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EVERY WEEK, WE bring you all the latest news you need to know from the motoring world. The big car news this past week includes the all-new Tiguan, the latest in child safety and a new Dublin car sharing scheme.
The Volkswagen Tiguan launches in Ireland
The all-new Volkswagen Tiguan has been launched in Ireland and will be ready for the 162 plate in July.
The Tiguan is the first Volkswagen Group SUV to be based on its MQB platform, meaning it’s now lighter, more efficient, more spacious, with a more dramatic drive system, as well as being longer, lower and wider than the model it replaces.
The Tiguan can be had with a 1.4-litre TSI engine with 125hp, a 2.0-litre TDI engine with 150hp or a 2.0-litre diesel unit with 150hp with a choice of two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, with 4Motion All-Wheel Drive available in diesel. It can be had with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.
The Tiguan will come in three specs; Trendline comes with 17-inch Montana alloy wheels, air-con, Bluetooth and USB interface; Comfortline comes with 17-inch Tulsa alloy wheels, a multifunction leather steering wheel, 6.5-inch composition media radio system with CD player and eight speakers and Highline comes wit18-inch Kingston alloy wheels, LED headlights, active info display, park assist including rear view camera, electrically folding, heated and adjustable wing mirrors, hill descent control and dynamic headlight range adjustment. There is a suite of safety features as standard including ESC, Lane Assist, ISOFIX points for two child seats and the front assist including city automatic emergency braking.
Pricing runs from €29,765 RRP for 1.4 litre to €41,015 at the top end of the range. More details on the price here.
Volvo Cars launches a range of new child seats
The new seats are designed to suit the needs of children of different ages and sizes:
Infant seat – rearward-facing (up to 13 kg or nine months).
Child seat – rearward-facing for children from nine months up to six years (at least three to four years old, as recommended by Volvo).
Booster seat – forward-facing for children that have outgrown the rearward-facing seat (from three to 10 years old).
Lotta Jakobsson, Adjunct Professor, PhD and Senior Technical Leader, Injury Prevention at Volvo Cars Safety Centre said:
Our focus is on ensuring that young children travel in the safest manner possible, depending upon their size and age. This means rearward-facing up to the age of at least three or four years, and after that with child seats or booster cushions until the child is up to 140 cm in height. The safety benefits are unquestionable, yet many parents unwittingly allow their children to sit forward-facing too early. One of the many reasons quoted for this is comfort – the child complains that there is not enough legroom, or is too warm due to the upholstery.
Volvo Cars’ new generation of child seats is made with a more breathable and comfortable upholstery comprised of 80% wool textile which makes the seats smoother to the touch, highly durable, and better-performing in both hot and cold climates. The seats also have a slimmer design, aimed to increase legroom and overall comfort.
Jakobsson added:
We believe that children will be more comfortable in our rearward-facing new seat and that this will encourage parents to keep their children rearward-facing for longer. This will have a direct impact on overall child safety.
The new seats will be available from the beginning of June.
YUKO Toyota Car Club launches in Dublin
YUKO is a new car sharing initiative that provides members with immediate access to a range environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles, without the cost or commitment associated with actual car ownership. YUKO is the Japanese word for ‘Let’s Go’.
Toyota has chosen Dublin as its launch city with bases in three locations; Smithfield/Kilmainham, IFSC/Ringsend and Ranelagh/Rathmines.
The YUKO Car Club consists of 15 cars made up of the Toyota Yaris, Auris and Prius, which are available for booking to club members.
Members can book in advance or on-the-spot, and must drop back their cars from the same pick-up location.
To sign-up to YUKO, you must register at yuko.toyota.ie. Then you simply enter your location which will identify the cars nearby. You then choose what time and day you would like to book a car for and click the book button. The car will be activated by a membership card which will be sent following sign up.
All cars include free fuel for 50km of driving and customers pay a €50 sign-up fee and a €6 monthly subscription, and vehicle pricing is: €8 an hour, or €60 for a day, with a 15-minute extension costing €2 for a Yaris; €10 an hour, or €70 a day for an Auris and a Prius costs €15 an hour or €85 a day. Overnight rates start from €14 for an Auris.
Ford 162 Registration ‘Real Deal’ Offers
Ahead of the arrival of the new 162 registration plate in July, Ford Ireland has announced a range of offers to entice car-buyers as part of its ‘Real Deal’ summer promotion with offers running until 30 June.
The ‘Real Deal’ offers include discounts new Ford models including Fiesta, B-MAX, EcoSport, Focus, C-MAX, Mondeo and Kuga. Discounts include €2,750 off Fiesta models, €4,750 off the Kuga Titanium+, up to €3,500 off B-MAX; €3,000 off EcoSport; €4,500 off Focus; €3,500 off C-MAX; and €2,250 off Mondeo.
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