My wife sometimes has trouble remembering the colour of the car I am testing. But no trouble last week as my test car, the Leap B10, came in Purple.

Colour is always important when buying a new car, especially for first-time buyers who may have had a favourite colour in their mind for years.

According to Google, the colour purple is associated with a variety of meanings, including wisdom, creativity, royalty, power, ambition and luxury. It can also represent magic, extravagance, peace, pride, independence and wealth. Do you fit into any of those categories?

Leap is the latest Chinese brand to come to Ireland. It’s a company that was only founded in 2015 and didn’t sell its first car until 2019. Yet in six years it has already sold over one million cars worldwide.

The B10 is Leap’s third model to be introduced to Ireland, following on the T03 city car and C10 SUV. The B10 is a mid-sized SUV that is designed to be budget-friendly while still providing modern technology and a huge amount of interior space for five well-built passengers.

Leap say they expect their main competitors in the Irish market for their B10 will be the BYD Atto 2 and Kia’s Elroq, but it’s larger in all dimensions than both of those cars.

Later in the year there will be a Hybrid version of the B10 and two more electric EV models, so by the end of 2026 Leap will have six cars on sale in Ireland.

Externally the car looks very solid. Inside you get a minimalistic look. The dash is dominated by a 14.6-inch display which works well. There are no old-style buttons on the dash. As mentioned earlier the interior is really spacious with plenty of leg and head room.

The boot is a decent size, officially 525 litres and you also get a Frunk at the front, which has 25 litres of space. And like their European counterparts, the Chinese don’t supply spare wheels either.

Prices start at €32,984 and the range in the small 56.2kWh battery is approx. 360km, while the larger 67.1kWh battery which I drove, should give you close to 430km with a full charge. It’s a fine spacious car with a good range and has a very competitive price. 

Leapmotor now have seven dealers in Ireland: Bright Airside, Swords, Dublin, Bright, Navan Road, Dublin, Dan Seaman Motors, Forge Hill, Cork, Fitzpatrick’s Garage, Naas, Greenhall Motors, Buttevant, Cork, Joe Norris Motors, Navan and Kennys, Tuam Road, Galway.

Apart from the Dawn Purple version I drove, other colours available are: Night Blue, Metallic Black, Galaxy Silver, Light White and Tundra Grey. 

Most new cars open when you approach with the fob in your pocket. However, Leap cars are opened by moving the fob card over part of the driver’s wing mirror. Don’t be caught out if you ask for a test drive and cannot figure how to get into the car. You might also have to ask where is the small button to open the boot.

James Brooks, who is the Opel M.D in Ireland, is also overseeing the Leap segment in Gowans and he says that Leap will benefit from the reputation and experience of their extensive dealer network. James is encouraging Irish motorists to ‘Take the Leap’ and take a test drive in one of their new cars.

Last year the new Renault 5 EV was named Irish Car of the Year.  Renault are probably hoping for another award this year with their new electric version of their famous Renault 4, which they are calling the  E-Tech.

Readers who have celebrated their 50th birthday will probably remember the boxy-looking Renault 4L which came in a bright yellow colour and was used for several years by the engineering staff in the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Most people would have happy memories of seeing a yellow Renault 4 coming up the road; it meant you were either getting a new phone line or maybe the existing phone line was about to be repaired. 

The car was also used by An Post staff, but theirs were painted green and I’m told the car was also popular with farmers.

If you ever sat into one of those old Renault 4’s you will remember the unusual gear-lever which was located high on the dash to the left of the steering wheel. It was really different to any of the gear levers we had seen in previous cars.

Now the lever to select drive, reverse or neutral is so small, it’s like an indicator stalk and is located to the right of the steering wheel.

The Renault 4L or Quatrelle as it became known in France owing to its 4L badge, was one of the most successful cars the company has ever made. It sold more than eight million units to unpretentious buyers who wanted a simple, no-frills, highly practical means of transport. 

Production of the iconic Renault 4L started in France in 1961 and for a while the car was assembled in Wexford when we had a car-assembly business here.

My test car came in a gorgeous Aqua Green and topped off with a black roof, it was real eye-catcher. There are also very attractive headlights. Not surprisingly I got a few questions from strangers in supermarket car parks asking to know more about of the car I was driving.

The seats have yellow stitching, which certainly brightens the décor. There are also colourful touches on the seats which makes the interior bright and cheerful. And there is also a splash of colour on the dash. In most new Renault cars you get a neat button to the right of the steering wheel where you can adjust the radio volume with your small finger; and the Renault 4 E-Tech is no exception. 

The back seat could hold three adults at a squeeze, but it would probably be more comfortable with just two adults or maybe three children. For a small car the boot is a decent size. No Frunk provided but I watched a video on You Tube where you buy a Frunk on-line and fit it yourself.

There is also an underfloor storage area of 55 litres and if you leave down the back seats, the boot space will extend to 1,405 litres.

Car lovers have never forgiven Ford for bringing back the Capri name for one of their new electric cars. But I don’t think that will happen with the Renault 4.

Prices start at €27,995 and the range in the version I drove was 305km approx. If you want a car with the longer range of 409km you will have to go for the more expensive version with the larger battery. I liked it, but naturally would have preferred a longer range after a full charge.

Our grandchildren were visiting from Denmark recently and knowing a few weeks back that they were on their way, I had booked the seven-seater VW Multi Van. However, there was a slight technical problem with the Multi Van and VW gave me their five-seater electric I.D. Buzz instead.

I’m not a huge fan of electric cars, but I was probably more disappointed that it was a five-seater, as a seven-seater was what I needed for the grandchildren. However, we managed even if it meant taking two cars on various tourist trails instead of one.

The I.D. Buzz was voted Continental Irish Car of the Year for 2023, but I hadn’t driven the car or mini bus for almost a year. Truth be told up to now we haven’t see many of them on Irish roads.

Graeme Lennox, Head of Group Communications with VW in Liffey Valley, Dublin explained that there were ‘availability problems’ with the Buzz earlier this year, but he added that VW now has attractive finance deals which means we should soon see more of the funky looking car/mini bus on our roads.

I think funky is the word that best describes the I.D. Buzz and the yellow and white colours of my test car certainly added to that funky look. The yellow colour is used throughout the interior making for a very bright décor. 

When you sit in the views of the road ahead and your surroundings are really brilliant. I think it should make for safer driving and no driver is ever going to say that they didn’t see you as the car is so bright.

The I.D. Buzz is 4.7 metres in length, which means you need to be careful when driving. But it’s very easy car to manoeuvre and there is an excellent reversing camera. At the front it really has that retro look of the VW K2 mini bus from the sixties and the classy-looking alloys certainly added to the overall appeal. It has been described as the most head-turning car that VW has ever built.

The grandchildren loved it, the colour, the interior space and the two sliding rear doors in the top of the range Max version. I was going to say they also liked the mini trays on the back of the front seats, which can be used to hold a laptop. But I don’t think the trays were ever used; you only need a hand to hold a mobile phone.

We are told that that a seven-seater version will be available next year. I reckon that the seven-seater is unlikely to have as much luggage space as the current five-seater version, but it will have a better battery. There are two levels in the massive boot and the top one can take five bulky cases and you can squeeze in a few carry-on cases and bags underneath. Prices for the five-seater start at €69,770 which is certainly not cheap. Road tax is €120.

The official range for the I.D. Buzz with a 77kW battery is 409km but once I got up to 80per cent the charging slowed down. At 90 per cent my range had increased to 340km, so I reckon that at 100 per cent should get you 360km. But at that stage the taxi driver in the queue behind me was getting a bit impatient.

The Qashqai is Nissan’s most popular car and its best seller. A few years back a Qashqai + 2 was tried, but it wasn’t very successful. So if you want a seven-seater from Nissan the massive X-Trail is your only man or indeed your only woman!

Nissan has been producing this mid-size crossover since 2000. We got the second generation in 2007 and the third version in 2013. In 2017 there was a face-lift for the X-Trail with restyled headlights and tail light which included restyled twin LED projector headlamps. 

The X-Trail is one of Ireland’s favourite family SUV’s. Since the introduction of the X-Trail, more than seven million have been sold worldwide. The latest model introduces hybrid power to the X-Trail range for the first time.

Recently I got to drive this much talked about e-power version, a system that Nissan is gradually introducing to all of their models. I remember when Nissan first launched their X-Trail. It was advertised with an amber-coloured car which had three bicycles locked on to the roof and in the background some rugged looking terrain about to be tackled by the owners and their family. 

I drove a win-coloured version and it certainly attracted a lot of favourable comments from people in shopping centre car parks.

We have seen sales of fully electric and hybrid cars grow this year, but what is e-power? Well the main difference is that you won’t be spending hours sitting at charge points around the country; the car charges itself as you drive.

Nissan’s exclusive e-power system combines a petrol engine and an electric motor, but operates different to a standard hybrid system. 

The e-power technology is different to your regular hybrid car as it uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, a battery and an electric motor. It charges the 2.1kWh battery or directly supplies power to the 150kWh motor to drive the wheels. But only the motor drives the wheels. 

At no time does the engine directly drive the wheels as is the norm with regular hybrids. It has been described as similar to having an electricity generator on board.

Inside the car first thing you will notice is the display in the windscreen right in your line of vision telling you what your speed is and the speed limit on the road you are driving. 

The leather seats were cream and looked great. My top of the range version also had a sun roof and two cameras, front and rear. Now a rear camera is normal for reversing, but not many cars have front cameras. The controls on the dash are well laid out and the huge infotainment screen is easy to use. I also liked the central button for volume control.

In the back seat there is plenty of room for three adults, but the third row of two seats are really suitable only for children. 

The e-power version of the X-Trail is certainly smoother and more refined to drive than previous diesel versions. Difficult to say for certain that it’s more frugal than a regular hybrid but I think there is potential to run the X-Trail more efficiently in urban areas.

The new Nissan X-Trail, badged as e-power starts at €45,995 for five seat version and from €54,995 for the seven-seater which also offers four-wheel drive. My top of the range test car with lots of goodies will cost you €61,995. Road tax is €270. 

In recent reviews I may have been a bit dismissive about the rush to electric cars. A few months back our new Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that nobody will be forced to buy an electric car come ‘EV Day’ on January 1, 2030, but will any of the large manufacturers still be making cars with petrol or diesel engines in seven years from now?

At a recent Nissan event their group CEO James McCarthy said that Nissan are not going to invest any more money in petrol or diesel cars.

James is one of the few people in the Irish motoring business who is consistently pushing the idea of electric cars. He pointed out that a few years back we were in much the same position as Norway, but now the Norwegians have raced way ahead of us when it comes to ownership of EV’s.

VW is also pushing ahead with the switch to EV with its ID.3, ID.4, which was the best-selling electric car in 2021 and now the ID.5 on sale.

I drove its GT Max version of the ID.5 last week and it was massive, but with a price of just over 80k, I think Irish customers may go for a more basic from the  VW ID stable.

VW’s ID.4 and ID.3 were the bestselling electric cars in Ireland in 2021, recording a 31 per cent combined market share. The ID.4 is the top selling EV again this year.

So far this year 15,591 new electric cars have been registered in comparison to 8,528 for the same period in 2021, an increase of 82.8 per cent. Still small figures overall, but unless we have another war in some part of the world, the switch to electric is going to happen.

My test car, which came in King’s Red colour with a black roof, was really impressive. I liked everything about it except the ‘finicky’ infotainment screen. A lady kept asking me if she could help and all I wanted to do was find the button to change radio stations! The infotainment screen certainly does take a little, sorry a lot, of getting used to.

The ID.5 is billed as a coupe-SUV version of the ID.4, while the GTX badge marks it out as the sporty variant, in the same way that the GTI badge does for the VW Golf.

It’s a comfortable car to travel in and all my passengers loved the high driving position. The boot is huge, but when it comes to electric cars you can forget about spare wheels.

When I am driving an electric car, I tend to spend some time at Circle K garages where they have fast chargers. Last week a man in the forecourt of my local garage came over to ask me what type of car I was driving; he was fascinated by the front lights on the ID.5. When fully charged your range will be around 470km.

The starting price for the ID.4 starts at €51,390, while the ID.5 starts at €61,295.  My top of the range version GTX started at €78k. Road tax is €120. The ID range is very impressive, but new customers switching to electric should maybe start with an ID.4 or regular ID.5, as the GTX Max model might be just a little bit too expensive for people switching to EV.

Correction: Photographs of the Polestar were incorrectly used with the December car review of the Peugeot 308.

In the past a lot of people used to ‘pigeonhole’ car owners. Mercedes were traditionally reserved for Managing Directors of companies, the Ford Cortina was for farmers, Minis were for young females and so on. I suppose it did make sense at one time and I agree that Suzuki cars are ideal for first-time buyers or old timers like myself, who may be downsizing.

I read recently that another old favourite small car, the Nissan Micra, is going to be replaced by an electric version next year. Soon there won’t be any small cars for people who want a small, tidy, inexpensive motor.

The Swift has been around since 1983 when it replaced the Cultus and there is no doubt it’s loved by ‘Golden years’ customers and also by young people trying to get a foot on the motoring ladder.

Last week I drove a face-lifted third generation of the Swift, a 1.2 Dauljet SZL Hybrid. When we see Hybrid, we know that the next step is probably a full electric. But hopefully not for a few more years with the Swift. 

It’s a very neat car and would be ideal for anybody who has a problem reversing into a tight spaces in urban areas.

The SZ-L version I drove is expected to become the volume-selling model for the Swift range in Ireland. It has Adaptive Cruise Control, LED headlights, air-conditioning, DAB radio, privacy glass, 16-inch  alloys, LED daytime running lights and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone link fitted as standard. My test car also had a reversing camera.

Inside there is plenty of head and leg room for four people, five at a squeeze. I really liked the radio controls, very simple design and so easy to use. And I also liked the old-style handbrake. When you pull up and old-style hand-brake you definitely know that it works; some of the electronic hand-brakes have a red light to show you that the brake has engaged, but not all. 

At first the car might look like a two-door as the handles for the two rear doors are very discreet. You get a decent-sized boot for what is a small car, but no spare wheel, just a repair kit. So if you are buying new just haggle with the dealer for a spare wheel, you won’t regret it.

My test car came in a ‘Speedy Blue’ colour, with a few neat black touches and it sure was attractive. There are other colour options now available like Flame Orange Pearl Metallic with Super Black roof dual-tone colour. The Swift is manufactured for Europe at Suzuki’s Sagara plant in Japan.

It’s a little bit noisy on the road, but it’s a small urban car, not a luxury motor, so that’s to be expected. This was a new Hybrid version, which meant a very frugal engine and very few pit stops.

Since the Covid restrictions were lifted it looks like inflation has become a big issue in Ireland. But with a starting price of €17,775 this Swift is definitely value for money. My test car which had a few extras will cost you €18,145. Road tax is €180.

So if you are downsizing or your son or daughter wants to buy their first car, the Suzuki Swift is definitely an option worth investigating.

After a few weeks driving electric cars, last week was a stress-free one and there was certainly no ‘range anxiety’ involved, as I was driving a good old style petrol car. It was the very stylish looking DS3 so everybody was happy. 

My wife, who doesn’t drive, sometimes has difficulty finding my press car in various shopping centre car parks, but she has no problem finding the DS3. It was a black car and not a bright yellow one, so I asked how did she find it so easy to locate. The rear windows are a giveaway she said.

Yes, the rear windows in the DS3 are strange looking, as they are only half the size of the front windows.

All the windows can be opened by the driver or front seat passenger in a cabin that includes a lot of switches. But maybe not as many as the toggle switches you will find in a Peugeot car. 

The Ds switches are located in the area where you would normally find a gear lever in a manual car. And if you don’t look at what you are doing you could be applying the handbrake instead of opening the driver’s window.

That’s the way it is in DS cars. DS, who are part of the Citroen group, have been trying to establish their own identity. Citroen stopped making the DS range in 1975, but they brought it back a few years ago and now there is a big push for the DS to be seen as a stand-alone brand.

The front of the car is very attractive with the DS logo embedded in the honeycomb grille. The door handles pop out similar to those in the new electric Kia EV6 or Tesla cars. 

Inside there is a neat seven-inch screen on the dash for the  radio and air conditions controls.

I dove an automatic 1.2-litre pure tech petrol version, which was very easy to handle. It got a lot of curious glances in those supermarket car parks and I certainly has a frugal engine.

With Citroen and DS now under the umbrella of the Gowan group in Ireland, you can expect a bit more marketing. Recently DS confirmed that  Leinster and Ireland rugby player Dan Leavy had been signed up as a Brand Ambassador for DS.

Of course DS is big in France and President Macron has been loyal to the brand whose ambition is to embody both French know-how and innovation in the automotive industry. 

When he was elected President in May 2017 Macron’s choice of vehicle for the drive down the Champs-Elysees for his inauguration was a specially adapted open-top DS7 Crossback. 

DS models have transported French presidents since the sixties when Charles De Gaulle credited the state-of-the-art suspension on-board for saving his life.

The boot is just about average for a small car, but while there is a ‘well’ where you could place a spare wheel, what you get is a repair kit.

Price start at €33,590, which is much the same as the Peugeot e-2008 that I drove recently. Road tax €210. There wasn’t  rear view camera in the car I drove, but I’m assured that a reversing camera is standard.

The DS3 might be a bit small for a president, but it still has a lot of French style.

A few years back Ciaran Allen, Sales Manager in Mercedes said that buyers of new cars spend approximately 11 hours researching information on a car before buying. 

Then they spend only 30 minutes in garage forecourts. Buyers know what type of car they want before they go into a dealership; it’s just half an hour of haggling over the price.

Last month Aidan Doyle, Head of Marketing in Kia, said that over 200 Irish people had ordered one of their new electric Kia EV6 Crossover electric cars without seeing the car in the flesh. That’s some confidence and I can see why they were so impressed.

Kia has now revised their forecast of sales for the EV6 in 2022 up to 750 units, provided they can get enough of them into the country.

I had the EV6 for 24 hours last month and it’s really impressive. There are two versions available, the GT-line and the Earth model. 

Normally cars with the GT moniker are top of the range, but in this case the range for the Earth model is 528km, while the GT version will only get you 506km. Apparently the range has much to do with the alloys which are 20-inch in  the GT version and 19-inch in the Earth model. Both models are the long-range, 77.4 kWh/ battery pack paired with a 168 kW electric motor.

Externally the car looks really classy. Up to now most electric cars are unlike regular petrol or diesel cars, but the EV6 is like a regular saloon. The EV6 is the Korean manufacturer’s first BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) built on a new dedicated EV platform. 

The interior of most electric cars I have driven in recent years have been minimalistic, but again this is where the EV6 impresses. I liked the ‘mosaic’ effect on the dash which is similar to a regular petrol or diesel car. Overall the interior is very bright and spacious and there is plenty of room for three well-built adults in the back seat.

The boot has decent space, but no spare wheel. You also get a ‘Frunk’ in the front where the engine would normally be in a regular car, and there is neat space there for the charging leads. The reversing camera with the bird’s eye look is brilliant.

Following the Government’s decision in the recent Budget to drop the €2,500 grant for Hybrid cars, it’s full steam ahead now for fully electric cars. But we still need more charge fast-charging points at every cross road around the country.

In their recently-launched Climate Action Plan the Government said they expect to have one million electric cars on the road by 2030. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that people will not be forced into buying an electric car and that low-cost loans and scrappage schemes will be introduced to convince drivers to switch to electric.

Prices start at €50,000 for the Earth model, while the GT Line starts at  €54,345. Road tax is €120. 

I will have more time in the car at a future date. For now, if you are interested in going electric, have a test drive…I think will be impressed.

Mercedes were a bit slow to the electric market, but they are planning to launch several new electric models in the coming years. Last year the German manufacturer launched their massive electric people carrier the EQV and now they have the impressive EQA 250 SUV electric car on sale.

I drove it last week and was very impressed. In the recent past the problem with many electric cars is that they were not very attractive to look at. But the EQA looks like a regular Merc. The only external clue is the normally attractive grille is now much duller. 

The famous Mercedes three-point star has long gone from their cars, but there is a badge on the bonnet and their logo now brightens the rather dull looking area where the grille used to be.

As usual with electric cars, the first questions I am always asked refers to range and price. Well the range in the EQA is decent at approximately 380km and the price is €56,120. Road tax is €120.

Now that’s certainly not cheap, but what you are getting is a really classy-looking Mercedes. Basically it looks like a regular Mercedes with the gear lever where I always think the indicator lever is. But you get used to it after a few hours driving.

My test car came in a very attractive denim blue colour. Inside you would need sunglasses, as the cream leather seats are so bright. By now I am very familiar with the controls on the dash of a Mercedes, which are really user-friendly. I love the way, at the touch of your finger, all the radio stations come up on screen.

The boot is huge, but with all electric technology to be accommodated, there is no room for a spare wheel. Two silver roof rails add to the SUV look.

You probably saw Minister Eamon Ryan on television recently launching a range of new charge points at the Mayfield service station near Monasterevin. We need fast charging points at every cross roads in the country if we are to go fully electric by 2030.

There used to be a joke in the telephone section of the old department of Post and Telegraphs that each application for a phone took the P&T by surprise. Cruel, but it was often true.

Now if we are to be fully electric by the year 2030 we need some ‘joined-up’ thinking and planning and allow space for charge points in the various five and six-storey apartment blocks being built in every large town and city around the country.

Meanwhile take a test drive in this gorgeous Mercedes EQA, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. When I was a young lad it seemed that only managing directors of companies drove a Merc. Now Mercedes has a car for everybody.

One problem with all electric cars is that they are so quiet. How do you warn pedestrians of an approaching vehicle and can anybody produce an audible warning that is both effective but still gentle? 

There is a man named Laurent Worms, who is Renault’s Audio Strategy Manager and he is working on this project. But we will have to wait for Renault’s new Electric Megane to hear what sound he comes up with.

At the Irish launch of their 3008 three years ago Des Cannon, MD of Gowans, who distribute Peugeot cars in Ireland said: ‘‘We want Peugeot to become known as an SUV brand. Last year (2017) over 30 per cent of all cars registered in Ireland were SUV.’’

Since then there has been no let off in the number of new SUV’s coming on to the market, with every manufacturer introducing new models.

We have had petrol and diesel versions and now the big push is towards plug-in hybrids and electric.

Some time back Government Minister Richard Bruton said that under the ‘Climate Action Plan’ no new petrol or diesel cars will be registered here by the year 2030. The minister also said we would see a huge increase in the number of electric charge points around the country and that by 2025 the number of electric cars should have risen to between 12 and 14 per cent.

Now Covid-19 might have skewed those figures we will have to wait and see how the motor trade recovers. The year 2030 is a long way off and who knows what can happen in our world over the next nine years. But for now we can gradually ease our way into electric mode by driving Hybrid cars.

Last week I drove a slightly refreshed plug-in Hybrid version of the Peugeot 3008 and it was very impressive. I love SUV’s and felt very secure in this powerful cars. It used to be said that a Volvo was built like a tank, now I think the Peugeot is similar. 

Inside a huge console provides a clear demarcation line between driver and front seat passenger. Everything is literally at your fingertips thanks to the iCockpit screen and the seven switches on the dash which would remind you of a piano. 

Included in that ‘dividing console’ is a huge, deep box to store drinks, phones etc. You get a nice touch of grey on the seats which brightens up the interior décor.

That ‘divider’ unit gives you a very secure feeling and it’s also where the gear lever and various other controls are located. At the flick of  a switch you can choose which mode of driving you want, Hybrid, Sport or pure electric.

You can charge the car and get up to 50km in pure electric mode and you can also build up ‘bonus kilometres’ as the regenerative braking system will build up kilometres as you drive.

I drove a very attractive Celebes Blue colour, which won many admirers. Prices start at €32,775 for the 1.2-litre petrol version of the 3008. My automatic Hybrid2 version with 225 brake horse power will cost you €40,740. Road tax is only 140.

Externally it’s a very impressive solid-looking car. The front grille is very smart, two silver roof rails adds to the SUV look and the Los Angeles two-tone diamond cut alloys certainly added to the overall classy look. When you drive the car you will feel like the ‘King of the Road.’

The boot and if you leave down the rear seat the load space is massive, but no room for a spare wheel.

The 3008 has been named European and Continental Irish Car of the Year and has been a huge seller with over 700,000 sales since launch. Now the Hyrid is sure to add to those impressive sales figures.

Hope to see you all in 2030.

One of the first emails I got during Lockdown last year was from Kia confirming that they were extending their famous seven-year warranty. The ‘Kia Promise’ was designed to support Kia customers whose movements may have been limited because of the pandemic. The ‘Kia Promise’ extended the warranty of all eligible vehicles for a few months until the Lockdown was lifted.

Yes, Kia are naturally very proud of their famous seven-year/150,000Km warranty and now the Korean company has introduced a plug-in hybrid version of their Sorento, coming only a few months after their new diesel version. Up to now the Sportage has been Kia’s best seller, but the Korean manufacturer’s flagship motor has always been the Sorento. 

This is the fourth generation of the impressive looking Sorento, which first arrived in Irish garage forecourts in 2002. A lot has changed over the past 20 years and Kia is now rightly regarded as one of the most dependable brands around. My abiding memory of Kia cars in the early days was that the indicator lever which was located on the ‘wrong’ side of the steering wheel.

Those little quirks have long been rectified and Kia has been producing some excellent, petrol, diesel and electric cars. Their e-Soul was voted Continental Irish Car of the Year in November 2019, the last time we had an awards dinner. That win certainly pleased Marketing Manager Aidan Doyle and all the other staff at Kia’s Irish headquarters in Ballymount.

The structure and layout of the new platform means the Sorento is able to accommodate electrified powertrains for the first time. It’s a massive motor and the dimensions are impressive, coming in at 4.8 metres long, 1.9 metres wide and 1.7-metres high.

In recent years there has been much discussion about the benefits of electric and the value of plug-in hybrids. If you happen to suffer from ‘range anxiety’ then a plug-in car is the one for you. You have the best of both worlds; you can drive in pure electric mode for approximately 57 km, maybe 70km in the city. 

However, if your daily commute means a long journey there are no range worries with the plug-in as the 1.6-litre T-GDI (Turbo-Gasoline Direct Injection) kicks-in automatically and you have 67 litres of fuel to get you to your destination when you run low on electric power. So much depends on your own circumstances.

The new Sorento is the first Kia vehicle in Europe to feature their Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM) technology. This ‘second pair of eyes’ for drivers is designed to enhance safety for Sorento occupants, by eliminating a driver’s left and right-side blind spots. The ‘blind spot’ technology works once you indicate left or right and a new screen appears on the dash.

My test model came in an attractive coloured Mineral Blue. The rotary gear shift dial in my automatic version was very easy to use. It’s a massive seven-seater SUV and there is not much luggage space available when all seven seats are in use, but how often is that? You get a spare wheel, which is located underneath the car. My test car was fitted with 235/55 Continental Tyres.

Prices start at €50,000 including SEAI grant. Road tax is €140. No mistaking the car from the front and at the back the name Sorento is spelt out in large letters on the door, just under the number plate. Take a test drive, you will, like me be singing the old Roger Miller hit, ‘King of the Road,’ if you are old enough to remember the song!

The Nissan Qashqai has been one of the most popular crossover cars in Ireland since it was launched here 13 years ago. That’s not just PR speak, the company have figures to prove it, as 50,000 Irish motorists drive a Qashqai and Nissan has sold over three million units of the car in Europe since it was launched.

Recently Nissan launched the third generation of the car that became known as their ‘cash-cow.’ The new version is slightly bulkier looking, but the big attraction this time is that the new Qashqai for the first time will offer hybrid and electric versions. I suppose that was an obvious addition, as Nissan have been pushing their electric Leaf for a few years now.

Nissan say that the all-new Qashqai is a key part of the company’s strategy to achieve 50 per cent  electrified sales in Europe by 2024. Similar to the Leaf, the new Qashqai e-power benefits from the ‘one-pedal’ driving experience called e-Pedal. Drivers can start, accelerate and decelerate using only the accelerator pedal. I tried the e-Pedal in the Leaf and it take a little time to get used to it.

The third generation is definitely more muscular, sharp and modern. On the exterior, the Qashqai’s enhanced body stance is more purposeful, with prominent shoulder lines, an extended wheelbase and imposing 20-inch alloy wheels introduced to Qashqai for the first time.

The new version will not only be available with a 1.3 DiG-T petrol engine equipped with mild hybrid technology, but it also represents the European debut of e-power, Nissan’s innovative and award winning powertrain, that draws technologies from the Leaf.

 The 12V mild hybrid system available on new Qashqai is a more affordable hybrid technology that provides torque assist, extended idle stop, quick restart and coasting stop with improvements to both fuel economy and CO2 output. It’s mated to the refined 1.3 Dig-T petrol engine that was introduced to Qashqai in 2018. 

 The 1.3 petrol motor will be offered with two power outputs, 138hp and 156hp, with either a 6-speed manual transmission, or new Xtronic gearbox.  Max engine power arrives at 5500rpm, with maximum available torque of 270Nm at a convenient 1750rpm on 156hp Xtronic and high power MT variants.

 The Qashqai also offers an advanced infotainment system with a broad portfolio of connected devices including effortless integration of smartphones, in-car Wi-Fi for up to seven devices and Nissan Connect Services, a dedicated app with which to interact with and monitor the vehicle. 

Inside an innovative new 10.8-inch heads up-display display (HUD) provides the biggest-in-segment image size. Key navigation, driver assistance and road information are projected onto the windscreen within the driver’s line of vision. Home-to-Car features are compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices.

 Pricing will be announced this summer. Further information and details about Qashqai are available by contacting your local Nissan dealer or by visiting www.nissan.ie.

The first customers who order are being offered a special launch version called the Premiere Edition, which will offer an extended palette of two-tone colour options and advanced technology convenience features.   

Seamus Morgan, M.D. Nissan Ireland said: “The new Qashqai combines the best of Nissan’s pioneering crossover and EV expertise. It allows new and existing Qashqai drivers to experience hybrid and electric driving without range or charging concerns in an unmistakably stylish crossover that continues to deliver everything they would expect from a family car.’’