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 …
Read More »Something completely different
There was a time, not so long ago, when Hyundai ruled the roost in the coupé market. Their not so imaginatively named Coupé was conventionally styled but very pretty and sold by the bucket load, particularly in Ireland. Now, Hyundai are back in the coupé game with a very different model, the Veloster. At first glance, this looks like a very attractive, but conventional three-door hatch, but if you look a little more closely, you’ll discover the Veloster’s party trick. On one side, there’s just a single driver’s door, while on the other, you also have a rear door, offering easy access to the rear seats. In some ways, it’s the best of both worlds, with the style of a coupé and the practicality of a five-door. It’s not a unique solution, Mini having pulled the same trick with the Clubman, but kudos to Hyundai for engineering the car properly for right hand drive, with the extra doors on the …
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