Motoring

CAROLINE GETS MOTORING

Bunclody native Caroline Kidd brings us reviews of the latest new cars to arrive in Ireland. Caroline is the founder and editor of the online automotive magazine Changing Lanes and a jury member for Irish Car of the Year. Find out more about her editorial and commercial copywriting services at www.changinglanes.ie SUZUKI SWIFT

The Suzuki Swift is a perennial of the supermini class. It's been around for years, offering a simple and efficient way of getting around. With some considerable style. And it's not even trying to be a crossover or SUV, leaving that remit to the likes of the Suzuki Vitara, Ignis and S-Cross.

Now in its third generation, the Swift has been updated with revised front-end styling, more standard equipment, and even further emphasis on safety equipment levels across the range. All models are now also fitted with Suzuki’s enhanced 12V Hybrid system for improved efficiency. The Suzuki Swift goes on sale here from €17,775, making it now one of Ireland's most affordable small cars.

Not much has changed in terms of design. The Swift still looks great, with a squat and sporty look to it. While most of the rivals appear to be getting bigger, the Swift is not trying to masquerade as anything other than a small car.

The front grille and headlamps have been gently restyled for the latest version. There's also a new colour - Flame Orange Pearl Metallic - which can be combined with a Super Black roof on SZ-T and SZ5 models. All models now have LED headlamps and rear combination lamps as standard equipment.

Suzuki expects the new high specification SZ-L grade to become the volume selling model for the Swift range. That's good news: it's the entry into the range at €17,775. For that you get Radar Brake Support (automated emergency braking), Adaptive Cruise Control, LED headlights, air conditioning, DAB radio, rear privacy glass, 16-inch polished alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone link fitted as standard. Under the bonnet there's a 1.2-litre petrol engine, matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

There's also the SZ-T from €19,180, and the SZ5 from €21,320.

Inside, the Swift has a straightforward interior. It is starting to look a little old-fashioned in its design, but all the key equipment is here, including a touchscreen that connects easily to smartphones. There's lots of hard plastic but it's a solidly built car interior, still with robust Suzuki character.

The car feels roomier inside than what you might expect, in the front and the rear, with more headroom garnered by lowering the seat positions in the initial design. Rear legroom is also good for a compact car. The Swift's boot is on the small side at 265 litres but it's still practical in everyday use. Suzuki first introduced its 1.2-litre Dualjet technology (K12C) in 2014, initially in the Swift, and then in the Baleno and Ignis. This engine is now replaced by the new K12D Dualjet unit which offers greater fuel economy and even lower CO2 emissions. The maximum power output is 83 hp with a torque figure of 107 Nm at 2,800rpm. The self-charging hybrid system is powered by a new lithium-ion battery with capacity upgraded from 3Ah to 10Ah to improve energy recovery efficiency.

The Swift sits on the Suzuki platform known as “HEARTECT” that is light and highly rigid. In fact this car weighs just 911 kg in front wheel drive manual versions, contributing to lower fuel consumption. In combination with the latest 1.2-litre Dualjet Hybrid four-cylinder engine, the Swift is one of the most efficient small cars on the road. Over a week of driving my average fuel consumption was just 5.3 litres per 100 km with plenty of high speed motorway driving included. Performance is fine, with the Swift feeling nippier than what the 83 hp might sug-

gest. It's ideal in urban environments, and the five speed manual makes it fun to drive. The Swift rides the road well. Revs run high in motorway driving as only a five speed manual gearbox is available, but fuel efficiency remains a strong point regardless. A new CVT automatic gearbox is also available on SZ-T and SZ5 models. Interior The Suzuki Swift is one of Ireland's most affordable small cars. It offers a simple and straightforward package, with a genuinely efficient petrol engine that is still responsive and fun to drive. Swift offers value for money as well as high levels of standard equipment. In a world where cars are getting increasingly complex, the Swift stays refreshingly simple.

Model tested:

Suzuki Swift 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid SZL

Price: €17,775

Engine: 1.2-litre petrol

Power: 83 hp

Torque: 107 Nm 0-100km/h: 13.1 seconds

Top speed: 180 km/h

CO2 emissions (WLTP): 106 g/km

Motor tax: €180 per year n

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L-R Terry Lee-Williams, ARUP, Brian Cooke, Director General SIMI, Gillian Fanning, SIMI President, Jim Power, Economist.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THE HUGE CHALLENGE OF DECARBONISING IRELAND’S VEHICLE FLEET

Huge investment needed in public charging infrastructure which has fallen behind. 100,000 fast charging points needed in next 8 years – country currently has just 1,900.

A key environmental policy to have almost a million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road by 2030 will be a huge challenge unless the Government incentivises and supports dealing with the oldest polluting cars, while exponentially increasing the charging infrastructure nationwide, according to a new report released by Arup and economist Jim Power on reducing light fleet carbon emissions to achieve Government targets. The independent report which was commissioned for The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) stated that in order to deal with this older legacy fleet, help will be required for those with the least economic capacity to make the biggest change. This requires more investment, not just at the top end of the market, to remain fair and equitable if Ireland is to provide all commuters with viable transport options. According to the report, of equal importance is the urgent need to create a second-hand electric vehicle fleet. The age profile of the national fleet has led to the continued use of older polluting vehicles with 31.1% of vehicles being Euro 4 (pre-2011) or older (700,429 cars). Analysis within the report shows that removal of all these cars and replacing them with EVs would reduce carbon emissions by 875,000 tonnes which is the equivalent of planting over 1.1 billion trees which would almost cover the entirety of Co. Clare. Whilst the Government is leading the way by currently requiring all their fleets to be replaced with electric vehicles, this could be expedited by requiring a turnover every 2 or 3 years. Ireland, which is a right-hand drive market, has a slower and smaller supply chain than most other European markets, with around 120,000 new car sales per annum (pre-Covid-19) and an average car fleet age of 9 years (2021). With the majority of motorists being used-vehicle buyers there is currently three times as many used vehicles being sold as new vehicles, with an insignificant second-hand electric vehicle market. The creation of this secondary market can only happen via a vibrant overall new car market.

The ambition to sell nearly a million electric vehicles by 2030 is extremely challenging. Supply disruptions wrought by Covid19, Brexit and the global chip supply shortage, combined with potential rare mineral shortages keeping battery prices high, has further delayed the availability of electric vehicles. The report also highlights that The European Commission aims to have 30 million EVs on the road by 2030 and estimates that 3 million public chargers will be needed to support them – by the same measure, Ireland would need 100,000 public chargers, with all new being fast chargers to serve the proposed 1 million EVs here by the same date. Currently there are 1,900 chargers installed at 800 sites across the island of Ireland and with the current number of 47,000 EVs on Irish roads, the number of charging points falls far short of the 4,700 realistically needed to serve these. To achieve this investment in public charging infrastructure, a broader approach is required to include policies on charging at home, as well as diversifying the distribution of fast charge points across the country to ensure charging installations support a complete and robust network across the country. There is scope to integrate private market investment into charging infrastructure to speed up the roll-out process and to off-set the capital intensity required to build a widespread charger network.

Gillian Fanning, SIMI President, said, “The Irish Motor Industry is a key partner of the Irish Government in seeking to reduce carbon emissions from motor vehicles. All stakeholders as outlined in this report have a responsibility to collaborate in delivering charging infrastructure, incentives and education so that consumers who are at the heart of this plan and critical to its success have the confidence to make the change to zero emission vehicles in greater numbers.” Brian Cooke, Director General SIMI, said “With over 2.2 million cars in the national fleet, the journey towards decarbonisation includes all vehicle owners. The Government cannot rely on new Electric Vehicles alone to achieve emission targets. While the new car market will deliver large numbers of Electric Vehicles over the next decade, we must remember that the majority of motorists buy a used car, and for them, particularly those in older cars, their EV journey will be longer. As outlined in the Government’s own plan, we need to deal with the legacy fleet, a fleet that continues to age due to the low levels of new car sales. We need to support all motorists to trade up to newer, less-polluting cars. This has two clear benefits; it can deliver an immediate reduction in overall emissions; and it can shorten the journey time for all owners into an electric vehicle. In this context, electrifying specific fleet sectors can help in the creation of an affordable strong used EV market, removing the barriers to entry for many, and accelerate the electrification of the Irish car market.”

Economist Jim Power, who co-authored, said, “To sell 945,000 electric and low emitting vehicles by 2030, in line with Government policy is an extremely ambitious target. Ireland is a relatively small right-hand-drive economy and has a slower and smaller supply chain with around 120,000 new car sales per annum (pre-Covid-19) and an average car fleet age of 9 years (2021). The Industry faces numerous challenges – global supply chain issues, used car supply scarcity, Brexit disruptions, rising motoring costs. For Ireland to achieve close to the 2030 target both economic and financial fundamentals need to be present. Government support is essential in creating this business environment, through EV grant subsidies, incentives and supporting infrastructure investment which will encourage consumers to take action and expedite sales.”

SOME KEY FACTS OF INTEREST:  Average car fleet age of 9 years.  Government Adoption of 945,000 electric vehicles in Ireland by 2030, and ceasing the sale of new fossil-powered cars. This target comprises: 845,000 electric passenger cars, with a focus on EVs. 95,000 electric vans. 3,500 low emission HGVs. 1,500 electric buses.  All new cars registered as of 2035 will be zero-emission in the European union.  Ireland's above average transport emissions, CO2eq. per person of 2.5t (2018) when compared to the EU average of 1.9t (2018), further underlines the urgency to act.  In October 2021, the average age for all vehicles was 9 years; the average age of petrol cars 10.82 years; and the average age of diesel cars 8.3 years. n

Markie Doyle Memorial Vintage Road Run

Craanford, 30th January 2022, in aid of North Wexford Hospice Homecare.

Right: Vinnie Walton with his vintage Citroen Traction Avant 1955 car. Below: What a car! Colette Leacy with a Citroen classic. Below right: James Martin and his sister Emily enjoying the Vintage section at the Markie Doyle Memorial Vintage Road Run.

Kia EV6 Takes Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year Title 2022

At an awards ceremony at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, on 11th February 2022, the Kia EV6 was named as the Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year for 2022.

Motoring journalists from print, online and broadcasting hosted the Covid-19 guideline compliant event, which was attended by Ireland’s leading car brands, importers and distributors.

Kia took the top award with its latest EV6 model which also won the Continental Tyres Irish Large Car of the Year category award at the ceremony. It is the second time that an electric vehicle has taken the award as Kia also won the 2020 Irish Car of the Year title with the all-electric Kia e-Soul.

Joint-Chairman of the Irish Car of the Year Committee, Anthony Conlon said: "The Kia EV6 is a great car and as the second electric vehicle to win the title, it is proof, if any proof was needed, that the era of electric motoring is already well and truly here in Ireland. Just look at our field of runners for this year’s awards, more than half of the contenders are available as either partial or full electric vehicles”.

Joint-Chairman of the Irish Car of the Year Committee, Cathal Doyle said: “Congratulations to the Kia team on a very worthy win and what an achievement to score back-to-back titles with two great electric vehicles. The Kia EV6 came out as the clear winner and was hugely popular with my motoring journalist colleagues”.

Tom Dennigan from awards sponsor, Continental Tyres, said: “After missing out on a 2021 Irish Car of the Year awards programme, we are delighted to be back with these awards for 2022 as the whole programme provides a great guide to Irish motorists on what the best and latest cars coming onto the Irish market are. I am sure that the Kia EV6 will benefit hugely here from winning this much coveted award.”

The category winners:

1. Continental Tyres Irish Compact Car of the Year:

Dacia Sandero. 2. Continental Tyres Irish Medium Car of the Year:

Citroen C4. 3. Continental Tyres Irish Small Crossover / SUV of the Year:

Opel Mokka. 4. Continental Tyres Irish Medium Crossover / SUV of the Year:

Renault Arkana. 5. Continental Tyres Irish Large Car of the Year: Kia EV6. 6. Continental Tyres Irish Luxury Car of the Year:

Mercedes-Benz S-Class. 7. Continental Tyres Irish Performance Car of the Year:

BMW M3/M4.

The Continental Tyres Irish Van of the Year title for 2022 was awarded to the joint entry Citroen e-Dispatch / Opel Vivaro-e / Peugeot e-Expert.

For full details on all of the winners: www.caroftheyear.ie n

L-R: Anthony Conlon and Cathal Doyle, Joint Chairmen, Irish Car of the Year Committee; Ronan Flood, Kia Ireland; and Tom Dennigan, Continental Tyres Ireland.