brian Byrne. And you do. Pretty well instantly.

Five minutes into my introductory drive in the new Nissan Juke, I knew I liked it. A lot.

In style, it's definitely in your face. Quirky large headlight clusters, a grinning front. Chunky rear quarters which come from the same DNA as the Murano luxury car and the phenomenally successful Qashqai compact crossover which has eclipsed even Renault's Scenic by a massive margin.

First View: Nissan Leaf EV

So, is the Nissan Leaf electric car just something for the geek car buyer, asks Brian Byrne? Like those who buy Apple iPhones just because they want to talk about their latest tech buys?

Maybe. Maybe they are the people that Nissan needs to buy their pure EV compact family hatch first time out. Because, if the Apple iPhone and iPad experience is used as a marketing primer, the Leaf could become successful beyond the maker's wildest dreams.

If Nissan can succeed in getting a relatively small critical mass of buyers' bums on seats, they are the ones who will sell the car to their friends, neighbours and workmates. That's how the iPhone became a gamechanger even after coming to the phone game late, and not even as the best phone. They made it so that everybody wanted one just to be in the game.