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Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Road Test: Volvo V40 XC T4 SE

Posted by Alex Bale Thursday, February 21, 2013

Price as tested: €37,303

+ Chunky styling, lovely cabin, smooth handling, engine, safety
– Too cramped inside to be a practical family car, too expensive compared to standard V40
= Surprisingly likeable, but ultimately standard car makes more sense

Any child of the eighties will remember the Matra Simca Rancho. It was a chunky 4x4-style vehicle, launched by a  company that was teetering on the edge of being shut-down by its US masters at Chrysler (it eventually was and sold off to Peugeot). It had spot lamps, roof bars, a tall ride height and a big, spacious body. It also only came with front-wheel drive, something that puzzled car buyers of the time. Surely, we all said, a car that looks like a 4x4 should be able to tackle dirt, mud and rough ground?

Almost needless to say, the Rancho died a commercial death – yes, even the one fitted with a winch and a spare wheel on the roof to make it look even more butch. New owners Peugeot closed down production in 1984 and Matra went running off to rivals Renault with a new idea it had for something called the Espace... Fewer than half a dozen are apparently left in the wild.

What none of us realised at the time was that the Rancho was years, decades even, ahead of its time. Not only was it the first true 'soft roader' it even came with an optional third row of seats, making it one of the first seven seat MPVs. In the thirty years since the Rancho's demise, pretty much every major car maker has taken to heart the idea of a car that looks like it can tangle with sand dunes but actually is just for parking in Dunnes'. The compact crossover segment (faux-by-four if you like) is one of the precious few segments of the European car market that is on the up.

Which brings us rather neatly to this, the Volvo V40 XC, a car which may just be the pinnacle of shameless cosmetic engineering – but in a good way.

The recipe is as simple as one of Delia's. Take a standard (handsome, well-made, good to drive, safe) Volvo V40 hatchback. Increase the height of the suspension. Superglue on some rugged looking bumpers, foglights, Cross Country badges and roof rails. Sit back and watch the sales come rolling in.

You could, in a certain light, call it deeply cynical, but that would be to underestimate the charm of the V40. No, it won't off-road, at least not more so than any other mainstream, front-wheel-drive hatchback. There is not even the option of a four-wheel-drive model in the range. It is not any more spacious or practical than a standard, more affordable V40.

That should be enraging, but the fact is that the V40 XC is so handsome in its fake off-road get-up that anyone who craved a Swiss Army Knife after watching McGyver will be unable to resist. The better news is that it remains a lovely car to drive, regardless of the extra suspension height.
While most will probably crave diesel power in a car like this, Volvo provided us with a 1.6-litre 180bhp turbocharged petrol model, badged as a T4. Now, that sounds like a recipe for horrendous fuel consumption, but actually the XC averages an easy 7.4-litres per 100km (38mpg – pretty impressive really) and emits 129g/km of Co2, meaning your annual road tax bill will be a manageable €270 a year. Better yet, the engine is a peach to drive, with a rich seam of turbocharged power and a remarkable level of refinement, especially compared to is diesel rivals.

The XC is also good in the corners, eagerly punting along a twisty back road, while its longer travel suspension does mean that it's better at soaking up lumps and bumps, although the big alloys and low profile tyres do mean that it gives in to an occasional dose of the jiggles.

Inside is both the V40's trump card and its biggest failing. Up front, there are wonderfully comfortable seats, a gorgeous instrument and control layout and levels of quality that would put any Audi or BMW to the sword. The digital instruments can be configured in three different setups and the overall effect is one of a Swedish comfort and calmness that's so typical of Volvo. The problem is that there simply isn't enough space, especially for a growing family. The standard V40 suffers from the same problem, but the appellation of the XC badge just makes it worse; you mentally assume that a Cross Country Volvo is going to be big and practical.

That aside, it's hard not to like the V40 XC. Yes, it's silly, a bit pointless and very expensive compared to a standard V40 hatch, but the rugged looks and that gorgeous cabin lift it above its station and make it properly desirable. Time for a Rancho re-boot, perhaps?

Volvo V40 XC T4 SE

Price as tested: €37,303

Price range: €29,095 to €37,695

Capacity: 1,596cc

Power: 180bhp

Torque: 240Nm

Top speed: 215kmh

0-100kmh: 7.7sec

Economy: 5.5l-100km (51mpg)

CO2 emissions: 129g/km

Road Tax Band: B2. €270

Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 95% adult, 87% child, 74% pedestrian, 86% safety assist.












Road Test: Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI ACT Highline

Posted by Alex Bale Monday, February 11, 2013

Price as tested: €33,642


+ Solidity, comfort, technology, refinement, styling, desirable
– Not as economical as a diesel, not sporty to drive
= Golf cements its position as the best family hatch around


Success, of course, breeds success but it can, without care and attention, also breed complacency. Look at George Lucas. Back in the seventies and eighties he created the original Star Wars movies, which delighted and entertained a whole generation of sci-fi fans. Come 1999, and the return of Star Wars to the big screen with The Phantom Menace, those same fans were frothing with excitement at the arrival of what we all confidently expected to be the cinematic event of the decade. Aaaaannnnd... we were sorely disappointed. Lucas seemed to have spent so much time carefully honing the digital effects (which were, in fairness, brilliant) that he forgot that a great film needs a great script. And characters. And a plot.


So it is we come to the seventh generation of Volkswagen Golf, a car that has transcended the boundaries of its class to become classless. You could just as easily and naturally be seen pulling up in your Golf at Aldi as at the Ritz. It is the epitome of affordable Germanic engineering, a family hatchback with the breeding of a teutonic thoroughbred.



For this Mark VII version, VW has really pushed the boat out in engineering terms. There's an entirely new chassis under there, called MQB in VW-speak, and it will go on to form the basis of almost every car in the whole Volkswagen empire in the future. It's light, sophisticated and makes the Golf fractionally more spacious than before. That really shows up inside, where behind the exceptionally comfortable front seats there's plenty of room for kids in bulky safety seats and lanky teenagers.



From the front seats, the cabin is instantly (and hardly surprisingly) Golf-ish, with beautifully clear instruments, a logical control layout and on our highly-specced press demo car, one of the best sat-nav systems we've ever seen. Not only did it have clear, precise mapping but the screen actually detects when your finger is hovering near it and makes the buttons bigger.



That's not the only example of VW putting some seriously careful thought into lightening the drivers' load. There was also Lane Keeping Assist that actually nudges the car back into lane if you start to drift across, active cruise control that brakes (a little too jumpily sometimes) if a car slows in front of you, active cornering lights, LED daytime lights, automatic parking brake, Bluetooth... The list really does go on, but then at the €33,642 for our test car, it should do. Panic not, for the standard version of the Highline model with 1.4 TSI ACT starts at a more reasonable €26,745 and is still very well equipped.



What's ACT I hear you ask? Active Cylinder Technology, a new gizmo that VW hopes will allow drivers of its petrol turbo cars to achieve diesel-like fuel economy. It works by shutting down two of the engine's four cylinders when cruising on a light throttle, seamlessly firing up all four again when you need more power. It's just about undetectable save for a small logo that pops up in the multi-function display in the dashboard, and the faintest sense that a slight harmonic vibration is coming and going, off in the distance. Very clever stuff. Does it actually work? Well, almost. We managed to average 6.5-litres per 100km fuel consumption over a week with the car (that's 43mpg) which isn't at all bad, but we would have easily cracked into the high fifties, even low sixties in mpg terms with an equivalent diesel Golf. And considering that there's only €200 extra to pay for the equivalent diesel model...



Still, this Golf, as with any Golf, is just brilliant to drive. It feels a touch less sporty and agile than the last-generation model, but the comfort and refinement levels have seriously been amped-up. We honestly think that you'd have to trade up to the likes of a BMW 5 Series to find a car that's as quiet and relaxing on a long journey as this one. The only dynamic complaint comes from the fact that the suspension can occasionally get caught out by the typically bumpy, lumpen tarmac that we endure in this neck of the woods. When that happens, the Golf thumps and shudders in a most unseemly fashion, but the rest of the time all is serene. Perhaps the 17” alloy wheels were at least partly to blame.



So, the new Golf is as Golf-y as it's always been, but more so. The quality levels are higher than pretty much anything else in the class, refinement is off-the-scale good and if it doesn't feel quite as agile and enjoyable to drive as before, then its improved comfort and cabin space present a worthwhile trade-off. Shall we stick with the golfing metaphor and conclude that it's a classy hole-in-one?




Facts & Figures
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI ACT Highline
Price as tested: €33,642
Range price: €19,995 to €31,645
Capacity: 1,395cc
Power: 140bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Top speed: 212kmh
0-100kmh: 8.4sec
Economy: 5.0l-100km (56.5mpg)
CO2 emissions: 112g/km
VRT Band: A4. €200 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 94% adult, 89% child, 65% pedestrian, 71% safety assist 





Road Test: Opel Mokka 1.7 CDTI SE

Posted by Alex Bale Thursday, February 7, 2013

Price as tested: €26,495

+ Styling, handling, quality
– Noisy & outdated engine, tight rear seats and boot
= Firmly underscores Opel's premium ambitions

Opel really needs a hit right now. The company has lost no less than €17-billion in the past decade and a half and while its paymasters at General Motors in Detroit have stuck with Opel through thick and (very) thin, patience is running low. So, with minimal surprise, Opel is having a crack at the fastest-growing segment in European motoring. At a time when the market for cars in Europe as a whole is either stalling or falling, SUVs, especially of the small and efficient variety, are charging ahead, taking buyers out of conventional hatchbacks and saloons. Score a hit here, and it will lift Opel as a whole.

No pressure then, but the Mokka gets of to a good start by looking really, really good. With the sporty bodykit fitted to our SE-spec test car, you could even accuse it of looking over-styled, but it succeeds where its key rival, the Nissan Juke, fails; it’s looks distinctive and exciting without being actively ugly.

Inside too, the styling is a success. Now, the brown, brown and beige colour scheme of our test car was, it must be admitted, a tad eye-watering and most conservative Irish customers will stick to plain old black, thanks very much. But if Opel is serious about its ambitions to break into the premium car market, then the Mokka’s cabin at least makes that ambition start to look realistic. Although it basically pinches existing parts and styling from the likes of the Astra and Insignia, it’s an especially successful casserole of parts, and the levels of quality seem to be very high. OK, so the fact that our car was an SE model, which came with leather seats and steering wheel (both of which were heated) and a bevvy of options such as Sat Nav, Bluetooth and more doubtless lifted the ambience, but the basic structure, design and quality are what really shone through.

It’s a shame then that as soon as you turn the key, some of that premium sheen is dispelled. Opel’s 1.7-litre CDTI diesel engine is both efficient (in terms of its economy and Co2 emissions) and powerful (130bhp and 300Nm of torque make the Mokka feel pretty peppy) but the noise and vibration are distinctly old-school. The engine’s basic design dates back to an early-nineties Isuzu unit and it shows, badly. It shakes the whole car on start-up, clatters noisily until you reach a steady cruising speed and has a bad habit of stalling on a light throttle around town. Opel is working on a brand-new 1.6-litre diesel to replace this engine (it makes its debut later this year in the facelifted Insignia saloon) and, frankly, it can’t come soon enough. Mind you, even given all that, the 1.7’s 65mpg potential and 120g/km Co2 rating (€200 a year road tax) are enough to make it still the engine of choice, and at least that punchy mid-range grunt is pleasing.

So too is the Mokka’s dynamic performance. This is an SUV that is actually fun and engaging to drive. The steering is nicely balanced and weighted and you can fling the Mokka through corners with enjoyable abandon. The only mark against the chassis is the fact that the sort of short, sharp, numerous bumps that so afflict our roads can make the Mokka feel a bit too bouncy and skippy, reminding you that underneath is a pretty simply-engineered Corsa chassis.

We do have some concerns over the practicality of the Mokka though. A 356-litre boot sounds pretty good on paper, but in reality it’s just never quite big enough. Many of these cars will be bought by growing families, and a big, three-wheeled buggy is almost enough to overwhelm to boot space. Likewise, space in the back seats is a touch too tight. It’s actually better for tall-ish adults, able to squeeze their knees into the cutouts in the backs of the front seats, but for younger children, perched up and forward in bulky child car seats, space is on the tight side and parents will find themselves cranking their seats forward, taxi-driver-style, to keep the younglings happy.

While all that makes the Mokka sound like a bit too much of a mixed bag, we actually came away from the car quite liking it. Its style and genuine premium-quality feel are very appealing, and it will eventually get the new, smoother diesel engine it deserves. If the likes of the Skoda Yeti has the Mokka beat for cabin and boot space, then at least the Opel can hit back with swaggering style, a quality not to be underestimated in this part of the market.

The €64-million question of whether it will be a hit, or a big enough hit, for Opel will remain unanswered for now, but what’s not in question is that Opel’s first foray into the compact SUV world is well-judged.

Facts & Figures
Opel Mokka 1.7 CDTI SE
Price as tested: €26,495
Range price: €19,995 to €29,495
Capacity: 1,686cc
Power: 130bhp
Torque: 300Nm 
Top speed: 187kmh 
0-100kmh: 10.5sec
Economy: 4.5l-100km (64mpg)
CO2 emissions: 120g/km
VRT Band: A4. €200 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 96% adult, 90% child, 67% pedestrian, 100% safety assist






Road Test: Ford B-Max 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium

Posted by Alex Bale Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Price as tested: €23,170

+ Doors, comfort, engine, chassis, quality
– 1.0 not economical enough, needs more space in the back
= Better than the diesel version but still flawed

You know what, I may have given the B-Max a bit of a harsh time the first go-round. When I first drove Ford’s clever new compact people carrier, I was disappointed by its lacklustre new 1.5 diesel engine and equally disappointed by a ride quality that was just too firm and handling that felt too top heavy.

And while my criticisms of the diesel and the ride remain, having spent a bit more time with this, the 1.0-litre turbo petrol EcoBoost model, I have to say that the B-Max is coming rather more into focus for me.

Let’s start with that engine, which has been showered with praise and awards since it was launched last year. Virtually small enough to fit into carry-on luggage, the little three-cylinder EcoBoost engine is a paragon of smoothness, refinement and, surprisingly, grunt. A 100bhp power output is plenty enough in a car the size of the B-Max, and while 170Nm of torque isn’t much compared to the best diesels, it’s enough to make sure that the B never feels sluggish or caught in the wrong gear. And then there’s the character of it. Quiet and hushed at a motorway cruise, it revs happily and emits a distinctly Porsche-esque growl as you approach maximum rpm. It is quite brilliant.

Or at least it would be if not for a significant achilles heel. Fuel consumption. There’s no way of getting around it, over a mixture of motorway, town and main road mileage, I averaged just 8.2-litres per 100km. That’s 34mpg. That’s simply not good enough for a compact family car these days, especially one so explicitly looking to tempt diesel buyers back to petrol. I know, I know, long motorway hauls aren’t a petrol B-Max’s natural metier, but all cars these days have to be all things to all people and the sad fact is that I’ve gotten similar average consumption out of a 218bhp Mini Cooper S Works GP...

That aside, the B-Max really is a lovely little car to drive. Perhaps it’s the reduced weight of the petrol engine versus the diesel that last I tried, but the handling felt distinctly better. You still feel that the weight of the body is set a touch too high (those complicated latches for the sliding side doors the culprit perhaps?) but it’s still got that lovely, fluid feel we’ve come to associate with Ford’s right back to the 1993 Mondeo. The ride quality is still a touch too firm I’d say, and that gives ground to the much more supple Citroen C3 Picasso, but if you’re a keen driver, who needs a small, practical family car, then this is the one for you.

That said, if you really need a small, practical family car, I’m not 100% convinced by the B-Max’s credentials in the practicality department. Those sliding side doors are brilliant, and they make the loading and unloading of small people and their car seats very easy, especially in the close confines of a multi-storey car park. The fact that there’s no b-pillar doesn’t really have a massive effect in terms of loading and unloading, and in fact for some people it may make getting in and out a little more tricky (nothing to grab hold of bar the front seatback) but on the whole, it’s an entertaining gimmick and would certainly make a trip to IKEA that much easier.

But there’s not quite enough space in the back seats, specifically in the legroom department. I’m a hair over six feet tall, and I can fit in the back reasonably comfortably. But my two-and-a-bit year old son, who’s a hair over three feet tall, struggled a bit with space. Why? Because there’s a full six or seven inches between the back of the base that his car safety seat sits on and the actual base of the seat where he sits. That means he’s lifted up and forward by the shape of the seat, which means either he’s cramped for legroom, or I am because I have to pull my seat forward to give him space. It’s not a problem unique to the B-Max, but given the amount of thought Ford has clearly put into the doors, I was hoping for better.

The rest of the interior is just about perfect though, with a big, deep, square boot, comfy seats and a lovely-looking, high quality dash. My Titanium-spec press car also came with Ford’s new Sync system that connects wirelessly to your smartphone both as a phone and as a music player. As a phone it worked swiftly and flawlessly, but I found that the Bluetooth audio streaming tended to make tracks skip annoyingly, but they did play smoothly when connected by a USB cable. Still, the sound quality of the optional Sony stereo was little short of awesome. A highly recommended option.

At €23,170 for the test car, the B-Max makes an interesting alternative to a conventional hatchback, and its extra height and trick doors means that it’s potentially more practical than a similarly priced Focus. But that (otherwise) brilliant little 1.0-litre engine needs to give better economy in real world driving, and a touch more space in the back would make the B-Max nigh-on unbeatable.


Facts & Figures
Ford B-Max 1.0-litre EcoBoost Titanium
Price as tested: €23,170
Range price: €19,821 to €27,600
Capacity: 999cc

Power: 100bhp

Torque: 169Nm 

Top speed: 175kmh 

0-100kmh: 13.2sec

Economy: 4.9l-100km (60mpg)

CO2 emissions: 112g/km

VRT Band: A4. €200 road tax

Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 92% adult, 84% child, 67% pedestrian, 71% safety assist – joint safest car in small MPV category.









News: Renault ditches Scenic, launches XMOD

Posted by Alex Bale

Renault has decided to stop making the Scenic. That might sound like a bit of a shock, but hang on, the devil is in the detail. The seven-seat Grand Scenic will continue on as one of Europe's best-selling medium-sized MPVs, but the five-seat Scenic is now going to be dropped, and replaced by a new model called the Scenic XMOD. 


What's an XMOD? Well, it's essentially Renault trying to glam the Scenic up as a bit of a rough and tumble SUV. The XMOD is based on the current Scenic body and chassis but gets sleeker, sportier styling, a higher ride height and stick on plastic off-roader-y bits. 

It's not all tinsel and lights though, Renault is introducing a new traction control system called Grip Xtend, which can be adjusted by the driver to give the best possible traction and grip on difference surfaces, with Road, Loose Surface and Expert modes. 

The Scenic XMOD and a facelifted version of the Grand Scenic will make their debuts at the Geneva Motor Show.

News: Citroen C3 Picasso gets updated

Posted by Alex Bale Thursday, January 31, 2013

One of our favourite cars, the Citroen CS Picasso (check out our recent long term test HERE) is getting an update and freshen up for 2013, but sad to say, there's a small note of disappointment in the news.

On the outside, the C3 Picasso is, frankly, looking better than ever, with a revised front bumper and the latest Citroën chevrons; together with the addition of LED daytime running lights for a fresh new look as standard on VTR+ models. Two striking new body colours are also introduced; Ink Blue and Pearlescent White.

Inside, little has changed overall but there is a new trim called Mistral ‘Mixou’ cloth, which is specified as standard on the VTR+ model. An electro-chrome rear view mirror is now included in C3 Picasso’s Automatic Pack option at no extra charge and there are new 16” ‘Blade’ alloy wheels as standard on the VTR+ version. 

As before, the the Special Edition C3 Picasso CODE comes with an array of additional equipment; including striking black or white ‘Clover’ 17" alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, chrome door mirrors and roof bars; for a great value step-up cost of just €500. That's the model we had on our long term test and we'd unreservedly recommend it.

But there is a faint disappointment in the engine department. In the UK, the Picasso now comes with an updated 115bhp 1.6 diesel engine, while we just get the old 90bhp version – hardly the quickest thing around. Still, the 115bhp version would bump up both the price and the Co2 ratings, so perhaps we should be thankful for small mercies.

Prices start from €20,995 for the VTR+ model and €21,495 for the Code.




Road Test: Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Elegance

Posted by Alex Bale Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Price as tested: €24,265

+ Simplicity, quality, reliability, space, practicality, price, styling, comfort
– A few rough edges showing through to go with that price tag, indifferent handling
= As practical and sensible as they come but we'd save up the extra for the new Octavia

If I were to say that the new Skoda Rapid is both and at once a return to classic form for Skoda and something of an unfortunate step backwards, would that be too confusing? Possibly, so let me explain.

Pre-1998, Skoda was to most people a joke and not an especially funny one. Decades of decrepitude under communist rule meant that Skoda had been starved of development funding and any reason to produce competitive, interesting cars. That changed, dramatically, with the launch of the original Octavia, funded and developed by Skoda's new owner, Volkswagen. At once, the yoke of communism was thrown off, and Skoda marched happily forwards into a new capitalist reality. Successive models, from the Fabia to the second generation Octavia to the Superb to the utterly brilliant Yeti underpinned that reality with success, both critical and financial. And with sophistication. In fact, sit into a Yeti or a Superb today and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between affordable Skoda and aspirational Audi. They are that good.

But there is now an increasing trend in the motor industry towards making cheaper cars, something that the car buying public is lapping up, as the success of Dacia shows. Make something simple and affordable, and you will capture the wallets, if not the hearts, of many. So it is with the Rapid. Skoda has taken a step back from its shiny, sophisticated recent past and looked further back, to the eighties and beyond, when it made simple, affordable, useful cars. (Never mind the inept comedians of the eighties who castigated Skoda – its cars even then were better by far than their reputation would have you believe.)

The Rapid is a family-sized hatchback that occupies an unusual middle ground between the likes of the Polo and Fiesta on one side and the Golf and Focus on the other. It's narrower by far than a Focus, but also much longer, the upside of which is a cabin that, while not very broad, has lots of leg and head-room for tall passengers in both front and rear, and a massive 550-litre boot that makes the trunks of even cars like a Mondeo or Passat look underfed.

So, it pushes all the practical buttons and it's not short of sophistication either. The engine in our test car was the cutting-edge VW Group 1.6 TDI diesel, and with 105bhp and 250Nm of torque, it's both swift and economical. Skoda claims 4.4-litres per 100km fuel consumption (64mpg) and if we didn't quite manage that, we easily broke the 50mpg barrier. 114g/km Co2 emissions is a touch high though, especially when you consider that a VW Golf with essentially the same engine gets closer to 100g/km, and that means your annual tax bill will be €200. It's here that you'll find the first chink in the Rapid's armour though. The engine (or possibly its installation) is fine, but nothing more. Acceleration feels noticeably slow-witted unless you push the oddly-weighted throttle pedal all the way to its stop, and refinement isn't terrific until you settle down at a chosen cruising speed.

Inside, Skoda has made great efforts to make the cabin look and feel as sophisticated as its bigger brothers, while still costing less. It's a neat trick, and Skoda almost pulls it off. The dials are clear and look like expensive watch faces. The steering wheel feels pleasant to hold and the driving position is both comfortable and well sited. But you'll notice that there's no switches in the front to control the rear windows, the grab handles in the roof clang back into position without a nice, soft motion and the plastics on the doors and dash-top, while still of good quality, don't have that nice touchy-softy-squishy feeling.

Because of all that, the Rapid feels a distinct degree less sophisticated than its Skoda cousins. Now, that's fine in the sense that it's also much cheaper. Prices start at just €16,515 (for the 1.2 MPI petrol; an engine best avoided if you want to (a) accelerate or (b) save fuel) and the pick of the range, the 1.2 TSI turbo petrol in Ambition spec, is just €19,550, with almost identical Co2 emissions to the diesel. All well and good, and those prices include standard electronic stability control – a significant benefit.

But it just doesn't feel as good to drive as it either should or could have. The rear suspension has been done on the cheap, relatively speaking, and uses simple torsion bars instead of the more modern multi-link setup as found on most Octavias. That means the boot is massive, but the Rapid does tend to clatter over bumps, and it never feels very well sorted at the front, either. Cornering is a somewhat lazy, imprecise process with vague steering and a sense of detachment. It's a good motorway cruiser, mind, with well suppressed engine noise and only a small amount of road and tyre noise.

I guess it depends what you want from a car. The Rapid is keenly priced, practical, spacious, ruggedly built, should prove reliable and hits its marks in terms of economy and emissions. It even looks quite nice. But I reckon Skoda buyers, by and large, have moved on recently and are enjoying the sheen of quiet luxury on recent models. So, perhaps it would be best to hold off buying, save up a little more, and get your hands on the impressive new Octavia that arrives in March. The Rapid's backward glance to a simpler, more practical time is appealing in many ways, but we all want to feel a little more sophisticated these days, don't we?


Facts & Figures
Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI 105bhp Elegance
Price as tested: €24,265
Range price: €16,515 to €24,265
Capacity: 1,598cc


Power: 105bhp


Torque: 250Nm 


Top speed: 190kmh 


0-100kmh: 10.4sec


Economy: 4.4l-100km (64mpg) 


CO2 emissions: 114g/km
 VRT Band: A4. €200 road tax


Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 94% adult, 80% child, 69% pedestrian, 71% safety assist







News: Skoda to car buyers: Don't buy! At least not yet...

Posted by Alex Bale


It's not often that you hear a car company exhorting buyers not to go out and put their hands into their wallets, but that's exactly what Skoda is asking Irish car buyers to do. At least, for the moment...
 

You see, Skoda has this week announced specification and pricing details for their third new model in just six months with the imminent arrival of the new Octavia to Ireland. Unveiled internationally  late last year the new Octavia will be available in Ireland from March with three different specification variants, both manual and automatic transmission options and five engine alternatives the new Octavia offers the Irish motorist considerable choice with prices starting from €18,995.
 
Originally launched in Ireland back in 1998, the Octavia has become a firm favourite with Irish motorists with more than 40,600 sold to the end of 2012. Now as Skoda enters its 20thAnniversary in Ireland, the third generation of the Octavia will see Skoda challenge not only direct competitors in the medium family segment but, thanks to its increase in size, challenge vehicles in the Mondeo-Passat-Avensis class.
 
The new Octavia has grown significantly in length and width, the new model is 90mm longer and 45mm wider than the outgoing Octavia. The wheelbase has grown by 108mm enabling the Octavia break the mould for spaciousness in its model segment with interior length (1,782mm), more knee room (73mm) and more headroom at the back (980mm) as well as best in class boot volume of 590 litres.

The new Octavia is powered by the latest low emission TSI petrol engines as well as common rail diesel engines with Stop Start technology for excellent fuel economy.
Speaking on the price reveal for the new Octavia in Ireland, Raymond Leddy Head of Marketing, Skoda Irelandsaid: “We have increased specification levels for all versions of the new Octavia.  Additional airbags, Electronic Stability Control for increased safety and Stop Start Technology for reduced emissions and improved fuel economy are now standard features across the range.  Stylish alloy wheels are now offered on all models with the exception of the entry Active model. In dimension terms the new Octavia is wider and has grown in length by 9cm allowing for increased cabin space and luggage capacity. Despite this growth the new Octavia has in fact shed up to 100kg in weight compared to its predecessor. Less weight equates to better fuel economy and the new Octavia in its 1.6 TDI version consumes only 3.8 litres for every 100km travelled.

Leddy continued, “The new Octavia will be offered with attractive finance terms from €239 per month inclusive of servicing form Skoda Finance. The new Octavia goes on sale at Skoda Authorised retailers from 16thMarch.  We would encourage anyone thinking of purchasing a new car for 2013 to consider the next generation Octavia before making that all important purchase.”
 

Road Test: Ford Focus ST

Posted by Alex Bale Wednesday, January 23, 2013



Price as tested: €36,800

+ Massive grunt, lairy soundtrack, chassis, solid build, practicality
- Styling doesn't look premium enough inside or out, not well enough equipped
= Ford's working class hero for the 21st Century rekindles old Cosworth romance


Like so many of my age group, I grew up on fast Fords. My first motoring memory is of standing on a ditch, somewhere near the village of Ballydehob, where my dad had taken me to see a stage of the West Cork Rally. Now, my dad's a football nut, not a car nut but he still seemed excited to be there, and as a curious six year old, I wondered why. Then I saw, for the first time ever, Billy Coleman gunning, slipping and opposite-locking a MkII Escort between the hedges, BDA engine burping, farting and snorting away like a cage of warthogs with IBS. I wondered no more.

If by then the MkII was already something of a dinosaur, then I didn't have to wait long for more iconic hot Fords to come along and trawl for my desire. First came the XR3i, then the short-lived RS200, then the mighty first generation Sierra Cosworth. By the time I came to driving age, I was fully convinced that a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4 was the ideal and perfect car for me. Sadly, in lieu of a Lotto win, I was relying on my dad's generosity of spirit and he duly let me learn how to drive in his Sierra. A hatchback LX with the 1.6-litre engine. I think it had about 12bhp...

Still, by the time I passed my test there was the Escort Cosworth to lust over and then... And then there wasn't much at all. The Escort Cossie was the apogee of the hot hatch, a car which cost more to insure than it did to buy and for a time, Ford more or less entirely retreated from the affordable hot car market. A few trickles came along, such a the Mk1 Focus ST (sweet chassis but not actually much more fun than a diesel 1.8 TDCI) and a few ST Mondeos, but it too until 2003 and the arrival of the Mk1 Focus RS to really kick-start the fast Ford revival. Since then, we've had an even more extreme (properly Porsche-quick) Mk2 Focus RS and a warbling, five-pot ST (lovely but too thirsty by half). And now this, the Mk3 Focus in ST spec, with a new 2.0-litre 250bhp four-cylinder turbo EcoBoost engine. It's a five-door only model (in direct contrast to most previous Ford hot hatches, although there is a rather anti-cool estate version) and seeks to finally bridge the gap between previous lairy and uncouth performance Ford models and the more sophisticated likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

First off, the ST's looks are a little odd. In spite of big wheels and a chunky bodykit, there is little to tell the unassuming bystander that this is a performance flagship. Yes, there's the gaping, Aston-Martin-esque grille, but you can now find something similar on a boggo Fiesta, so that's hardly a telling item. No, this Focus, for the first time in hot Ford history since that long-desired Sierra Sapphire Cossie, majors on subtle looks.

That's true of the interior where the overwhwelming impression is that of standard Focus. Yes, there's an extra bank of dials atop the dash, the steering wheel and seats have bold ST logos and there's a plaque on the centre console indicating your car's build number, but other than that it looks stock. Beware of the seats, incidentally. They look gorgeous but the bolsters and supports are so chunky that if you're built along similarly husky dimensions to myself, you may find them restrictively tight. Better lay off the cupcakes. (It also feels curiously bare. Not cruise control? No heated windscreen? On a €35k car? Really?)

And when you first fire up the powerful new engine and pull out onto the road, you may also feel a slight lack of being whelmed. Unlike previous fast Fords, there's little sense of urgency or hairy-chestedness, assuming that is that you tickle it along and upshift early, as we've all become accustomed to doing from driving tourquey, low-revving diesels. The ride is certainly firm and thumps hard over sharp obstacles, but mostly, it's just refined and easygoing, with a hint of muscularity underneath.

And then you drop a gear and venture beyond 3,000rpm and all hell breaks loose with a side order of demons. Then the engine shows is true colours and they are fully red (shade: tooth & claw). It emits a hard but tuneful bark that swiftly becomes addictive. It's not the musical roar of a big V12 or the grumble of a V8 but a blunt, business-like shout that speaks of racing heritage and serious intent. That seriousness is hammered home by the fact that the traction control light has by now more than likely become constantly lit and the steering is bucking in your hands as the front tyres try to choose between being traction devices or simply smoke emitters. It is, just a bit, exciting.

But curiously, not OTT. Yes, the torque steer is there, as mentioned, but a firm grip on the wheel easily quells it. And yes, there's wheelspin there for the taking, but the odd thing is that the Focus ST feels like a duck. You know that old adage about a duck swimming on a lake looking serene and effortless on the surface while underneath it's paddling like hell? That's what I mean. If it can be said that the Focus ST has a split personality, then it's split along the horizontal axis, all thunder and fury down below, while you sit calmly atop, deciding the precise degree of fury to unleash.

The handling is just excellent. Yes, it would be nice for Irish conditions if the ride had a touch more pliancy, but the way the meaty steering pulls you into corners and spits you, cannon-shell-like, out the far side is a truly terrific experience. In some ways, with that wheelspin never far away and the sledgehammer power output, you could see the Focus ST as a bit of a crude weapon, all point-and-squirt. But learn to hold back the throttle a touch to keep the wheelspin quelled, learn to lean on the grip of the front end and realise that the engine, far from being peaky or laggy, actually does a convincing impression of being a much larger, naturally-aspirated unit, and you will unlock the immense point-to-point ability of the ST.

And that, in a heartbeat, finally bridges the gap between a fast Ford and a supposedly more sophisticated Golf GTI. Yes, the VW badge will continue to carry more kudos and apparent classiness, and the Focus isn't helping its own cause by persisting with a cabin that still feels a salary band lower than that of the Golf (even if its actual quality is unimpeachable) but here at last is a Ford hot hatch that works equally well as a daily driver and a Sunday morning cobweb remover.

Any car that can sprint from standstill to 100kmh in 6.5secs and on to a top speed of almost 250kmh has to be considered as a serious performance player. But any car that can seat for in easy comfort, has a big boot and can manage 9.0-litres per 100km (31mpg) can also be safely considered for family use. Drive with a modicum of sense (and a low-carb diet to make sure you fit into the seats) and none of your passengers would guess that this Ford has the potential to smoke high-end German sports saloons on the right road. Equally, drive it the way it was designed to be driven and hear its aggressive bark, and you'd be hard-pressed to guess that it's a practical family hauler.

It hasn't quite supplanted the childish desire in my heart for a Sierra Cosworth, but as a more caring, sharing, efficient and (let's face it) faster modern alternative, I guess I can make space for an ST poster on my 12-year-old self's bedroom wall.

Facts & Figures
Ford Focus ST

Price as tested: €36,800
Range price: €20,315 to €39,100
Capacity: 1,997cc


Power: 250bhp


Torque: 360Nm


Top speed: 248kmh


0-100kmh: 6.5sec


Economy: 7.2l-100km (39mpg)


CO2 emissions: 169g/km

VRT Band: D. €570 road tax


Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 92% adult, 82% child, 72% pedestrian, 71% safety assist








Road Test: Honda Civic 1.6 I-DTEC SE

Posted by Alex Bale


Price as tested: €23,795

+ Terrific engine, quality, space, practicality
- Dynamically not as sharp as it should be
= Lovely engine but doubters will still need convincing




Just over a decade ago, Honda didn't make Diesel engines. In spite of the great advances that, even that long ago, had been made in making diesels smoother, gruntier and more refined, Honda regarded them as anathema. Too noisy, too smelly and just not us, old boy. We'll stick to high-revving, lightweight VTEC petrol screamers, thanks.

Given that, it was a pleasant surprise that the original 2.2-litre i-DTCi engine was, and remains, so good. And if it has taken this long to get a second, more compact, Honda diesel to the market then at least, as with John Mills' pint at the conclusion of Ice Cold In Alex, it was worth waiting for.

Honda's new 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine makes its debut in the Civic, a car which pushed Honda Ireland's sales up by a healthy 12% last year, against the background of a stagnant market. And given that the Civic's lonely 2.2-litre diesel, even with its Band A emissions, excluded Honda from the bulk of the c-segment market, its expectations for the new engine are commensurately high. It's expected not just to expand overall Civic sales, but to do so while simultaneously taking over most of the 2.2-litre's sales.

Just as well then that Honda's engineers haven't simply sleeved-down the old 2.2 to make a 1.6. The engine is new from the sump up and Honda claims that it's the lightest engine in its class. So sylph like is its weight that Honda has retuned the Civic's front suspension and steering to take advantage, with claims for improved feel and agility being made.

Honda makes great claims for its refinement, even fitting an active acoustic damping system in the cabin, and the result is indeed hushed; you only get a distinct diesel clatter when you venture beyond 2,500rpm. Better again is the performance. The 120bhp Honda gets from its 1.6 makes mincemeat of the similarly sized engines in the rival Ford Focus and VW Golf (95 or 115bhp and 105bhp respectively) and the i-DTEC engine makes a decent fist of convincing you that it's much larger in capacity,thanks to largely lag-free delivery and solid mid-range punch.

We doubt you'll ever match the claimed fuel consumption of 3.6-litres per 100km (78mpg) in real world driving, but on our brief test drive, we got 4.6l/100km (61mpg) so it's not what you'd call thirsty. 94g/km bests the standard Golf (albeit not the BlueMotion model) and Focus and means you can tax your Civic for €180 a year.

So, with the engine now bang-on the par for the class in terms of size, and potentially even class-leading in terms of its overall performance, can the Civic now meet the mighty Golf and Focus head-on?

Well, not quite but it's closer than it was before. The current Civic, when launched, seemed too detached in its driving style and too crude in its ride quality. Honda's decision to continue with a simple torsion bar rear suspension brings boons in weight, affordability and space efficiency, but it's simply not at the races when compared to Ford and VW's more complex multi-link rear ends.

So what happens is; you barrel happily into a corner in your shiny new Civic, enjoying the recalibrated steering which, while still a touch too light, feeds back a little better than before. You also notice, and enjoy, the fact that the lightweight engine means the front end is more eager to sniff out the apex. The Civic lacks the outright driver involvement of some rivals, but it's still a fun drive.

And then you hit a mid corner bump and feel the rear end bang, hop and skip. It's not as bad as the reaction you'd get from the VW Beetle (which we tested this week also and which has a similar rear suspension arrangement) but it still feels unacceptably crude compared to the best of the competition.

Which is a shame, as the rest of the Civic feels so sophisticated. I've heard some colleagues complain that the cabin feels 'too Japanese', and I can kind of see the point. The multi-level displays, a mix of analogue and digital, won't be to all tastes and yes, the surfaces and materials don't have that final Volkswagen-esque sheen of touchy-feely niceness. But the sense of sheer quality in the assembly is easily noticed. Honda has better chops when it comes to bolting together cars that last than most (even the vaunted Germans, and notwithstanding the 2.2 diesel's habit of having an expensive flywheel-related off-day) and you can feel that sense of quality in the cabin. It's very much a love/hate thing (as is the exterior styling) but for what it's worth, I like both. It's more distinctive by far than either a Toyota Auris or Mazda 3 and feels more special than a Focus or Golf. It's also more versatile, with a big cabin and those clever back seats that either fold flat horizontally or flip up vertically, like cinema seats. The payload options are almost infinite and it's the only mid-size hatch with which you'll feel truly smug in the IKEA car park...

Prices start from €23,975 for the SE model; a touch more than a Focus or Golf but it is better equipped, including climate control, stop-start and alloys as standard. If you buy into its quirkiness, or Honda's engineering-led image, then it's a more interesting alternative to the mainstream masses, and one with a deeply impressive new engine. John Mills was right, all those years ago...

Facts & Figures
Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC SE

Price as tested: €23,975
Range price: €21,895 to €30,395
Capacity: 1,598cc


Power: 120bhp


Torque: 300Nm


Top speed: 207kmh


0-100kmh: 10.5sec


Economy: 3.6l-100km (78mpg)


CO2 emissions: 94g/km

VRT Band: A2. €180 road tax


Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 94% adult, 83% child, 69% pedestrian, 86% safety assist




News: Ford claims B-Max MPV is child-proof

Posted by Alex Bale Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Ford is claiming that its newly-launched B-Max MPV has a child-proof interior. They obviously haven't met my kids...

Every parent is familiar with the challenge of keeping a new car clean in the face of everyday use by children and pets. Ford has now tried to make that job easier for mums and dads by “child-proofing” the new B-MAX.

Engineers subjected the new B-MAX to laboratory tests that simulate the toughest treatment that children and pets can dish out, including soaking materials in milk and fizzy drinks; testing fabrics 0with a “mace”; and pounding plastics with a heavy rubber ball.

“By testing for everything from soft drink spills to muddy boots, we’ve made sure the B-MAX interior is ready for anything,” said Mark Montgomery, senior materials engineer, Ford of Europe. “I’ve got young children myself, so I’m very familiar with the mess they can create.”

Samples of all leathers and fabrics used in the Ford B-MAX’s interior were tested for stain resistance and ease of cleaning after being soaked for 24 hours in the liquids and being smeared with soil and grease.

Engineers also tested resistance to damage that can be caused by abrasive zips and fasteners found on children’s clothing and bags. The “mace test” used a metal ball with needle-sharp spikes to brush fabrics 600 times and replicate the effect of snagging zips and studs. Engineers also carried out a special test to repeatedly rub the seat material with Velcro.

Impact tests – conducted at temperatures as low as -30 degrees Centigrade when plastic is more brittle – used a rubber ball 10 times heavier than a regulation football to ensure that plastic parts could withstand bumps and knocks. Fabrics were also rubbed 60,000 times in a 17-hour non-stop wear test; metal spikes were scraped across plastic parts to test scratch resistance; and carpets were checked for durability on a special test rig fitted with rough abrasion wheels.

“These tests make sure we’ve done everything possible to make sure the car looks as good the thousandth time that families sit in it as it does the first time,” added Montgomery.

Road Test: Volkswagen Caravelle 2.0 TDI 140 DSG Highline

Posted by Alex Bale Sunday, January 13, 2013

Price as tested: €68,725

+ Huge space, versatility, classy, comfy, luxurious, quality
– Occasionally harsh ride, price tag, tax, not quick
= One of the world's great all-rounders

You know it’s going to be a good Saturday night when you get to the front of the taxi queue and there’s something nice waiting to whisk you home. Not just another sad, tired old Japanese or European family saloon with 100,00k on the clock and nasty aftermarket seat covers. No, it’s a good Saturday night when your chariot with a yellow roof bar is a nice squidgy old Merc E-Class, or maybe even a big old Lexus LS400 – mellowed by age but still full of creaky, comfy leather and with a ride quality from back before everyone got obsessed with the Nurburgring. Nice.

Well, if you want to have that feeling everyday, then you’ll be needing one of these. A Volkswagen Caravelle in full-on, leather and everything spec. It’s probably the ultimate taxi, the perfect airport run car and in many ways is the best family car you could possibly buy.

It is, of course, basically a mechanically identical VW Transporter T5, but one what’s been upgraded to full tart’s handbag specification. So, up front you get superbly comfy leather seats, a DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox, a touch-screen stereo and split-zone climate. But, as with all great chauffeur’s cars, the best place to be in the Caravelle is in the back. There you will find five more seats – two individual, swiveling Captain’s chairs and a braod bench. All of these are upholstered in the same lovely leather you’ll find up front and the rear bench slides back and forth to allow you to choose between more luggage space or more comfort for your passengers. They also all fold flat and I can tell you from personal experience that you can then get a double divan bed and mattress in the back. And a few bedside lockers. Luxurious, it may be but it hasn’t forgotten its van roots entirely.

Under the bonnet is VW’s venerable 2.0-litre TDI diesel with 140bhp and 340Nm of torque, Which sounds like a lot, but unladen, the Caravelle weighs a not inconsiderable 2,153kg, so while it’s not what you’d call sluggish, neither will you be taking on and beating GTIs at the lights.

No matter, what the Caravelle is about is comfort, and the relaxed and relaxing performance encourages you to drop your hands down to the 8-and-4 driving position (as recommended to professional drivers by Rolls-Royce as it “significantly reduces any chance of perturbing your rear seat passengers”) and go about your business that much more slowly. It will still happily wind its way up to a cruise-controlled 120kmh on the motorway and when it does that, you can really relax (within the bounds of keeping an eye on things, of course). The front of the Caravelle is a wonderfully comfortable place to be, damn near as good as the back.

Obviously when you get to a corner, you’re going to be reminded in no uncertain terms that this is a tall, heavy commercial vehicle and not a sports saloon. It heels over onto the outside wheel, the steering is slow and if you’re asking too many questions of it the ride just gets ridiculously crashy and bumpy. Much better, once again, to slow down and take the relaxed path home.

You will be tempted to stop off though. With the folding centre table in the back, the Caravelle makes an absolutely ideal portable picnic spot, so requests from the back seats for more sandwiches and Taytos are frequent. Other stops can be kept to a reasonable minimum though – Volkswagen quotes 8.2-litres per 100km average fuel consumption and we managed to get mid-nines, so it’s believeable. The fact that it emits 216g/km of Co2 (slightly less than the six-speed manual manages, actually) and isn’t taxed as a commercial vehicle though means you’ll have to pay the full whack of €1,200 Band F tax and with a purchase price hovering around the €68,000 mark, this is not going to be a cheap way to haul your family around.

That said though, this is a truly multi purpose vehicle and in that sense it makes a mockery of other, lesser cars that claim the same mantle. What others mean when they say MPV is that they’ve basically got a lot of seats. What the Caravelle means is that it is truly multi-purpose. Clean it up and, especially in the black paint of our test car, it’s handsome and crisp looking enough to mix it effortlessly in the executive car park. We’ve already alluded to its abilities as a taxi, van, airport tender and picnic spot, but it’s equally adept at being a shopping trolley, school bus, work commuter, and, thanks to the built-in window blinds and my wife’s preference for swimming in the seat, a handy and modesty-preserving beach hut. Just don’t hit the electric side door ‘open’ button on the key fob when she’s half way through getting changed. That was a bit cruel, actually...

Classy, cool and astonishingly useful, it’s hard (price and ride quality apart) to pick many holes in the Caravelle’s performance. Being a Transporter means that it should prove robust and reliable and all the Caravelle trimmings make it feel genuinely luxurious. What more can I say other than that, alongside the Toyota GT86 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, it has found a place in my imaginary Lotto-win garage.

Facts & Figures
Volkswagen Caravelle 2.0 TDI 140bhp DSG Highline
Price as tested: €68,725
Range price: €52,850 to €81,165
Capacity: 1,968cc
Power: 140bhp
Torque: 340Nm
Top speed: 172kmh
0-100kmh: 14.7sec
Economy: 8.2l-100km (34.4mpg)
CO2 emissions: 216g/km
VRT Band: F. €1,200 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 4-star adult, 4-star child, 1-star pedestrian (results for 2008 T5 test)

News: Renault's Captur wants to box the Juke

Posted by Alex Bale Friday, January 11, 2013

They may be part of the same group, and even share a chassis, but the new Renault Captur is most definitely muscling in on the Nissan Juke's compact SUV territory.

Teased earlier this week and now revealed here in full, the Captur takes both chassis and styling cues from the just-launched new Clio but bulks everything up into a much more muscular shape. Is it just us or are there hints of the old Avantime in the overall shape and stance? Maybe just us. Whatever, it's a handsome beast and that is just as true on the inside, where again Clio elements have been taken, put on a bit of muscle and are looking pretty darned good.

Renault is claiming best in class fuel economy and the two key engines will be the TCe three-cylinder petrol turbo and the long serving 1.5 dCi diesel, an engine which should see the Captur's emissions fall as low as 96g/km.

The Clio has already been much praised for its dynamic performance, so we can hope that the Captur will prove as invigorating to drive. Will the fact that it's shorter (slightly) the the Juke compromise interior space too much though? We'll find out when the Captur makes its public debut at the Geneva motor show.

Between this the and Peugeot 2008, it's looking like a good year for compact French SUVs...





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