THE 172 REGISTRATION period kicks off next month, and if you’re in the market for a new car you won’t be short of updated models to choose from.
The joy of upgrading your wheels to a fresh-from-the-dealership model is that its the perfect opportunity to take advantage of some of the new high-tech, high-spec models that have recently launched.
We’ve rounded up five new cars coming to a dealer near you, all wearing fresh new 172 plates and with added technological features.
Audi’s luxury saloon reboot is positioned against the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and it’s certainly a worthy competitor. The new A8 is the first production car ever to be built with full Level 3 self-driving tech, meaning it can control its own acceleration, braking and steering on major roads. It also features gesture control, organic LED lighting and self-parking capabilities.
The model debuts in the metal on July 11th in Barcelona and will go on sale here later in the year. If you can’t make it to Spain for a sneak peek, watch the A8 on the big screen in the new Spiderman movie, hitting cinemas at the end of June.
The Jaguar XF saloon is a low-slung yet practical executive car featuring a range of pretty slick tech features. It’s the first Jaguar to feature gesture sunroof control, meaning you can open and close the sunroof with a simple swipe of your hand. The XF also includes All Surface Progress Control (ASPC), a reduced-speed cruise control helping the car to maintain your chosen speed – anywhere between 3.6km/h and 30km/h – in low-traction areas, and also aiding the car in pulling off smoothly on descending gradients.
Orders are being taken now for the Jaguar XF Sportbrake and the first cars should be with customers later this year.
The updated Nissan Qashqai features Active Return Control steering tech to improve driving precision, with a new dynamic damper in the steering wheel designed to decrease the vibrations reaching the driver’s hands.
The popular crossover will also feature Nissan’s ProPILOT autonomous drive tech, controlling the steering, acceleration and braking during traffic jams and when cruising at speed. Nissan’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses visuals and audio to alert the driver if they attempt to reverse in a dangerous situation or when another vehicle is oncoming.
The Nissan Qashqai will be available to order in Ireland next month.
You’ll get all the space and comfort of a station wagon with the sleek style of a Porsche in the new Panamera Sport Turismo. The model, available to order now for October 2017, features an active roof spoiler (no joke) to generate an additional downforce of up to 50kg on the rear axle.
While there’s no full-on self-driving tech, Porsche’s InnoDrive System acts like a sort of built-in co-pilot and likes to take over every now and again. Using precise navigation data, the system selects the optimal gear for your route, and initiates acceleration and braking. All the driver needs to do is steer, monitor traffic and use the indicators as needed.
In true Volkswagen style, the new Arteon is fitted with a whole heap of driver assistance features, including the revolutionary Emergency Assist 2.0, which leaps into action if the driver becomes incapacitated or falls asleep. If the driver does not react to a range of prompts, hazard warning lights are automatically switched on, the car performs gentle steering manoeuvres to alert drivers in nearby vehicles, and automatic braking and radars work to prevent the car from crashing or driving off-road.
The technology, designed to minimise the risk of serious accidents in preventable situations, also enables the car to steer itself to safety in a controlled manner, using the Side Assist system to check on traffic behind. The new Volkswagen Arteon is priced from €44,070 launches in Ireland next month.
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