Two new powertrains and Evolution trim for Renault Symbioz

Renault’s Symbioz is now available in two new powertrains - the TCe mild hybrid 140 manual (pictured above) and the E-Tech full hybrid 160, broadening the appeal of the compact family SUV to Irish drivers, writes Trish Whelan. 

For 252, the TCe 140, with a 6-speed manual gearbox is now available in the new entry Evolution trim bringing the entry price of the range to €31,995. This powertrain features a 1.3 4-cylinder petrol turbo engine boosted by a 12v mild hybrid system and with consumption of 5.8 L/100km. 

A new E-Tech hybrid 160 engine is introduced with the new Evolution trim from €34,995 and comes standard with 10.2-inch touchscreen, rear parking cameras and sensors, and auto climate control as well as additional features from he launch model. The E-Tech hybrid is pictured below.

 

Grande Panda Hybrid slated for summer launch

Fiat will be introducing the Grande Panda Hybrid to Ireland later in the summer, writes Brian Byrne. A full electric version was recently detailed.

The powertrain is based on a 110hp 1.2 turbo petrol and 48V mild hybrid system, with a 6-speed dual clutch auto transmission.

The 4-metre car is designed to seat five passengers comfortably and is claimed to have best in class shoulder room.  There will be three trim levels. 

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. 

MG ZS Hybrid+ review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

This car is one of the reasons the car business in Europe is scared, writes Brian Byrne. The Chinese-owned MG brand is one of several such pushing their cars into European markets, and selling uncomfortably well. While the EU concerns include whether Chinese brands are being illegally subsidised by their state, a more tangible concern is the quality of the cars, both mass-market and premium. They're just very damned good. For the consumer, quality and value are not always match-fellows, but in cars coming out of China these days, the two characteristics are intimate.

The MG ZS Hybrid+ is a second generation of the original compact SUV model and went on sale towards the end of 2024, therefore is as fresh as anything in today's showrooms. It's sized a tad larger than Nissan's Qashqai and a little smaller than Toyota's Corolla Cross, but that bracketing puts it into a very competitive and busy segment here.

There's not a lot you can do to ring changes in the shape of a crossover in this space, and it's safe to say that the MG ZS will fit on any driveway without looking like a cuckoo in the nest. There's good strong thoroughly modern detailing in the front end, a pleasant profile, and smart looks about the rear, set off in the review car by some nice chrome-style elements around the tailpipes. The 18-inch alloys on the top Exclusive of three grades available are quite striking.

The same consideration to providing a car that will appeal to any buyer in the segment has been carried through to the interior. There's style to the dashboard design and its component elements. A good bright infotainment screen set down out of the way of glare has easily viewed and operated panels, with a row of switches underneath to manage defrost, emergency flasher, home and radio volumes. Even if the general climate controls are touchscreen, the graphics are big enough to operate handily enough. One downside is the lack of Bluetooth connection for CarPlay, but most can live with that. On the driver's side, the instrumentation is pretty clear and informative, though I could do without the brown stripes decorations.

The centre console has some things storage and a snazzy transmission shifter and big start-stop button. The steering wheel controls are OK, though I'm not a fan of the toggle bits. The MG motif in its octagon is a reminder of an automotive heritage that still twangs the memory strings even if it is owned by SAIC Automotive.

This top level version is only €5,000 more than the entry car, and for that you get a bigger infotainment screen, leather-style seats and trim that are well presented indeed, heated seats and steering wheel and electrically adjusted driver's seat, full LED lighting front and rear, a really good surround-view rear camera and inbuilt navigation that's quite a tidy system.

There's just the one powertrain, based on a 1.5 petrol unit and electric motor-battery setup that offers a total output of 196hp. Performance is adequately brisk and smooth, and given the size of the car a fuel consumption of around 6L/100km was satisfactory to me. I was impressed at how much on highway speeds that the car was travelling in electric mode.

The ZS Hybrid+ all looks good. It all feels good.The car is priced very well on the buyer side and comes with a 7-year warranty. Even though the ZS didn't quite make the five stars in the EuroENCAP, the competition in Europe is right to be scared.

PRICE: From €28,999; Review car €33,995. WHAT I LIKED: This is a real contender in an important buyer space.

 

Renault revises Austral

Renault have revised their Austral SUV with a completely re-designed front and rear ends, writes Brian Byrne. Along with a new lights signature shape, the move brings the car into line with more recent models.

Inside there are improved front seats and new upholstery and better soundproofing.

The car has a 200hp full hybrid automatic powertrain, offering a rated 4.7L/100km in fuel use.

There are three trim levels and the car is expected in first European markets before the summer.

Nissan Qashqai review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

It's just 21 years since Nissan unveiled their first Qashqai as a concept car at the Geneva Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne. Designed to offer an SUV-style vehicle without the fuel guzzling and lack of ride comfort that those cars featured, it would replace both the popular but waning large Primera saloon and the compact Almera hatchback. Looking like a hatch on steroids, the concept retained 4WD but didn't have the bulk or height of the company's X-Trail SUV. Most buyers would be in urban or suburban locations, Nissan's designers and marketing people reasoned.

I remember being at that show and I don't recall being blown away by the concept. Which, it seems, was the reaction from many journalists like me. When, later in development, Nissan forecast that six in ten buyers would likely go for a 2WD version, a common reaction was that the car would fall between the two proverbial stools and please no one. How wrong that proved to be. By the time the third generation came along in 2021, almost 3 million Qashqais had been sold in Europe (and nearly 16 million in China). Since 2009, Qashqai has been Nissan's biggest selling car in Ireland.

My reason for reviewing this one is a mid-cycle refresh which has made some detail changes that cumulatively enhance the car. The essential shape hasn't changed, but a complete rejig of the front quite transforms the car's recognisability on the road. When I first saw the photographs I wasn't exactly impressed, but a day or so with the car in the metal and I got to like it. Some smoothing of the rear bumper style also sets the latest version away from the immediate predecessor. I have previously commented on how the designers provided edgy shapes along the profile, managing to meld curves and angles into unexpectedly attractive elements. All that is still there, making the overall style of a very attractive car.

Upgrades inside include trim elements with a more premium feel to an interior that already had a high level of perceived quality. Thankfully, while providing more colour and a bit of extra digital style to the instrumentation and infotainment, the knobs and buttons for climate management are all still in place. As a driver I felt I was allowed be in control, which is too often not the case these days. Nissan is one of a number of carmakers who have adopted Google Assistant and Maps directly into their systems and I like that. The trim changes include a frame around the base of the central screen that makes it seem to rise from the dashboard though it's really positioned just as before.

Qashqai sits in the middle of a segment that can be classed as compact crossover, so interior room is par with the likes of the Volvo XC40 or Toyota's Corolla Cross. There's a decent boot capacity of 480L, all the foregoing reasons for its popularity as a family car.

Qashqai now comes with a choice from just two engines, a 1.3 petrol with mild hybrid electric boost, and the e-power full hybrid based on a 1.5 petrol hybrid with a similar size electric motor that powers the all-electric Leaf. That last is important because in this Nissan version of full hybrid, the electric motor has the only direct drive link to the wheels. The petrol engine keeps the car's battery charged up to whatever the electricity demand is for different driving conditions. The result is a smooth and torquey performance like a pure electric vehicle, but without having to worry about running out of energy as long as there's petrol in the tank. There are advantages in that the petrol engine can be run in a way that maximises efficiency, and there's no need for a multi-ratio transmission. I'm not sure anyone is in agreement about whether this or the traditional Toyota-style hybrid is better than the other, but I do like the concept of e-Power. And it gave me a consumption figure of 5.7L/100km, not bad for a car of its size and performance. I did like the fact that it includes the 'one-pedal' ability to drive with less use of the brakes when set to high regeneration on overrun. 

All the safety systems expected are there. I must at some stage do a 30-year comparison on this aspect in cars. It no doubt has substantially improved crash frequency and outcomes, at a cost. A cost I hope we all feel is worthwhile. I do.

PRICE: From €36,800; e-Power versions from €42,000. WHAT I LIKED: A quality build in style. 

Opel Grandland review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

The C-segment SUV is the biggest market slice of the overall car market in Ireland and it is fair to say that Opel haven't been performing well in it, writes Brian Byrne. Fair, because they say so themselves. That may well be about to change, with the arrival of the new generation Grandland as their top offering in the SUV space. When it is joined shortly by an updated Mokka and a new Frontera, the brand will have the youngest line-out of crossover-SUVs in the market.

The new Grandland comes with the sharp lines that Opel have been developing as their family look, beginning with the current Astra. It is longer, wider and taller than the version it replaces, and with that comes a longer wheelbase, promising more room inside for rear seat occupants, and an improved ride comfort which this gives especially in a larger car. Small details make the new car stand out both within the brand and from the competition including a lit-up 'blitz' badge on the front and a constantly red-lit Opel name on the back. 

Some interesting metal-sculpting along the door panels and around the rear pillar areas establish a profile that merits a second look. Front and rear design treatments emphasise width, as does the flat bonnet with a central ridge drawing the eye forward. The overall effect is standout without being in your face design. There's an impression of strength, reinforced as soon as you open and close the door, feeling the weight and hearing the satisfying clunk of structural integrity.

Similar edged design elements are repeated with the interior styling, across the dashboard, doors and console. The landscape screen is tidy, wide but blessedly not gigantic, and Opel have acknowledged longtime feedback from customers that screens should not replace proper switchgear for many functions. The message is gradually getting through. A smaller driving information screen is where it should be, in front of the driver, all very straightforward ... again, the message is getting through.

There's plenty of storage — that old best in class cat has been trotted out again. Included is a refrigerated box under the armrest, keeps the Cadbury's bar from slouching when you turn the heat up. A 550L boot cargo volume is standard across all powertrain versions, so the hybrid or BEV batteries don't steal capacity. The extra width and height of this Grandland make a difference to how it feels inside. And a rethinking of seats design has, the carmaker claims, made them more comfortable for long distance driving. Certainly, as my first drive experience was a 2-day run that included motorways in the Republic and some stunningly scenic drives through the Mourne Mountains, assertions of comfort seemed to stand up.

The car I drove was powered by that hybrid system I've become very impressed with in other recent review Opels. Classed as a mild-hybrid (MHEV) it nevertheless has the capability of significant in-town electric driving, enough to make it overall frugal with the fuel, particularly given the car's size. The nuts and bolts are a 3-cylinder 1.2 petrol, with the electric motor and battery, totalling a 135hp output. Being a hybrid, it's automatic, in this instance a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. Seemed to all work very well under a variety of conditions on that introductory trip. There's also a full electric version (BEV), and with the grant and VRT rebate that is actually cheaper than the hybrid.

Last year Opel celebrated 125 years of automobile production. Through those twelve and a half decades the company has provided both sensible workaday vehicles and cars conceived with passion. Sometimes being both together. The previous Grandland really never had the passion bit. But now? Well, now it's looking the part, which is a good start. More when I get a full turn in it.

PRICE: €39,065 for the BEV, the review MHEV starts at €40,995. WHAT I LIKED: They've got the looks right. 

Grandland moves Opel upmarket in segment

Opel is moving more upmarket in the C-segment SUV market with the new Grandland, which is now on sale in Ireland with electric and hybrid variants, writes Brian Byrne. The segment is the biggest one in the Irish market.

The car is the top of the line in the brand's SUV range here, with the Mokka at the smallest end and the upcoming new Frontera to fill out the middle.

The electric Grandland has a 73kWh battery outputting 213hp and with a rated range of up to 523km. The 136hp hybrid (MHEV) powertrain is based on a 1.2 3-cylinder petrol engine with a battery-electric motor capable of fully electric city driving for up to 50pc of the time. A plug-in hybrid version is planned.

Cargo capacity of the Grandland is 550L in all versions. In-cabin storage totals 36L including a refrigerated space under the front central armrest.

The new generation of the car is longer, wider and taller than the car it replaces. 

Renault Symbioz review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

The small and medium SUV segments are currently the most hotly contested in the business and no manufacturer can afford to be out of it, writes Brian Byrne. Even with multiple closely-related offerings. That's where the new Renault Symbioz comes in.

It arrived here quickly and rather quietly in the late part of last year after a global reveal only in May. Based on the current Captur small SUV, it shares width and height but the extra length pushes it into the seriously busy compact-crossover arena where Toyota's C-HR and Kia's Niro, among others, are players. It also offers an option a bit smaller in all dimensions than the compact-medium SUV from Renault, the Austral. Crucially, the Symbioz doesn't get a longer wheelbase than the Captur, but does gain a significantly extended cargo area.

The extra length gives Symbioz a stronger presence on the road, and there are minor retakes on the front end styling and more significant ones on the rear from the Captur, but the relationship is clear.

That's even more so with the interior. They didn't change the dashboard and instruments layout from the shorter car which was refreshed earlier last year. It's ergonomically good, as are all Renaults at the moment. The vertical-aspect centre screen and the driver instrument cluster both have bright and colourful graphics, with information presented in large format that makes a glance enough to take in whatever is needed. The brand's current mix of always-on virtual buttons and piano-style switches for climate and comfort management are, as I have noted before, excellent.

My review car was in the Esprit Alpine grade, which adds some visual tweaking to an already high-quality finish. These included some blue stitching on the leather-style trim and seating and some appropriate badging. There's an interesting glass roof option that provides four different levels of opacity, by voice command or switch.

Room is the rear is similar to Captur, which could be cosy enough if the front passengers are both long-legged. Two comfortably, three for shorter journeys.

The only powertrain available is a petrol-hybrid marketed under Renault's E-Tech moniker for electrified cars. It's the familiar 1.6 petrol inline four with a 145ps output and 6-speed automatic transmission system. It does operate in EV mode, and there's a facility to fully top up the battery while on the run to provide a longer electric performance for a time while in town driving.

It is all proven and works smoothly, though I had a feeling that the petrol engine was revving a little high in some slower driving (there's no rev-counter in most hybrids these days so it's hard to tell).

The full set of mandatory driver assist technology is provided. Over-limits warning sounds are not overly-intrusive, so I didn't bother switching them off as is my habit with some other brands.

In my time with the car it felt nicely balanced under a variety of conditions. I had to do six-hours of long-distance driving on one day in a mix of country, main road and motorway, and arrived home quite fresh. Proving Renault's traditional reputation for comfort.

PRICE: From €36,995, review car €41,395. WHAT I LIKED: The sense of bigger without bulk.  

New Prelude for Europe next year

There's a way to go yet, but Honda will be selling a new Prelude in Europe in 2026, writes Brian Byrne. The car, an iconic coupe nameplate from the Japanese maker, debuted in 1978 and went through five generations until being dropped in 2000.

A new Prelude will come with a petrol-hybrid powertrain, with simulated sound and fast automatic gearchanges tilting back at the car's performance heritage.

Honda is celebrating 25 years of hybrid development, and the brand's range is fully electrified, with Jazz, Civic, HR-V, ZR-V and CR-V all available with e:HEV powertrains as standard.  

Citroen's new C3 matches petrol and EV prices

The new Citroen C3 is available for order now with both petrol and electric versions starting at €23,400, writes Brian Byrne. The cars will be available for delivery at the start of next year.

With a chunky SUV-style look, the car offers more interior space while retaining the overall footprint of the previous generation.

Taller than the outgoing car, and than competitors, the new C3 is designed be be easier to get in and out of, making it very suitable for urban use.

Power for the petrol version is a 1.2 turbo with a power output of 100hp, and the EV will have a rated range of up to 320km. There's also a hybrid option. 

MG3 Hybrid review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

I remember the first time I saw a Chinese SUV at a European motor show, writes Brian Byrne. So forgettable that I can’t remember the year or the car brand. Or even at which of the three shows I regularly attended it was exhibited. But I do remember the unattractiveness of the materials and interior design, and the very iffy build quality compared to what we were even then used to from European carmakers. "Won't work here," I said to a colleague then. It didn't.

But China learns quickly. Anyone in the last few years who has gotten into the new cars from a variety of the Asian giant's carmakers will have been struck by the perceived quality, and the luxury intent of their higher-end cars. As well as in the originally European brands now owned by Chinese companies, such as Volvo. All have the tech, the style, and the quality.

None more so than MG Motor, the current iteration of the 1924-founded British sports car marque owned today by the Shanghai car giant SAIC Motor. This is China targeting not the luxury market, but the everyday mainstream. In 2013 some 513 Chinese MG cars were sold in Europe. Last year, a decade later, that figure hit 231,684 units. Much of that success has come from demand for the MG4 electric car, but now the MG3 Hybrid+ has arrived. "This will certainly work here," I said to that same colleague last week.

The B segment car is a tad larger than the now discontinued Ford Fiesta and the latest Suzuki Swift. It has an attractively lively design at the front, some good side sculpting, and a safe rear hatch style made distinctive by a large MG badge.

Where the model really scores is with the interior, featuring a tidily styled dashboard with separate infotainment and driver information screens, both well located and with intelligible graphics. The touchscreen seems to be a generation better than I remember in the MG4 EV I drove last year, and which was poor. China learns. Quickly. Underneath is a line of physical switches for some climate control and radio volume. Apple CarPlay had to be wire-connected, and created an issue that the switch to access the climate detail page then no longer worked, and I had to exit CarPlay to do anything with heat or cool. China will learn.

The hybrid powertrain means automatic, and transmission selection is via a big knob on the centre console. Visible and virtually impossible to do anything incorrectly, I like it. The hexagonal steering wheel feels good, though the remote toggles for navigating functions are not as clear as some. China will learn.

It's what we used to call the supermini segment, so in reality a 4-seater hatchback with room for an occasional fifth as long as all in the back are children. But every seat is comfortable. And everything looks good and feels solid. China has learned.

The hybrid powertrain is new to the brand, and in my experience with the car it works well. A larger than usual electric drive battery for the segment means a significant amount of town driving is done electrically. There's a 3-speed automatic rather than a CVT auto transmission, and when the 1.5 inline four cuts in, it does seem to be revving high, possibly because the Atkinson cycle it's set up for is more efficient for hybrids. No rev-counter, so I couldn't see visually what was happening. But the overall drive in whatever mode the system chose was good. An 8-second sprint to 100km/h is claimed, and without measuring that there was certainly a decent sense of push when accelerating to pass. I averaged 4.5L/100km through my time, and that's a decent economy.

All driver assist is part of the package, and the annoying alerts that we're all starting not to hear. Won't go there.

This car is going to do very well, everywhere. Especially priced as it is before that extra EU duty on Chinese-made cars arrives.

PRICE: From €23,995. WHAT I LIKED: China has learned.  

New cars launched by Renault Ireland

Renault has launched two new models in Ireland, the E-Tech Electric Scenic and a new flagship E-Tech full hybrid Rafale, writes Brian Byrne. The brand also rolled out a revised version of their Captur small SUV.

The E-Tech Scenic prices start at €39,995 with four grades and two battery options — the car was voted the 2024 European Car of the Year. The Rafale SUV Coupe, with three grades and a 200hp full hybrid powertrain, starts at €51,495.

The strongly-restyled Captur, which also comes with new generation driving aids, starts at €29,120 for the petrol model, and €33,990 for the full hybrid variant. 

E-Tech Rafale full hybrid.

New Captur.

E-Tech Electric Scenic.

RAV4 hits the big 30

The RAV4 PHEV.

Toyota is celebrating 30 years of the RAV4 crossover-SUV, which since its original launch has sold over 14 million cars globally, writes Brian Byrne. In Ireland, some 31,260 units of the model have been bought, and the car is now in its fifth generation.

As one of the four Toyota models which featured in Ireland's top ten model car sales in the first three months of this year, the RAV4 remains one of the firm favourites of Ireland's motorists.

The third generation of the car was offered with petrol-hybrid powertrains and this is the mainstay power of the RAV4 today. A plug-in hybrid has been available since 2020.

Prices of the RAV4 start at Prices start from €44,540. 

1st generation RAV4.

Dacia Jogger Hybrid review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

When Dacia revealed a new brand identity package in 2022, they were signalling a visual upshift that reflected a doubling of sales in Europe in the previous decade, writes Brian Byrne. Which was a significant achievement for a car brand that had only been launched eight years before that. That same 2022 was ten years after the Renault-owned budget brand had arrived in Ireland. In that decade, Dacia sold over 30,000 units here, led by the small SUV Duster. For the first quarter of this year, Dacia's Sandero hatchback was the best-selling car in Europe.

All that is to give perspective to the Dacia Jogger of this review. Although in the third place in sales of the four models on sale here, the Jogger is doing a healthy 15pc of the brand's performance. Sold only as a 7-seater in the B-segment family space, it has similar dimensions to the Volkswagen Tiguan, but is not an SUV itself, rather is formatted as an estate wagon on the Sandero's platform. Jogger is actually the longest Dacia model at some 4.5 metres.

The original logos and typeface styles of the Dacia brand became very familiar as the face of budget cars. But the new versions are so far ahead of these that I'd suggest they add a couple of thousand euro to the perceived value of each car. Jogger is certainly an example of this, looking sleek and assertive and exceptionally modern from both front and rear without any body shape changes. The transformable roof rails, which can be converted quickly to cross rails, add to the side profile's attractiveness. 

Inside, the driver and front passenger space is straight from the Sandero. In the base model, you get a holder for your smartphone to be comms and navigation in the centre dash. In my review top range version there was a centre screen with inbuilt navigation and radio apps as well as Bluetooth linkage to smartphone systems. It’s a lowish definition screen but is adequate. The driver's instrumentation is also an upgrade to current Renault style.

There's a long 2.9-metre wheelbase, giving the Jogger a lot of inside space to play with. The middle seats roll forward for access to the rearmost pair. Behind the two is a rather small cargo area, but they can be tipped forward to extend it. They don’t fold flat into the rear floor, but they can be removed, and stored in bags provided for that purpose, making the Jogger a 5-seater with a seriously big boot. Especially in a B-segment car.

There are three grades, the lowest one coming with the more spartan specification that makes it a relative bargain. Mine was the Extreme top end, and while that brings the specification closer to that in Renault cousins, it also brings the price closer to them. The grade does add some copper detailing that enhances the car's looks. 

When Jogger was introduced to Ireland a couple of years ago, I liked it well for all that it provided in a fairly budget place. At the time the only powertrain was a petrol unit, with a manual gearbox that I didn't particularly like the action of the clutch — just a personal thing, maybe not a fit to my lanky physique. One of the reasons for my revisit to the model is the arrival of the hybrid version, and for me that has been transformative, not least because a hybrid is by its nature automatic and eliminated my only significant issue.

It's the Renault-familiar system of a 1.6 petrol engine paired with two electric motors — a 49hp traction motor and a smaller high-voltage Starter Generator, plus a multi-mode clutch-less gearbox. The arrangement allows for full-electric starting and quite brisk acceleration. The system automatically chooses the best combination of petrol or electric power to suit conditions, and switches between them quite seamlessly. Along with what is a good-handling car, the power unit made for a very pleasant drive. The 1.2kWh hybrid battery is under the floor and doesn't impact on load space. The hybrid also has as standard automatic headlights, and cruise control with speed limiter.

Moving to the hybrid powertrain, and with the review car's Extreme specification grade, it's arguable that the Jogger is then competing price-wise with more sophisticated competition. But given the hike that all car prices have taken since the pandemic, there's probably room to justify the extra. Certainly, the €4,000-odd difference between the two powertrains would be worth it to me.

PRICE: Jogger Essential from €25,940; review Hybrid 145 Extreme €32,940. WHAT I LIKED: Nice drive with big capacity in good looking car. 

New generation Duster for autumn arrival

Dacia will be bringing the third-generation Duster SUV to Ireland in September, writes Brian Byrne.

The car maintains the same length, but on a new platform for the nameplate there's more interior room for passengers.

Dynamically the new version is stronger, and also quieter than the current car. Steering has also been made more precise, according to the company.

It is again available in both 2WD and AWD variants, and will have mild-hybrid and full-hybrid powertrain options and 5-way highway and off-road driving modes.

Pricing and grades closer to arrival here. 

Toyota C-HR review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

When I saw the first generation of Toyota's C-HR back in 2017 I said there was an awful lot going on in the styling, writes Brian Byrne. I wondered if it would date well, and how any next generation might differentiate itself. Well, that next generation is here since the turn of the year, and I have some answers.

The first question's answer will always be the customer. And it does seem that the C-HR has consistently gone down well with the people who want something different in their compact crossover. As recently as 2022 it was Toyota Ireland's second best-selling model, a space it has filled several times since launch while otherwise driving along happily in third place. As to what they could do with a new generation, well, the adage of don't fix something that ain't broken still holds. Though with some quite sharper detailing which does take things forward, it's essentially the template as before. The front now has an 'I'm coming to eat you' look that adds a hint of hawkishness to what was the least interesting part of the original's style. 

The C-HR plays in a tough market. Hyundai's Kona and Skoda's Karoq bookend it in dimensions terms and it's also against the Mazda CX-30 and some premium players. Against its in-house best-seller sibling Corolla, the C-HR is a tad shorter but a fair bit wider and higher. With the same platform footprint as before, the interior offers the same good space for four adults, and five if there are younger teens involved.

The dashboard styling is comfortable in familiar Toyota current details, with my review car having the larger 12.3-inch infotainment display that really does offer good space for my preferred Google Maps navigation via CarPlay. The driver instruments cluster has nice bright and unpretentious graphics and, as usual with Toyota, all the labelling of buttons and switches is clear and uncomplicated. Climate control is by rocker switches under the central display, while the electronic transmission selector both looks well and operates cleanly. For me as a driver, the whole space felt good. The steep rake of the back window rather limited rear visibility, but good mirrors and a decent backup camera balanced things out when necessary. 

By saying the finish quality is Toyota, I don't need to say more. My review car was the Sol grade, a couple of rungs up the specifications ladder which included seats finished in a comfortable mix of faux suede and fabric that I suspect has a good deal of recycled material in it. The 19-inch alloys were very good-looking. 

Here in Ireland the C-HR now comes exclusively as a hybrid model, with a choice between 1.8 or 2.0 primary engines ... and there's a recently available plug-in hybrid option which I haven't driven yet. The hybrid is what we're used to from the brand, a CVT automatic taking the power input from petrol or electric as conditions require. Colleagues sometimes sniff at CVT, but I've always liked the system. It's not going to feel sporty but it doesn't need to if it does the job it is supposed to properly. And it does. Toyota claim a combined fuel consumption of 4.8L/100km, and I averaged 4.4L/100km, so I was happy at not being oversold there.

Overall, I'm generally comfortable in a Toyota. This latest C-HR is no exception. Together with loyal customers, they've also managed to adequately answer the only questions I ever had about the model. Can't ask for more.

PRICE: From €40,520. WHAT I LIKED: Confirming yet again Ireland's favourite brand. 

First drive: 2024 Mazda2 Hybrid

It may not be well known in Ireland, but the Mazda2 Hybrid has been selling in the market for about a year now, writes Brian Byrne. If you didn’t notice it, that’s because it is a rebadged Toyota Yaris Hybrid, produced for Mazda by their fellow Japanese brand.

A few tweaks to the design might make it stand out a little more for this year. Mostly at the front where there’s now a proper Mazda shaped grille, and a changed apron design. There have also been some small detail tickles at the rear. And there’s a new Mazda colour, a special shade of blue.

Other than that, the Mazda2 Hybrid is as was, the powertrain the familiar 1.5 3-cylinder petrol mated to an electric motor, offering 115hp in total output and a real frugal fuel consumption. I’ve recently driven a revised version of it away, and as our own family car is a Yaris, it all felt very familiar.

The car is sold alongside the brand’s own Mazda2, and essentially is there to help Mazda meet fleet emissions requirements in Europe while Mazda is introducing electrification across its ranges. Last year some 121 copies of the hybrid were sold in Ireland, slightly more than the standard Mazda2 petrol.

If there are purists out there concerned that it’s not a ‘real’ Mazda, they should look back at a long history of technical and models cooperation down the 100-plus years of the motor industry. A Mazda 121 of the 1990s, for instance, was a rebadged Ford Fiesta. And Ford has in the past sold rebadged Mazda 626s as their own Telstars. All through the American ‘muscle cars’ era, many from sibling brands bore no more differences than badges. Even today, within the Toyota family there are Lexuses that are essentially luxurised versions of the standard cars from the parent. Suzuki sells a Swace wagon that is a rebadged Toyota Corolla Touring. Depending on markets, Dacias can be sold as Renaults and vice versa. And Hyundais and Kias are essentially the same across their models offering, with visual bodywork differences and badging separating them from their shared platforms and motors. The VW Amarok equally is a Ford Ranger in slightly different dress.

As for powertrains, given the high investment and development costs, many competing brands have traditionally combined to share the burden at different times down the decades. In just a couple of very many examples, some Opel diesels were built by BMW, and diesel engines used in Fords and the former PSA Citroen-Peugeots were jointly developed, the same motors simply getting a different name for each. Electric drivetrains are also being shared today, notably between Volkswagen and Ford in the upcoming Explorer from the blue oval carmaker. 

So the current Mazda-Toyota cooperation is nothing unusual. Nor is it anything to sneer at, as both makers have an equal reputation in quality stakes. My recent drive in the Mazda2 Hybrid simply confirmed that, whether you buy your oranges imported from Spain from Dunnes Stores or Supervalu, they are equally sweet under the skin.