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

CITROEN C5 X

Citroen is back in the large family car segment with the new C5 X. It's a new flagship for the Citroen brand and blends the practicality of an estate car with the rugged style of a crossover. It goes on sale in Ireland priced from €42,370 and is available with the choice of petrol or plug-in hybrid engines. Already an award winner, the C5 X won Irish Large Crossover/SUV of the Year for 2023 at the Irish Car of the Year awards.

The C5 X is now Citroen’s largest car at 4.8 metres in length. That makes the C5 X resemble more of an estate car than an SUV. But Citroen has raised the C5 X a little more off the ground and added some cladding around the wheel arches and sills to give a more crossover-inspired look. The result is very good indeed. There are a lovely set of 19-inch diamond cut alloy wheels as standard, as well as LED headlights with high beam assist. The colour palette is quite muted with just six paint colours available and the option of a contrasting black roof. There are three trim levels including Feel Pack, Flair and Flair Pack, with the mid range Flair model offering a good compromise between price and equipment (from €44,330).

But it's the finish of the interior and the space inside that makes the C5 X so special and a good alternative to the many family SUVs on the market right now including top sellers like the Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson.

The C5 X impresses with a very plush and sophisticated cabin. Citroen has clearly upped the quality for their new flagship model and the C5 X is all the better for it. There's lots of soft dashboard and door panelling for a more luxurious feel, while Citroen's 'Advanced Comfort' seats with leather-effect upholstery come as standard.

There’s lots of modern technology onboard like a reversing camera, forward

collision warning and lane keep assist. Lumbar support for the driver also comes as standard making the C5 X ideal for long journeys. There’s a full digital instrument panel for the driver and a 10-inch touchscreen as standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The C5 X feels big and roomy inside. There’s lots of legroom in the rear and the back seat is wide enough to sit three from time to time. When it comes to boot space, the petrol models offer the most boot space at 545 litres, which is only about 50 litres less than a Skoda Superb Combi. Boot volume goes down to about 485 litres in the C5 X plug-in hybrid. Handy features include a low flat loading sill and switches in the boot to let down the rear seats, which split fold 60:40. Flair Pack models add a powered tailgate. The new Citroen C5 X goes on sale in Ireland with the choice of petrol engines or a plug-in hybrid, and all come with an 8speed automatic gearbox. The most affordable entry into the range is the does a great job of offering a smooth drive regardless of road quality. The Citroen C5 X 1.2 petrol tested offers adequate performance and reasonable fuel efficiency, averaging about 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres during my time with the car.

The new Citroen C5 X is already an award winner. It ticks many boxes while offering good value for a large family car in today's market. The stylish design, quality of the cabin and relaxed driving character make the new C5 X feel like a return to form for the Citroen brand.

Interior

1.2-litre turbo petrol engine with 130hp, but for more power there is the option of a 1.6-litre turbo petrol with 180hp. The most powerful of the range is the plug-in hybrid with 225hp and it can be driven electric for a range of up to about 55 kilometres.

On the road the Citroen C5 X really delivers as one of the most comfortable family cars you can buy. It offers a big car feel from behind the wheel with all versions coming with acoustic glazing in the windscreen, which makes it more serene in the cabin at high speeds on the motorway. Citroen's ‘Advanced Comfort’ suspension with progressive hydraulic cushions also comes as standard, which Model tested:

Citroen C5 X 1.2 Flair Price: €44,330 Engine: 1.2-litre turbo petrol Power: 130hp Torque: 230 Nm Top speed: 209 km/h Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 10.4 seconds Motor Tax: €210 per year n

AUTO REPAIR

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NCRS, Old Dublin Road, Enniscorthy (opposite Cooney Furlong / Gala) Tel: 086-8299431 – 053 9233033 – Email: ncrallying@yahoo.ie CARS, VANS, 4X4, TRUCKS, TRACTORS, MARINE, QUADS, LAWNMOWERS AND GENERATORS. WE REPAIR ALL UNITS. ALL APPLICATIONS CATERED FOR.

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Slaney adSlaney motoring Motorists’ biggest frustrations

Mobility solutions and payment specialist, Easytrip, Ireland’s leading electronic parking and tolling tag provider, is urging motorists to be considerate of other road users in 2023. Easytrip has unearthed what annoys motorists about other drivers, including their partner, in a recent survey of 6,000 respondents.

WHAT ANNOYS US MOST ABOUT OTHER MOTORISTS...

Many motorists can have strong opinions about other road users’ behaviour from time to time and what frustrates them the most while out driving. These frustrations were revealed in the recent Easytrip survey, with Ireland’s top five being:

Using mobile phone while driving (21%) Not using indicators (17%) Driving too close to other cars (12%) Not using a roundabout correctly (10%) Not adhering to the speed limit (6%) Other annoyances for drivers include motorists who sit in the yellow box, change lanes too frequently, break red lights or fail to obey requirements at a junction. ‘Pet peeves’ about partners driving... While other motorists driving behaviour can cause frustration, those that are close family members can annoy them even further and respondents to the survey didn’t hold back. The top five peeves were uncovered as: Not cleaning the car (20%) Thinking they are the better driver (19%) Drives too slowly (12%) Shouts at other drivers (6%) Does not follow directions (4%)

Also uncovered on the list were partners who play music too loud, use mobile phone while driving and those that don’t follow the rules of the road.

Concern for other road users...

Sharing the road means being considerate of all road users and not just motorists. When respondents were asked who concerns them the most on the road in terms of their behaviour cyclists topped the list, followed by e-scooters and other motorists.

Colin Delaney CEO of Easytrip said: “We conducted our research to unearth what frustrates drivers the most so that all motorists can consider their behaviour and how it could be improved for everyone’s benefit. Not only is it important from a safety perspective but from a wellbeing one too as it helps reduce stress levels for all road users.”

Easytrip services include breakdown assistance, puncture repair, parking and car washing. The Easytrip tag also facilitates ease of toll payments for drivers with users saving €1 on the M50 toll fees.

For more details visit www.easytrip.ie, download the Easytrip App or call 1890 67 67 68. n

Average car worth 8% more than last year!

Vehicle data expert CARTELL.IE and car sales platform CARSIRELAND.IE reported in December on the state of values in the Used Car Market in 2022.

The company has released data which shows that the average vehicle owned for the last 12 months is now valued at 8 per cent more than its market value for the equivalent period in 2021. Instead of depreciating, most owners’ vehicles have increased (appreciated) in price! Taking a sample size of 5,000 vehicles, Cartell looked at the retail price of each vehicle, assuming average mileage, in November 2020, and used this as a control to test the value of each of the same vehicles in 2021 and in 2022 by running all three years through the Cartell Price Guide (CPG) a vehicle valuation service available to users of its service.

The results show that, on average, the year-over-year increase stands at 7.78 per cent. Cartell used actual vehicles which, although they were one year older, or, two years older, actually appreciated over their equivalent 2020 value. n

Slaney motoring 2022 new car registrations marginally ahead, 81% uplift in electric vehicles

✔ 105,253 new cars registered in 2022 compared to 104,932 for the same period in 2021 (+0.3%) and 117,109 in 2019 (-10.1%). ✔ 15,678 new electric cars registered in 2022 comparison to 8,646 in the same period 2021 (+81.3%) and 3,444 in 2019 (+355.2%).

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has released their official new vehicle registrations statistics for 2022. Total new car registrations for 2022 finished at 105,253 – up 0.3% on 2021 and down 10.1% on 2019 (117,109).

New Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) registrations in 2022 saw a decrease of 17.7% (23,653) compared to 2021 (28,742) and -6.6% on 2019 (25,336). While New Heavy Commercial Vehicle registrations (HGV) saw a decrease of 8.1% (2,494) in comparison to 2021 (2,715) and -6.2% on 2019 (2,659).

Imported Used Cars saw 46,490 registrations in 2022, a decrease of 26.9% on 2021 (63,617) and a decrease of 59.2% on 2019 (113,926).

A total of 15,678 new electric cars were registered in 2022, an increase on the 8,646 registrations seen in 2021 and 3,444 in 2019.

The stats reflect a changing marketplace in 2022. Petrol accounted for 30.16%, Diesel 26.77%, Hybrid 19.29%, Electric 14.90%, and Plug-In Hybrid 6.76%. Petrol remains the most popular engine type for 2022, despite a decline in its market share last year (32.16%) while hybrid, electric and plug-in hybrid continued to gain market share in 2022 and now account for 41% of the market.

Automatic transmissions have taken over in popularity, now accounting for (56.99%) of market share, while manual transmissions have declined (42.95%).

The hatchback continues to remain Ireland’s top selling car body type of 2022. While grey is the top selling colour and has continued to keep that title now for the past seven years. Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General commented: “Total new car registrations for 2022 were marginally ahead of 2021 but remain 10% behind that of 2019 (preCovid levels). Despite the re-opening of the economy and strong economic

Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General. growth, 2022 was another challenging year for the Irish Motor Industry, with new car sales as well as commercial vehicles being impacted by supply constraints. On a more positive note, the electric car segment continues to grow strongly with 15,678 new electric cars registered in 2022, an increase of 81% on 2021. Looking forward to the new 231 registration period, retailers are reporting strong new car orders, which will also attract vital trade-ins for the used car market. Like the last two years, we again are expecting further growth in electric vehicles sales this year, however the extent of this growth will be determined not only by supply but also Government support in the EV project, both in terms of extending the current EV grant support and supporting investment in the national charging infrastructure. The combination of Government support and Industry investment is essential if we want to create an active used EV market in as short a timeframe as possible. We have a huge challenge in reaching emission reduction targets over the next decade and this can only be achieved with the right economic and taxation environment that support the sale of new low and zero emissions vehicles.” n