Tag Archives: volkswagen

It’s unusual to see a motoring story dominating the headlines, and when it happens, it’s usually bad news. The Volkwsagen emissions debacle is without question one of the biggest stories of the year and already it has caused a lot of grief, with the company’s stock price having taken an enormous hit. That’s not the end of the story though – this one will run and run and may become even bigger as we understand more about it. But what did happen exactly? To get some background, members of the Irish Motoring Writers Association went to DIT in Bolton Street earlier this week to learn about the technologies behind emissions systems and get a feel for what had happened in America. It may come as a surprise to most, but the initial tests marking the start of this saga took place in 2014. An independent lab wanted to demonstrate the cleanliness of modern diesel engines so they carried out real …

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 …

FIGURES  just released by the SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) show that so far this year, new car sales in Clare are up by 35%. Nationally, sales are up 28%. The confidence evident in January has continued into February with a 21% increase in car sales. The light commercial vehicle market, which is a good sign of activity in the SME sector, saw an increase in sales of 41% in February with sales of Heavy Goods Vehicles, often a barometer of activity in the wider Economy, seeing a 68% increase. Alan Nolan, SIMI Director General commented “The Motor Industry is often the first to be affected when there’s a downturn and one of the first to come back when the economy improves. Dealers are undoubtedly seeing a lot more confidence among consumers, many of whom have been putting off making large purchases over the last few years. Feedback from dealers confirms that footfall and sales enquiries are holding …

Volkswagen will unveil their Sportsvan concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week. It’s the successor to the Golf Plus. At 4,338 mm long, the new Sportsvan is 134 mm longer than the Golf Plus, and 83 mm longer than the Golf.  Its 2,685 mm wheelbase is 48 mm longer than that of the Golf, helping to generate more interior space, while the Sportsvan is also 80 mm wider, at 1,870 mm, and 126 mm higher, at 1,578 mm (excluding roof rails).  Inside, the rear seats (60:40 split bench) can slide forwards and backwards by up to 180 mm, to increase either passenger or luggage space as required. Boot capacity is increased by 74 litres to 498 litres (Golf 380). Moving the rear seats increases the luggage space to 585 litres, while folding them down releases 1,512 litres. Powering the Sportsvan will be a range of petrol and diesel engines, all of which conform to Euro 6 emissions standards and …

Two high performance models have been added to the Golf range, the new Mk 7 having been launched late last year in Ireland. The new Golf was the best selling car on 131 plates and has already been awarded the titles of European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year. The new variants are the iconic GTI and the more practical, but no less fun, GTD. Visually, there’s almost nothing to choose between the two, save some minor differences in trim. It’s down to personal preference whether the high revving nature of the petrol or the torque and fuel economy of the diesel floats your boat more. The new GTI is powered by a new 2.0 litre TFSI which produces 220 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. This is enough to take the car from 0-100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds. Top speed is an impressive 246 km/h. Emissions are particularly low, at 139 g/km, especially given …