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Showing posts with label hatchback. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hatchback. Show all posts

Road Test: Audi A3 2.0 TDI 150 Sport

Posted by Alex Bale Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Price as tested: €40,733

+ Sexy looks inside and out, quality, image, badge, refinement, engine
– Not sporty enough to drive, cramped rear seats
= As classy and desirable as it ever was

There is a checklist of qualities that you can bring to a road test of pretty much any new Audi, and almost every model in the range will quickly have a full complement of tick marks. Handsome good looks? Check. Beautiful, and beautifully made interior? Check and check. Frugal engine? Check. And a chassis that falls on just the wrong side of the line marked ‘entertaining?’ Um, yeah, check.

So, does the new A3 hatchback fill in the check list blanks? Yup, every single one. Dubliner David Caffrey, who holds a starring role in Audi’s design studio, is the man behind those George-Clooney-good-looks, and while the A3 doesn’t do much to separate itself from its predecessor (or indeed from most of the rest of the Audi range) it’s undeniably good looking and desirable.

That’s a story that gets even better on the inside. Audi has long been considered the one and true master of car cabin design and execution and with the new A3 the Ingolstadt meister is truly playing at the top of its game. Considering that the A3 is a (relatively) affordable model within the Audi range, the interior style is even more impressive. From the way the ultra-thin sat-nav and infotainment screen rises from the dash top, to the lovely twist and click motion of the air vents to the wonderfully comfortable seats, this is a class act that makes most rivals look clueless. Quite apart from the clear instruments and the lustrous levels of quality, there are the little touches. Check out the circular air vents. Pull out the little knob in the centre of the vent, and the air flow switches to a radial pattern that distributes air evenly around the cabin. Push it in again and the flow switches to a more direct pattern for when you just want to get cold or hot air to your face. Brilliant.

The cabin isn’t flawless though. The biggest problem is simply a lack of space in the rear seats. I know that the A3 is only a three-door, and that a more spacious five-door Sportback version has just arrived on these shores but still – the A3 is a car pitched at upwardly mobile families as much as it is at trendy singletons, so the fact that having my 2-year old in his car seat behind me made me crank my seat uncomfortably far forward is a pretty poor performance.

Under the bonnet, the performance is rather more rounded. Yes, most customers will go for the more frugal and affordable 105bhp 1.6-litre TDI diesel engine, but our test car came with the gruntier 150bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel – an engine somewhat more befitting of the company that brought us the original Quattro and the bewitching R8 supercar. You may be aware that for the past decade Audi has been crushing every rival at the legendary Le Mans 24hrs race with an unbeatable squadron of diesel-powered racing cars that are not only more frugal than the opposition but more powerful too. That’s the kind of patth the A3’s 2.0-litre engine treads. Not only does it provide invigorating motive thump (100kmh comes up in a GTI-esque 8.6secs) but it can return a genuine 55mpg and its 109g/km Co2 emissions puts it in the new Band A3 for road tax, with an annual bill of €190. That’s little short of amazing performance and the fact that it does it in such a quiet, refined fashion is just the cherry on top.

Which makes it all the sadder that the A3 just can’t quite provide a truly engaging dynamic performance. It’s a long-standing Audi issue, but it remains true that the cross-town rivals from Bavaria, BMW, invariably give more to the driver. The perspective only of the committed enthusiast? True, but then if you’re not bothered about how it drives then why are you shelling out all the extra on a premium brand? There’s nothing wrong with the way the A3 drives – its steering is nicely weighted, its ride just the right amount of firm, its grip levels unimpeachable – but the final spark of enjoyment is missing. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but it is.

That fact makes the A3’s price list an uncomfortable read. Our test car, in Sport trim, carries a price tag of €31,500 which the options on our car (including leather and Alcantara seats, sat-nav, 18” alloys, climate control and parking sensors among others) pushed to north of €40,000. That’s a hefty price for a compact car and one made an even tougher sell by the fact that Volkswagen’s hugely impressive new Golf is now on sale, offering an even better driving experience and similar levels of quality for a lot less cash.

That said, the A3 is impressive and I have no doubt that it will find many firm fans amongst those willing to spend extra on a shinier badge. And hey, how many expensive German cars can truly claim Irish heritage?


Audi A3 2.0 TDI 150 Sport
Price as tested: €40,733
Price range: €25,100 to €39,820
Capacity: 1,968cc
Power: 150bhp
Torque: 320Nm
Top speed: 216kmh
0-100kmh: 8.6sec
Economy: 4.1l-100km (68mpg)
CO2 emissions: 109g/km
Road Tax Band: A3. €190
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 





News: Opel has 20,000 orders for Adam

Posted by Alex Bale Thursday, January 31, 2013

Now, we all know that Opel was taking a massive risk by launching the new Adam. A rival to the likes of the Fiat 500, Mini and Citroen DS3, it tries to take Opel into a funky premium hatchback market that's a tough nut to crack. Tougher still when you're set to lose $1.5-billion in Europe in 2012 and you need a big hit to drag up both your image and your bottom line.

But it seems to be working.Opel says it currently has a healthy order bank of 20,000 for the new Adam, and that for a car that was only launched to the public in October. Pretty good, and the hope (of both Opel accountants and watching industry analysts) will be that all of those 20,000 orders comes with a healthy profit margin. What makes the Mini and 500 so profitable to their makers is not just the premium level price tag, but the fact that people spend extra on speccing their cars up. Opel claims that the Adam has 61,000 different exterior styling variations, and 82,000 interior ones, so there's plenty of scope for customers to start dipping into a long and lucrative options list.

"Whoever orders an Adam today, can be pretty much certain that he hasn't seen an identical one. Almost every Adam is one of a kind," Thomas Sedran, interim Opel CEO Opel, said in a statement.

To be frank, we all doubted Opel's ability to appeal to the Generation Y, iPhone-loving, hip-kids generation, given that it's generally best known for making solid, but somewhat staid, family saloons, hatches and MPVs. But the initial success of the Adam might just be the first sign that Opel's long-awaited move upmarket could actually be working.

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: Dacia Sandero TCe 90 Alternative

Posted by Alex Bale Tuesday, January 8, 2013
 
Price as tested: €11,990

+ Cheap, cheerful, well equipped, ESP as standard
– Rear seat space could be better
= Solid, undemanding and affordable

When Renault’s budget brand, Dacia, launched itself into the Irish market last summer, it did so with just 10 dealers and a single model, the Duster SUV. Except it didn’t really even have a single model, as right-hand-drive production of the Duster didn’t begin until just last week, so all Dacia could do in Ireland was show potential customers some left-hand-drive demos, with an older design of cabin than would be arriving from the factory when Irish cars rolled off the line. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but with that astonishingly low €15,995 price tag (around €10,000 less than most direct competitors) the Duster has already been a success; it’s sold out until April, with 500 orders just starting to be filled. Just goes to show what you can do with a headline-grabbing price.

Of course, price isn’t everything and Dacia has come in for much criticism since the Duster’s launch for its attitude to safety equipment. Many reviewers were upset to notice that the Duster (an obvious family car, don’t forget) doesn’t come with standard electronic stability control, and the Lodgy MPV (currently only available in Europe) was severely marked down by crash test experts EuroNCAP.

So with the arrival of this, the second-generation Sandero small car (the first gen was never built with right hand drive) Dacia has to prove that it can expand beyond the niche appeal of the Duster and take on the big (small) boys such as the Fiesta, Polo and Yaris.

Thankfully, a quick glance at the spec sheet reveals that the Sandero does indeed come with ESP as standard, as are ABS and brake assist. Why the standard ESP on a smaller car when the Duster continues to do without? According to Dacia, it’s because the Sandero sits on an all-new platform, so under EU regulations, has to have ESP as standard. The Duster, based on the original 2004 Dacia Logan, can get away for a while without it.

For a basic price of €9,990 (around €5-6,000 less than most of the competition) the Sandero comes with four airbags, Daytime Running Lights, height adjustable headrests, 60/40 split folding rear seat, electric front windows and Radio with CD, MP3, USB and Bluetooth phone connection alongside its standard safety toys, which seems pretty generous. Step up a level to the Signature trim and you get alloys, air conditioning, a trip computer and more.

That basic model comes with an old Renault 1.2-litre petrol engine developing 75bhp, which looks alluringly priced but whose Co2 emissions of 135g/km will set you back €280 a year in motor tax. You could go for the 90bhp 1.5 dCi diesel engine, but we reckon you’re much better to upgrade yourself to the 895cc turbo three cylinder TCe 90 engine. It’s not only cutting edge (a first for a Dacia, which usually just sticks with older Renault tech) which cuts your Co2 emissions to 116g/km and your tax bill to €200.

Quite apart from which, it’s a terrific engine, pulling cleanly from low rpm and proving both entertainingly muscular and really very refined. It would be an outstanding engine in any car, but in an €11,090 Dacia (€13,090 if you want it in the ritzier Signature grade), it’s close to amazing.

If you’ve ever owned a Renault in the past decade, you can amuse yourself for a few minutes by just sitting in the Sandero’s cabin and playing Spot The Switch. A little bit of old Clio here, some Laguna there and a smattering of Megane over there. Still, while it may be a ‘bitsa’ the Sandero feels well put together and Dacia’s reliability record is generally very good. Space in the front is fine and there’s a 320-litre boot (with a rather too high loading lip) but it would be good to see a touch more legroom in the back. It’s OK back there, but taller passengers, or those loading up bulky child seats, will feel the pinch. There are a few rough edges to the quality of the plastics, and the seats are a little too narrow and perched-up for taller drivers, but otherwise there’s nothing to complain about.

That goes equally for the dynamic performance. Certainly, the Sandero’s chassis case is helped by the performance of that TCe 90 engine, whose 90bhp and 135Nm of torque help to cover up any holes in the cornering deportment, but the plain fact is that the Sandero is perfectly fine, if totally unexceptional, to drive. It rides very well, especially around town where it’s particularly good at shrugging off speed bumps, and on the motorway it feels planted and secure. On a twisty road, well, you’re not going to get up early to drive it for fun, but it’s fine, although the mute, rubbery steering discourages any attempts at enthusiastic driving.

The Sandero is an avowedly simple car, and in an era when car makers are constantly trying to surprise and delight us with yet more gadgetry and gimmickry, that’s a rather refreshing take. It’s quietly handsome (Germanic, claims Dacia, as opposed to its cousin, the more Latin Renault Clio), practical and quite fine to drive. With those temptingly low prices, and now without the caveat of having to worry about trading up to get safety equipment, it’s a tough proposition to argue with.

Facts & Figures
Dacia Sandero TCe 90 Alternative
Price as tested: €11,990
Range price: €9,990 to €14,990
Capacity: 898cc
Power: 90bhp
Torque: 135Nm
Top speed: 169kmh
0-100kmh: 11.1sec
Economy: 4.9l-100km (56mpg)
CO2 emissions: 116g/km
VRT Band: A4. €200 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: Fiat Punto 1.3 MultiJet

Posted by Alex Bale Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Price as tested: €15,495

+ Styling, improved quality, excellent engine, value, comfort, space
– Still too much cheap cabin plastic, not much else
= Unfairly ignored compact hatch, deserves more attention

I bet you've forgotten about the Fiat Punto. It wouldn't be hard to be fair. Since its 2000 heyday when it was one of the best selling cars in Ireland's all-time bumper year for car sales, the Punto has steadily slid down the car sales cliff, in spite of a gorgeous 2005 re-issue with Maserati-like styling by Giugiaro. In a class populated by the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Peugeot 208, Kia Rio and so many talented others, it's just too easy for the Punto's light to stay well and truly beneath a handy bushel.

And I'll also bet you have some pretty lazy pre-conceptions about Fiat cars in general. If you're of a certain age, rust and electrical maladies will still be top of your list when it comes to Fiat, in spite of two decades where Italian build quality has done nothing but improve.

Of course, Fiat itself has seemed to occasionally ignore the Punto. While the glamorous 500 and the practical Panda have since come along to take centre stage, the current Punto is merely a facelifted version of the car that was launched in 2005.

So, I wasn't expecting all that much when I grabbed the keys to the test car. Yet another facelift of the Punto has come along, reversing some of the rather poor styling decisions made when it became the Punto Evo in 2009, but I too had fallen prey to assuming I knew the Punto's place in the universe.

I'm therefore pleased to report that I was wrong. The updates to the latest generation have gone a long way to strengthening the Punto's hand and it's actually a much sharper competitor to the likes of the Fiesta and Polo than you would have thought. Certainly, it looks arguably better than either, and the cabin now benefits from much higher quality surfaces than before, albeit you don't have to look too hard to find hard, scratchy plastics.

There's good space in there too, and the seats are comfy while out back, the boot is big and well shaped.

The actual production version of the updated 1.3-litre MultiJet Diesel engine will have 85bhp in the Puntos you'll find in dealerships, but our test car actually had the old 75bhp version fitted. No matter, even with the rise of the clever little two-cylinder TwinAir petrol, the diesel is the Punto to have, even if it is a pricey option. Quite apart from exceptionally good economy and emissions figures (90g/km of Co2 and potentially as good as 80mpg if you're in-cred-ibly delicate with the throttle) there is the matter that its 200Nm of torque means it is a relaxed and capable long-haul car, something you could never have said of the old 1.2-litre petrol. Mind you, an extra cog in the slightly slack-shifting five-speed gearbox would help in this regard.

Also a touch slack is the steering, which feels entirely artificial and fake, which is a shame as through the clouds of over-assistance you can feel a really quite talented chassis at work. It's not quite as sharp or rewarding as a Fiesta, but it's more fun by far than most others in the class to throw around, and in spite of ever-increasing girth the Punto still feels properly small and enjoyably agile. It also rides better than it did in 2005 when I first drove it. It still jiggles a little over small, sharp surfaces, but bigger bumps are smoothed over with a deft Italianate roll of the shoulders.

Add to that a reasonably affordable list price of €15,495 which includes pretty decent equipment as standard, and the Punto's package is starting to come together really rather well. And then there's the intangible loveliness that comes with merely driving an Italian car. A little touch of flair, a merest hint of style all makes the experience that bit more enjoyable. It's not something that will appeal to all, perhaps indeed only to a select few, but it's the difference between shopping on Grafton Street or in the Grand Piazza in Milan. You just, or at least I just, feel as if you're cutting a bit more of a rakish figure climbing out of your Punto at the kerb side.

No, the Punto's not perfect, and yes, thanks to that broad public perception you will pay a harsh price come resale time, but I left it back feeling quite surprisingly sad to see it go. Character is a rare thing in an increasingly homogenised car market, and the Punto has that in buckets. To find that it also has a remarkable amount of substance to back that up was simply a welcome surprise.


Fiat Punto 1.3 JTD 85bhp
Price as tested: €15,495
Price range: €13,495 to €15,495
Capacity: 1,248cc
Power: 85bhp
Torque: 200Nm
Top speed: 170kmh
0-100kmh: 12.7sec
Economy: 3.5l-100km (80mpg)
CO2 emissions: 90g/km
Road Tax Band: A2. €180
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 3-star pedestrian















Road Test: Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 125ps

Posted by Alex Bale Thursday, December 6, 2012

Price as tested: POA

+ Slick styling, brilliant engine, classy cabin, handling
– 100ps and 125ps EcoBoost versions won't be cheap
= Updates put the Fiesta right back at the top of the small car tree

Cinecitta Studios lies just on the outskirts of Rome and has been home, over the years, to productions as famous os Ben-Hur, Cleopatra and The Gangs Of New York. When choosing to launch an updated version of the Ford Fiesta, so bursting with new technology that it could not be more bang up to date, it might seem odd to have it sit in front of a fake recreation of the Roman Senate. But hey, maybe Ford has just looking for a little reflected glory from the likes of Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Certainly, the updated Fiesta looks glamorous enough to bestride a film set. That new grille (very Aston Martin-ish), lights and bumpers have really freshened up the shape.

Inside, much effort has gone into improving cabin quality and the results are palpably good. Before, you would have had to place the Fiesta just behind the likes of the Volkswagen Polo in the interior quality stakes. Now it's neck-and-neck.

From the mobile phone and media player-linking SYNC system (that recently debuted on the new B-Class mini MPV) to a new function called MyKey (long since on sale in American Fords) which allows nervous parents to limit the speed, audio volume and other functions of the car when their teenage offspring have borrowed it, the Fiesta can now be specified to levels that would have seemed ludicrous when the 1977 original was launched. A self-braking city safety system, a function that automatically phones the emergency services in the event of an accident and niceties such as a reversing camera and an automated parking system are now all available, for a price.

Indeed, you'd have to ask if Ford is backing the wrong horse – investing in high-tech gizmos at a time when most buyers are looking more closely at the bottom line and rivals like Dacia are arriving with arrestingly low-balled prices. I asked; Ford said no. All its research points to customers wanting more and more technology in the car.

Ford's award-winning 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine has already found happy homes in the Focus and B-Max, but the Fiesta is surely the car best suited to the lightweight, frugal, free-revving little unit. For the first time, you'll be able to buy an EcoBoost unit that doesn't use a turbocharger, and the new 65bhp and 80bhp versions of the engine will eventually replace the ageing 1.25-litre Yahamha-developed unit at the base of the Fiesta range. Punchier 100bhp and 125bhp versions, with a turbo, will be rarer by far in Irish dealerships but sadly, that's all that Ford made available for us to drive on this event.

I say sadly, actually it was terrific. In 123bhp form (a version which still scores a 99g/km Co2 rating and can, claims Ford, average better than 65mpg) the turbo EcoBoost almost qualifies as a junior hot hatch. There's a touch of off-boost lethargy below 1,900rpm but after that the little engine revs smoothly and crisply to the 6,500rpm redline and theres's a thick seam of effortless 170Nm torque to revel in on the way there. Even with just a five-speed gearbox, it's an effortless drive and maybe it's just me, but there seems to be a hint of Porsche-like roar as you pass 4,000rpm.

As ever, the Fiesta's chassis is up for any challenges you throw at it, and the updated electric power steering is better than ever – firmly sprung and rewardingly talkative, it goes beautifully with the Fiesta's neutral balance and grip. Even on roads streaming with heavy rain and peppered with aggressive Roman traffic, the Fiesta never felt less than confidence inspiring, and frequently felt just damned good fun.

Alongside the EcoBoost units and the carry-over 1.25 petrol, Ford will also offer a new 1.5-litre TDCI diesel and two updated versions of the existing 1.6-litre diesel, the most efficient of which emits just 87g/km. Prices will start from €15,550 for the most basic 1.25 and you can expect the 99bhp EcoBoost turbo to clock in around the €17,500 mark.

Bringing the test car back to Cinecitta was a slightly bizarre experience what with having to thread the Fiesta between sets, semi-abandoned props and the occasional film-set statue that had be placed next to a car park. There was even a complete TGV-style train, marooned on tracks that go nowhere, presumably to give future Cary Grants and Tom Cruises a convincing set for railway-based action.

Thankfully, the Fiesta is no film-set fake. It’s a car of true style and substance, with a delightful chassis and, with the brilliant EcoBoost engine, real star quality.

Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 125ps
Price as tested: TBA
Price range: €15,550 to €TBA
Capacity: 999cc
Power: 123bhp
Torque: 170Nm
Top speed: 170kmh
0-100kmh: 9.4sec
Economy: 4.2l-100km (67mpg)
CO2 emissions: 99g/km
Road Tax Band: A2. €180
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 91% adult, 86% child, 65% pedestrian, 71% safety assist.
 




News: Mercedes A-Class is royally classy

Posted by Alex Bale
 
Kate Midleton may be expecting, but Mercedes’ new baby, the A-Class, is already arriving in dealerships across Ireland and is expected to be a star player (pun intended) in the Irish market next year.

Two models will take centre stage initially - one is an A180 petrol version which comes on the market at €26,435 (ex works) and the other an A180 CDI diesel version at €28,550, the version likely to attract most attention due, in part, to its greener CO2 emissions of just 98g/km.

Both models will come in a choice of three specifications and equipment lines – Style, Urban and Sports Pack. Entry models sold here come equipped with Style Pack features that include items which, were they purchased separately, would have a value of €1,600.

Compatible with the needs of the iPhone, iPad generation, its optional on board high-tech functionality is such that iPhone Siri voice-activated units and iPad music and Apps can be played through the car’s infotainment system.

The new A-Class is as different from its predecessor as it is possible to be. Sitting some 18cm closer to the ground, its low-slung posture and SL-like fascia give it a positively sporty appearance that Mercedes hopes will appeal to young male and female motorists alike.

Front-wheel drive, all engines have an idle-stop system as standard, linked to a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. New four-link rear suspension has a range of settings that includes an optional sports setting with direct steer.  Collision Prevention Assist, Attention Assist, Adaptive Brake Assist and Brake Hold are all part of its standard safety features.

Since it first appeared at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, worldwide interest in the new A-Class has been intense so much so that a backlog of orders already exists. Here in Ireland, Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales manager Ciaran Allen expects supply to keep pace with demand in the initial phases, at least.

“In keeping with its high-tech image, our launch plan will include a heavy concentration on Facebook and smart phone App technology to create an ‘interactive platform’ whereby prospective customers can learn about the A-Class and scroll through its features to model the version they like best” Mr. Allen said.

Already something of a ‘wunderkind’ in terms of its environmental features, the A-Class 180 CDI is acknowledged by the German TÜV organisation as offering fuel savings of up to 26 percent, emissions as low as 98g CO2/km, a best in class CD value of 0.27 and petrol engines that comply with Euro 6 emissions standard. Indeed, over its entire life cycle from production to recycling, it is estimated that the A-Class, in the guise of the A180 BE version, will produce 5.7 tons less emissions than its predecessor and meets the stipulated recycling rate of 95 percent by weight.



Road Test: Toyota Auris 1.4 D4D Luna

Posted by Alex Bale Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Price as tested: €23,995

+ Slick new styling, comfort, ride, refinement, quality, space, economy
– Steering still too detached, engine a bit underpowered
= We were hoping for GT86-like driver appeal, we actually got the quietest, comfiest car in the class


Toyota generally gets a lot of flack for being dull and middle of the road. Indeed, influential US website Jalopnik.com has made the words Toyota and Beige almost indivisible. But it’s an unfair rep, especially considering cars like the original Celica (and its subsequent versions), the Supra, the MR2, the brilliant new GT86, all those World Rally Championship victories and the amazing Le Mans racing cars. Beige Toyota ain’t, no matter what some snarky bloggers might say.

In fairness though, some of Toyota’s mainstream models have been a bit too quiet for their own good down through the years, and the last generation Auris was a case in point. Too subtle on the outside, with a cabin that even Toyota now admits wasn’t up to snuff means that while it always sold well, the Auris fell well behind the likes of the Ford Focus and VW Golf in critical terms.

But what’s this? A new Auris with a sharp-looking body (check out that beaky nose with the dramatic bottom grille and big cut-outs for the foglights)? Has Toyota finally injected some flair and drama into its mid-size hatch?

Well, you won’t find much drama in the engine room. The 90bhp D4D Diesel engine is about 20bhp down on most of its rivals, and you can tell that as soon as you put your foot down. Performance never quite descends into being sluggish, but neither does it have the effortless punch of, say, Ford's 1.6 TDCI. Toyota, of course, has a grunty, efficient 2.0-litre diesel already in the Avensis. What hope of it being fitted to an Auris? In the meantime, the 1.4 D4D is at least a sweet-natured unit, and very economical. Toyota claims 3.8-litres per 100km on the combined fuel cycle (around 74mpg) and that seems entirely believable, as we were gettting close to 4.0-litres per 100km when driving mostly around town. 99g/km Co2 emissions (as long as you go for the basic 15" wheels) should keep you in the lowest two of the proposed four-way-split Band A tax ratings.

It settles quickly from idle into a distant thrummy noise, and fitting in with the Auris' generally refined nature. Cabin noise levels are very low, whether you're thinking about engine, wind or road noise and the ride quality, especially around town, is truly exceptional. It all adds up to make the Auris one of the most refined, comfortable cars in its class.

It is not, however, much of a drivers' car. Off the back of the brilliant little GT86 coupe, we had hoped that some of that car's DNA might seep through into the Auris and allow it to have a tilt at the sort of pin-sharp driver appeal as displayed by the Focus and Golf. Alas, no. The Auris' steering is light, verging on over-light (think of an early seventies Jaguar XJ6 steering and you're getting there) and it leaves you feeling distanced and separated from the car. That's a shame, as beneath the mush, the chassis feels well-balanced and controlled. There is, possibly, an engaging driving tool in there somewhere, but its light is being kept defiantly sub-bushel.

Such considerations are compensated for by the fact that the cabin is spacious, bright and airy, the boot a decent size and shape (although the boot floor is made of the most unpleasantly cheap flooring material we've yet seen) and of course, the fact that the famed Toyota quality seems to be present and correct.

It is also rather handsome. Possibly less so at the back, where it descends into generic hatchback-ness, but up front, the beaky new nose with its scowling lights, LEDs and aggressive trapezoidal grille looks rather striking, certainly by Toyota standards. It seems to owe no debt to any other Toyota (save perhaps a passing resemblance to the Avensis) and if so, hopefully it is the vanguard of a new family of sharper-looking Toyotas.

Prices start at €18,995 for the 1.33 99bhp petrol in Terra trim (which notably does without such items as air conditioning or Bluetooth phone). Our bells-and-whistles 1.4 D4D Luna comes in at a very competitive €23,995 and includes climate control, Bluetooth, reversing camera, touch-screen stereo and much more.

So while the Auris might be lacking in the final sheen of GT96-like driver appeal we were hoping for, its comfort, spaciousness and its likely reliability score very highly with us. The new found style is welcome, the rest are welcome returns. No drama then, but equally, no crisis.

Toyota Auris 1.4 D4D 90 Luna
Price as tested: €23,995
Price range: €18,995 to €27,990
Capacity: 1,364cc
Power: 90bhp
Torque: 205Nm
Top speed: 170kmh
0-100kmh: 12.6sec
Economy: 3.8l-100km (74mpg)
CO2 emissions: 99g/km*
Road Tax Band: A. €160
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested


*When fitted with 15” steel wheels
 





News: Honda's new Civic diesel to hit 78mpg

Posted by Alex Bale Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Honda is at last starting to reveal technical details of its upcoming Civic 1.6 iDTEC diesel and the first figures to emerge are somewhat startling. How does 94g/km and 78mpg grab you?

Honda's official figures are 3.5-litres per 100km (which translates as 78mpg) and 94/km, putting it well ahead of the current Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI in emissions and consumption terms too. It's ahead on power too, with 118bhp, against the Ford's 115bhp and the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion's 105bhp. Mind you, the new MkVII Golf will beat the Civic's Co2 figure, with an 88g/km average, but the Civic's rating is still a massive step forwards for Honda.

You can currently buy a Civic only with a 2.2-litre diesel engine, which is frugal enough to emit just 110g/km of Co2 and set a 4.2-litres per 100km average (64mpg).

Sales of the new 1.6 diesel Civic will start in the new year, and they'll be followed by a version of the new CR-V SUV using the same engine, which is expected to record equally startling emissions figures of just 99g/km.

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