Halim blog

The Renault Scenic is on the way back and a fifth generation of the car will be unveiled at the Munich IAA Mobility event in September, writes Brian Byrne . The Scenic E-Tech electric is a reinvention of a trailblazer format first released in 1996, beginning the compact MPV era. Some 5.4 million Scenics were sold over 32 years in 110 countries. More details closer to the world premiere. 

BMW engineers developing sounds for the next generation electric Mini range have come up with around 30 distinct 'audible signals' as alerts for certain events of information while driving, writes Brian Byrne . Instead of the basic 'beeps' which have been generally used in the auto industry as alerts, an owner will now be expected to recognise distinct sounds relating to a wide range of functions including turn signals, seat belt warnings, and park distance controls. This is all part of a wider acoustic engineering process for the Mini brand (and presumably other group makes), which will include combustion engine, 'go-kart' sporty sounds, and relaxing forest ambience 'from the babbling of a stream to the chirping of crickets and the rustling of the wind in the treetops'. Listen out, now ... 

As a brand, Hyundai is the fifth-biggest car company in the world by units sold. But that's not the whole picture, writes Brian Byrne . Put Hyundai and its sister Kia brand together and combined they are in second place with 6.8 million cars sold in 2022 behind the top maker Toyota's 10.5 million. That might not seem to have much relevance for an Irish local review of the new generation Kona. But it does show the automotive muscle this South Korea carmaker has developed in a relatively short number of years. Particularly in the crossover and SUV spaces. Today it has, along with its Santa Fe large SUV, an Irish best seller in the compact Tucson, and Hyundai's own second-best selling model here, the B-segment Kona crossover. The new generation Kona has the potential to build the brand's strong performance here quite a distance higher. The new Kona has grown. Longer, wider and taller than its predecessor, it comes with a longer wheelbase also and a substantially bigger boo...

Hyundai’s Ionic 5 all-electric crossover was always going to be a hard act to follow having gained the title of 2022 World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle of the Year and World Car Design of the Year. But Hyundai designers and engineers have pulled off a repeat performance with the Ioniq 6 to win the overall 2023 World Car of the Year and the other awards won by its ’5’ predecessor.  Both Ioniq models are built on the same platform although both have different body styles. Chief competitors are the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4.  Hyundai people call the Ionic 6 four-door saloon ‘an electrified streamliner’. Yes, this is a sleek, low slung car that is a very welcome break from the avalanche of SUVs in the marketplace. A car for the senses. You can’t help but feel emotional looking at it with its sculpted shape, sensuous curves and sloping design. To my mind, there’s nothing quite like it for style on our roads, especially when viewed from the rear with its wing-inspired ...

In Ireland, Dacia passenger car sales had already surpassed sales of the full year in 2022 at the end of H1, writes Trish Whelan .  Dacia, part of the Renault Group, is ranked 7th to June in the Irish passenger car market, up six points year-on-year. Dacia sold a total of 345,432 vehicles (passenger cars and LCVs) in H1 2023, which is 24.2pc more than the same period in 2022, and placing the brand’s market share at 4.7pc, up 0.2 points year-on-year.  Sandero has been Europe’s best-selling car among retail customers since 2017 while Duster has kept its position on the podium for SUV sales to retail customers in Europe. The 50,569 Dacia Jogger cars sold in the first half of 2023 have pushed the total to over 100,000 units since the model launched. The hybrid powertrain accounts for over one in four customer orders. The Jogger is pictured above.  

A short look at Toyota's Aygo X , their smallest car in Europe. A Rough & Ready Production by Brian Byrne for Irish Car.

After a bunch of largish and very large cars outside my home, it was something of a culture shock to run the Toyota Aygo X for a time, writes Brian Byrne . But the Japanese brand's smallest car in Europe proved to be an engaging little thing. The Aygo nameplate has been around since 2005, the original being a shared development with Peugeot and Citroen and I have some very fond memories of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in the days when such excursions were really fun. It went through two generations, and this latest car could arguably bd termed the third. But it's on a different platform — a shortened version of that used for the current Yaris — and is a solus Toyota development. It's also tricked up to suggest an SUV in style, hence the 'X' which they like you to pronounce as 'Cross'. It looks fun. Longer, wider and taller than its predecessors, and with a 38pc larger boot space that actually makes it significantly more useful than the small shopping t...

With the SEAI grant for electric cars reduced by €1,500 since the beginning of the month, Renault Ireland is making up for that by offering its own bonus for a similar amount for the month of July, writes Brian Byrne . The Megane E-Tech and Zoe E-Tech electric cars will thus still benefit from a full €5,000 incentive even though the SEAI grant is now reduced to €3,500. To avail of the offer, the car must be ordered from 1 July and be registered by 31 July. The on the road RRP of the Megane E-Tech electric is €38,345. 

Opel is teasing the public with images of its new concept car due for reveal at the IAA Mobility event in Munich in September, writes Brian Byrne . They recently revealed the name of the vehicle as the Opel Experimental, and among other details it will showcase the next evolution of Opel's design cues. Strong styling with sharp edges look like being a key feature of the car, if tease images are anything to go by. The style details also suggest the car will build strongly on sustainable materials and aerodynamic design to make future Opels as environmentally friendly as possible. 

With the valid expectation that Citroen’s new C5 X would be received well not least for its styling, it’s no surprise that they had in parallel development a similar treatment for a car in the compact family space, writes Brian Byrne . So we recently had a launch on the Irish market of the C4 X. Saloons in the compact segment have been sidelined by the profits-making trend to crossover SUVs, though there is still a market for something more than a hatchback but not the generally less-glamorous crossover designs. Stretching the hatchback roofline to offer a fastback compromise between both could have resulted in what compromises often do, come up with a mulish design. But in both the C5 X and the lately come C4 X, that didn’t happen. The larger car won Large Crossover-SUV category in the Irish Car of the Year 2023 Awards in association with Continental Tyres last year, arguably as much for its looks as for its technical and comfort characteristics. The new smaller car has visual aest...

A convoy of 50 electric vehicles completed a 2,000km journey yesterday in Dublin after travelling through Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, writes Brian Byrne . Organised by GreenFleet magazine, the event concluded at the headquarters of Harris Maxus commercial vehicle distributors on Dublin's Naas Road. The Five Cities EV Rally challenge started in Cardiff on 3 July, taking in overnights at Nottingham, Edinburgh, and Belfast before arriving in Dublin following a detour through scenic Wicklow. Maxus was the official event logistics partner, and had two EVs of their own in the rally in the MIFA 9 electric MPV and T90EV electric pickup truck. Mrs Denise Harris, CEO of The Harris Group, welcomed the participants, describing the event as demonstrating EV capabilities in terms of power, technology, and real-world range. “The road to zero is long, but events such as this help encourage drivers to transition to EV and highlight to stakeholders and governments alike that the...

The third generation of the BMW X1 arrived here late last year along with the new all-electric iX1 version of the model, writes Trish Whelan .  This Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), competes in the premium compact segment and comes with distinctive new styling, more interior space, a premium ambience and enhanced connectivity.  The first generation was introduced in 2009 so it’s been around for some time. A major change is that X1 can now compete with its larger X3 sibling! Top BMW model sales are led by the ever-popular 5 Series followed by the i4 while X3 sales at 193 so far this year exceed X1 sales of 184, just a mere 9 units difference.  Viewing the car from all sides, you get the impression of a sturdy and sporty SUV-type vehicle with a stretched silhouette. In size, it is smaller than its X3 and X5 siblings but is now larger than its predecessor by 53mm (now 4,500mm), and is wider and higher than that version.  The new strong upright front end makes a ‘get out of...

A mid-life enhancement of Volkswagen's T-Cross is coming down the road with deliveries expected in early 2024, writes Brian Byrne . The German carmaker has just released first facts and pictures of the revision of a car first introduced just four years ago. In that time some 1.2 million units have been sold. Style changes include new details front and rear, with all-LED lights and the option of a new LED matrix headlight system on offer for the first time in the model. The refinements to the interior include new 8-inch and 9.2-inch central touchscreens in a completely redesigned dashboard that comes in higher-quality materials. An optional 'Travel Assist' system will allow semi-autonomous driving in traffic, which can deal with traffic speed changes, speed limit changes, and bends and roundabouts. More details will come as the launch date gets closer. 

Budget EVs are on track to come to Ireland with the announcement that the Dacia Spring will arrive next year, writes Brian Byrne . Dacia Ireland says it will be an updated version of the car that has been the cheapest real EV car across Europe since 2021, retailing at around €21,000 in France. No prices or specifications have been agreed yet for the Irish market, but the range of the current vehicle around 225km from a 27kWh battery suggests a city runabout target buyer. The almost 20 seconds to reach 100km/h also reflects this. But with the average price of EVs sold in Ireland now around the €53,000 mark, according to Irish automotive consultant Aidan Doyle , there's a clear market opening. 

This is the Ford Supervan 4.2, which came overall second in the recent Broadmoor Pike's Peak International Hill Climb, writes Brian Byrne .  Based on the blue oval's best selling Transit Custom Van, albeit loosely, the vehicle developed by Ford's UK Ford Pro division was for the first time all-electric and was initially shown a year ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. For the Pike's Peak event, reckoned to be the toughest competition of its kind in the world, it got upgraded aerodynamic design features including that massive carbon-fibre spoiler and the front splitter. The original four electric motors were cut to three for the Pike's Peak event, one powering the front wheels, the other two the rears. This also meant trimming the almost 2,000hp of the original Supervan 4.0 down to about 1,400hp, but given the cornering characteristics of the event, this was deemed to be the most efficient setup. Driven by French driver Romain Dumas, the vehicle completed the run ...

Volkswagen is finalising tests of its next generation Tiguan in advance of the model's debut in the autumn and arrival for sale next year, writes Brian Byrne . With more than 7.4 million units sold since the nameplate was launched in 2007, the Tiguan has long been the brand's best selling model. Among the promised features of the latest version will be a PHEV powertrain with the capability of 100km EV range. There will also be options of a newly developed active suspension control system and HD Matrix headlights. There will be no manual version of the new Tiguan, all will have dual-clutch automatic transmissions. 

"It's a bit old fashioned, isn't it?" Though no petrol-head, my wife as passenger is by now well tuned into the general world of motoring, and her opinions matter, writes Brian Byrne . We were in the Suzuki S-Cross hybrid, and her observation was correct. But she didn't mean it unkindly. More that it isn't a bells and whistles kind of car. That, for many buyers, is a distinct plus. I have detailed the S-Cross heritage before, so I'll not go back there. But placing it in size terms, it's a compact family SUV, a decent 5-seater with an adequate boot. The style is pleasant, non-threatening to anyone or any competing model. Neat is a good summing up from all viewpoints, with some strength in the front end design. The big S Suzuki logo is comforting, because it stands for engineering prowess and reliability above all else. Inside it doesn't feel as roomy as some competitors, though that's in some measure due to the tall and sit-up space more than ac...

Renault's new Austral E-Tech full hybrid C-segment crossover has gone on sale in Ireland at a starting price of €45,295, writes Brian Byrne . The replacement for the Kadjar is the third strand in the brand's new generation of electrified vehicles, joining the Arkana and the Megane E-Tech Electric. Available in three grades, the 200hp powertrain is based on a turbo-charged 1.2 3-cylinder engine and a larger battery than the hybrid systems previously used by the carmaker. Renault claims up to 80pc of time on city roads in full-electric mode. A fuel efficiency rating of 4.7L/100km results in around 1,100km range on a tank of petrol. The Austral has similar exterior dimensions to the predecessor car, but more room inside for passengers thanks to a longer wheelbase and the fact that it is the first Renault on a new Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi platform for upper level cars. A 555L cargo capacity is among the top figures in the segment. When equipped with a new 4-wheel-steering system, ...

Toyota is top brand in 2023: New Prius coming this month. Car registrations for the first half of the year are almost 19pc up on the same period last year, writes Brian Byrne . According to figures for June issued by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry , commercial vehicle sales are also up, by a third year to date. Fully electric cars also show a large increase this year, the 14,307 registered in the six months representing a 69pc increase compared to the first six months of 2022. SIMI Director General Brian Cooke attributes some of the increase to improved new vehicle supply and the fulfilment of orders placed in 2022. He also said that Government supports for EVs should be maintained in order to build on the momentum clearly evident in the electric vehicle market. Electric cars now represent 18.46pc of the overall market. The top selling car brands year to date are Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda and Kia. In EVs, the top brands are Volkswagen, Tesla, Hyundai, Kia and BMW....

The new generation Hyundai Kona has gone on sale in Ireland at a starting price €30,885 for the petrol version, writes Brian Byrne . A hybrid variant starts at €34,295. A fully electric new Kona will arrive in October, but no pricing has been agreed yet. Hyundai Ireland expect to sell 500 units of the Kona this year, a number limited by the allocation they have been given. According to the Irish distributor's Stephen Gleeson, the ratio of sales of the two current versions will be a third  of petrol and two-thirds petrol-hybrid. The engines are 120hp 1.0 for the petrol version and a 1.6 140hp plus electric motor for the hybrid. They come with 6-speed manual and 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions respectively. The new car is significantly bigger in most dimensions to the previous generation, especially with a longer wheelbase offering more interior room. In comparison to competitors, Hyundai Ireland claims a much more comprehensive specification. There are three grades in pe...