Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
EVERY WEEK, WE bring you all the latest news you need to know from the motoring world. The big car news this past week involves new models, special editions and some alarming figures.
New Peugeot 2008 coming to Ireland in July
The new Peugeot 2008 SUV is on its way and features new equipment, new colours and a new GT Line version.
Visual changes from the previous model include a new vertical front grille with a central badge surrounded by a chrome grille. The rear gets some new 3D LED lights offering a distinctive design when lit up.
From Allure trim upwards, the new 2008 gets chrome inserts in the grille, new front headlights with black inserts, wheel arch extensions and new scuff plates.
The Peugeot 2008 comes in a choice of nine colours, including two new options; ‘Ultimate Red’ and ‘Emerald Crystal’.
Inside, the new 2008 has Peugeot’s i-Cockpit cabin, combining a compact steering wheel and head-up instrument panel with an upgraded central touchscreen.
Boot capacity can go from 410 litres with the rear seats up to 1400 litres with the rear seats folded.
A new GT Line version has been added to the model line-up, which adds a red and black interior colour theme. Standard GT Line features include 17-inch diamante alloys, black surround grille and fog lights, red Peugeot lettering, red LED instrument panel, stainless steel scuff plates, aluminium pedals and red stitching on almost everything.
The new Peugeot 2008 SUV is powered by a range of Euro 6, 1.2-litre PureTech petrol and 1.6-litre BlueHDi engines. The PureTech three-cylinder petrol engines can be mated to a five or six-speed manual or five or six-speed automatic gearbox while the BlueHDi diesel options can be mated to a five-speed manual or a five or six-speed automatic transmission.
Expect to see it in showrooms this summer in time for 162-reg sales.
Škoda adds 1.0-litre engine to Octavia lineup
Škoda is adding a new smaller turbocharged petrol engine to the Octavia.
The 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine will be the smallest capacity engine to feature in the popular saloon but thanks to its turbocharger will still produce healthy performance figures. Although no official consumption figures have been released yet, it is expected to be similar to that of the existing 1.2-litre TSI petrol unit. Skoda claims that the three-cylinder unit will produce 116hp.
The notion of smaller capacity engines in larger cars such as the Skoda Octavia could prove off-putting for some, something that Cathal Kealey, PR Manager at Škoda Ireland commented on:
There is still a perception out there among motorists that engines need to be of a certain size in relation to the body size. Things have changed significantly in the last number of years. For example, the new 1.0 TSI engine produces the same power output as the range topping 2.0-litre petrol engine that was fitted to the original Octavia back in 1998. The Octavia, therefore, develops the same power from an engine half the size!
Pricing has yet to be confirmed for the new 1.0-litre TSI Octavia but it will be available from July of this year.
One in ten UK imports into Ireland are write-offs
A new report from Cartell.ie says one in ten of all UK cars imported into Ireland are write-offs.
The report shows that 29,089 cars were imported here from the UK over a six-month period in 2015 and 10.75% of them had been previously written off.
The reported also showed that older cars had a greater chance of being a previous write-off – cars between six and seven years old had an 18% change, cars between seven and eight years old had a 20% chance and cars between eight and nine years old had a 21% chance with Cartell.ie reporting that there is
more than a one-in-five chance of importing a written-off seven to 12-year-old vehicle.
Audi R8 selection 24h special edition
Last year, the Audi R8 LMS won the 24 Hours Nürburgring on its debut and marked the start of a great year of motor racing for Audi Sport. To celebrate the R8 LMS, a ‘selection 24h’ special edition R8 has been built in an homage to its tally of 323 race assignment wins since 2009.
The ‘selection 24h’ is based on the Audi R8 Coupé V10 plus and only 24 are being produced. It has a 5.2-litre V10 mid-engine, which develops 610hp and accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62.1mph) in a rapid 3.2 seconds. It has a top speed of 330km/h (205.1mph) making the Audi R8 Coupé V10 plus both the fastest and most powerful production Audi of all time.
The Audi R8 selection 24 will be on show for the first time at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours event in July. Orders for the special model can be placed from May 10, 2016. It costs €229,000 in Germany, so expect it to cost it more here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Until they start actually punishing people for animal cruelty nothing will change.
@Eyepopper: and people should NEVER respond to ads on those online selling sites. I boycott them and only visit adverts.ie as they refuse to allow animals to be sold by randomers through their site.
How about the government put a thing in place where there is no dog licence fee if you adopt a dog from an animal shelter? Might help take the pressure off the shelters a bit. I wouldnt ever buy a dog from a puppy farm..have 2 rescue dogs instead
@anthony marren: Absolutely and also, how about nobody buys a dog from a puppy farm and they’d all go away.,
But unfortunately we have many stupid people in our midst.
Anyone who buys a dog as a Christmas present is part of the problem.
Rescued a puppy back in September after loosing my last best friend. We weren’t emotionally ready for a new dog but we actually felt like we were depriving a dog of a good home. We are now waiting for February/March for the unwanted Christmas presents to begin getting dumped before we get the new puppy a play mate… we literally feel obliged!!
@anthony marren: Our rescue dogs from an animal shelter are the most adorable little sweethearts you could hope to meet – they have lots of young dogs if that is what people want – on the plus side they are often already toilet trained, have all their vaccinations, etc. and have been assessed by the shelter for temperament. So many beautiful dog people being put down every year – get a dog from a shelter people.
This is the same minister Coveney who insisted there was no equine welfare issues during the recession when literally hundreds of them were being abandoned and left to starve all over the country. He has displayed an incredible lack of sensitivity to animal welfare issues and is not a suitable person to be introducing regulations around puppy farming. It simply won’t work.
Also the minister that allowed live exports to middle eastern countries – he doesn’t give a sh!+ about animal welfare
@Ross Stewart: Also the same minister Coveney who insisted that the Irish badger cull was a great success which apart from costing millions and condemning thousands of badgers to prolonged inhumane deaths is totally ineffective. Scotland and most of mainland europe are officially TB free!! Scotland achieved this in 2009 without badger culling through better farming methods, movement testing and restrictions. I wouldn’t leave that fella minding my budgie because he’d probably roast him with some parsnips and eat him with cranberries and orange sauce.
I have a beautiful, annoying, brainless, warm and ever smiling mixed breed dog. She is truly a member of the family. She is a rescue dog and valuable to no one but us. Here is a real forced breeding and eugenics story. These farms should be illegal and people who buy these pure bred dogs should be ashamed to call themselves animal and dog lovers. Racially pure dogs. More shite.
@Hugh Mannatee: Racially pure?. You mean the breed, not a race. Pure breds are valuable in that they have papers and a history of the bitch etc. Mixed breed dogs much harder to define their history. Important to many people.
@Colin Foley:
“papers” are meaningless – it gives no guarantee of health, temperament or background or sociablility. Many “papers” are forgeries and most people wouldn’t even know the difference.
‘“We in the animal welfare community we take the view that dogs are not farm animals,” said Gillen.’
What’s that supposed to mean?
Why not ban all breeding? As long as there are animals being put down on a daily basis for the want of a home, there’s no place in this country for farms.
@Ruaidhrí O’Baoill: They totally should ban people breeding dogs for profit. If that won’t wash, then they should severely restrict and control licences for dog breeders. And people, please boycott those online selling sites that have sections selling puppies and email them to tell them – in my view this is where the puppy farm people sell their animals. adverts.ie does not sell animals.
how about not breeding any dogs for the next 20 years.. until every animal shelter have empty cages…
Coveny wants to pick up a cheap pug for the crimbo
I hope people learn from the animal welfare initiatives to educate people on the horrors of puppy farming and choose a shelter pet…. it breaks my heart to see animals being ill treated & abused in the name of money.
Please, if you love dogs, take the time to read up about this, follow the links and add your voice to the public consultation. Ireland’s reputation is being damaged so much by the puppy farm scandal and the situation needs addressing. However, any legislation is only as good as its enforcement so the other thing that needs to be done (other than ban puppy farms completely which would be the best solution) is for proper, unannounced inspections not the farcical ones have taken place up until now. The Myshall scandal is a case in point as is the ongoing saga in Cavan!
@patruth: We have one from Myshall and she is only now allowing us to handle her ..at times. She lives here happily with her new big sisters, a Rottweiler, a GS and a heeler but she has health problems and will never be right after her mistreatment. I’ve had dogs for over 70 years now and am always amazed at how loving and gentle that rescued dogs are no matter what the breed. Shame on our waffling ministers for not enforcing the existing laws on cruelty and neglect, we have enough laws if only they were enforced
Anyone who goes out and pays EUR400-EUR1000 for a Labradoodle or what have you is part of the problem in my opinion. They never buy the dogs from a puppy farm; they are always on display in some farmhouse surrounded by a loving family but of course they come from a puppy farm none the less.
Guidelines aren’t worth a shite. This is a debate about nothing.
As long as they are not parking up the wrong tree or crying let sleeping dogs lie!
have your say