Tag Archives: Peugeot

A MAN who caused €2,361 damage to a vehicle he took on a “test drive” while drunk has to pay €25 a week in compensation going forward or he will face a prison sentence. Martin Daly of 6 The Mews, Kilrush Road, Ennis, took a 11 CE Peugeot 207 from the forecourt of O’Sullivan and Hansbury Motors in Ennis on February 10 last after seeing the keys in the ignition. Mr Daly took the vehicle to Kilmaley and Inch and had at least one crash during his spin, causing the damage. When gardaí apprehended the defendant at Dromeen East, just outside Ennis, he had a bottle of vodka in the passenger seat, which he drank in front of them. There was damage to one of the car’s alloys, there was a hole in a tyre, part of the bumper was missing, while the right wishbone and right shock were both bent. The defendant was arrested on suspicion of drink driving …

It’s often the case that Geneva shows the concept cars, while the two larger shows, Paris and Frankfurt, have more of an emphasis on production cars that we will actually see in showrooms. So it proved to be at Paris this year anyway, with a huge amount of new product on display, even if some of it won’t reach here until next year. Seeing as we were in Paris, I thought it appropriate to start with Peugeot and besides, they were the first stand I hit in Hall 1. An updated Exalt concept was the highlight, which incorporates trim made from recycled newspapers. This high-tech design was complemented by a beautifully styled sofa, made of Onyx and carbon fibre. Believe it or not, you can buy this now. More prosaically perhaps, we also saw the new 108, which will be here for January. It’s one of the trio that also comprise the Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo. Another car I …

There was a huge amount of new metal at this year’s Geneva Show but no real standout star. Everyone I talked to seemed very bullish about prospects for the new car market this year and there was a palpable sense of optimism in the air, which was a very pleasant change. One of the more significant launches wasn’t even of a car. Apple choose Geneva to launch their new CarPlay system. It’s essentially a very advanced link between your phone and your car and it allows the phone to take over the car’s display and be controlled by the car’s buttons or by voice. As it evolves, it will become the most natural way to interact with your phone while driving. CarPlay is an operating system that can be applied to any iPhone that can run iOS 7 or later and is equipped with a lightning interface – essentially iPhone 5 or later. Right now, the system has been launched …

Another car aimed squarely at our January market is Peugeot’s brand new second generation 308. The last few models from Peugeot have subtly moved the marque upmarket, with better interiors and higher quality materials employed to enhance showroom appeal. The new 308 is up to 140 kilos lighter than the model it replaces, a saving of over 10% and the claim is that it’s now the lightest car in the class. Peugeot are embracing the trend of downsized petrol engines, with a 1.2 litre triple producing 82 bhp in base trim, although power outputs up to 130 bhp are also available. We don’t yet know whether these variants will make it to these shores however. Inside, there’s a minimalist look to the dashboard, with major controls accommodated on a large 10″ touchscreen. This and the eye-level instrument panel are referred to collectively by Peugeot as ‘i-cockpit’ and we can expect similar designs on future models from the French manufacturer.