A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Peugeot’s supermini 208 due next summer
Peugeot has confirmed its new supermini, the 208, will arrive next summer. Replacing the current 207, the new model promises to be smaller on the outside than the outgoing model yet delivering more room for rear passengers and a more generous boot.
The 207 has been criticised for its bulky size causing it to lose much of the attraction that drew people towards earlier iterations of the French supermini, such as the iconic 205 and popular 206. The interior has been significantly revamped as well, with a new touchscreen system at the centre of the controls. Up front, the engine range will feature five diesel powertrains, with four of them promising emissions of between 87g/km and 99g of CO2 and fuel economy of up to 3.4 L/100km (83.1 mpg). The 208 will also feature a new range of 3-cylinder petrol engines. Peugeot claim it will take the lead in its segment for lowest CO2 emissions.The car will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in early March and will arrive in Ireland in the summer of 2012.
VW coupé loses ‘ Passat’
VOLKWAGEN ISdropping the Passat moniker for its revised four-door coupé model, due to arrive in Ireland next spring. To be simply called the Volkswagen CC, the facelifted model has received new front and rear styling, and some minor interior changes.
The larger front grille will certainly divide opinion, looking a little gaudy for a car that has long been admired as one of the most subtly stylish mainstream models on the market to date. But we’ll hold our fire until we see the car in the metal.
Standard features will include new bi-xenon headlights, static cornering lights and a new LED tail-light design.
Also standard on the CC will be a fatigue detection system that monitors reaction times and sets off an alert if it judges the driver is getting tired.
Mercedes to reduce dealer network
MERCEDES IS REDUCINGits Irish dealer network with some suggestions that up to five current dealers are due to lose their franchises in the restructuring. Two franchised dealers could go in Dublin.
The premium German brand is handled in Ireland by Motor Distributors, a subsidiary of the O’Flaherty Group. The company declined to confirm how many dealers will be affected by the restructing at this point “as individual discussions with dealers are ongoing”.
Pointing to Mercedes’s recent announcement that it plans to launch at least 10 new cars over the next four years, Mercedes-Benz chief executive in Ireland, Stephen Byrne, said it was necessary to ensure that the dealer organisation in Ireland is fully geared to exploit the opportunities that this new model programme will present, and that its network is sufficiently resourced and capable of handling the volume of business that Mercedes will expect.
Mercedes currently has 18 dealers in its Irish sales network, following the closure of Belgard Motors in Tallaght, Alo Kavanagh Cars in Sandyford and Cunningham Higgins in Galway over the last three years. In Donegal, Tony Kelly Cars parted company with the brand.
However, in that time it has appointed Donohoe Motors in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford and is expected to appoint a new Galway dealer in the near future. The restructuring operation, which was formally announced to dealers last month, is unlikely to be completed before 2013.
New car sales for the brand this year stood at 1,933 by the end of last month, some way behind the 3,401 new cars sold by Audi and 3,345 by BMW.