Road Test: Opel Mokka 1.7 CDTI SE

Price as tested: €26,495

+ Styling, handling, quality
– Noisy & outdated engine, tight rear seats and boot
= Firmly underscores Opel's premium ambitions

News: Opel has 20,000 orders for Adam

Now, we all know that Opel was taking a massive risk by launching the new Adam. A rival to the likes of the Fiat 500, Mini and Citroen DS3, it tries to take Opel into a funky premium hatchback market that's a tough nut to crack. Tougher still when you're set to lose $1.5-billion in Europe in 2012 and you need a big hit to drag up both your image and your bottom line.

Road Test: Citroen DS3 Cabrio 1.6 THP 155 DSport

Price as tested:

+ Cute styling, eager chassis, neat roof, refinement, engine
– Very little really
= Small, fun, affordable. Lovely.

There is not enough fun in our lives anymore. We sit at home, commute to work or shop at the weekend surrounded by the worst kinds of depression. A constant barrage of promissory notes, of legal or political controversy. Joe Duffy, 6-1 and Vincent Browne have sucked the very laughter from our lungs, and when we peek out onto our driveways, there's usually little enough joy to be had there, either. A succession of grey, sliver, black and dark blue hatchbacks and saloons, all purchased with an overriding obsession for low Co2 emissions and frugality. Of fun, there is little or none.

It doesn't have to be like this. It was once the case that fun cars were either too expensive, too impractical or too unreliable to be bought by the majority of us but that has long since changed.

Take, as an exemplar, this new Citroen DS3 cabrio. Citroen's revival of the DS badge has been a huge success for the French firm, a rare glimmer of such at a time of retrenchment and falling sales for the big three French car makers. In 30 months, 300,000 DS models have been sold globally, 200,000 of them the perky little DS3 hatch.

In Ireland, the success is rather more muted, if it's there at all. Citroen's sales have been nibbled away by the German premium boys at the top end and by the Korean warranty-wonders at the cheap end. The DS brand and the DS3 have failed to capture Irish hearts much, hardly a surprise when you remember both were introduced in the middle of 2009, when no-one was buying cars much at all, and few enough of them would even consider a quasi-premium sports hatch from a French manufacturer.

Let's get the Frenchy-ness, if that's what bothers you, out of the way with first. The DS3 feels distinctly Germanic inside thanks to high levels of quality and big, comfy seats. There's more space inside than its main Anglo-German rival, the Mini and outside, it's little short of gorgeous. Those chunky looks, that shark-fin b-pillar and the new 3D-effect tail lights all live up to the promise of the DS brand being the motoring answer to France's great luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Hermés.

And it really is fun. OK, so we've been testing the 150bhp 1.6 petrol turbo engine (a unit actually co-developed with BMW) which will only be available to special order in Ireland, but the DS3 cabrio brims over with fun. It's light on its toes and agile, and if it gives in too easily to lurching understeer (especially in the wet) when pushed, then at lower efforts it's bubbling and fizzing with enthusiasm for the drive.

The convertible roof is a neat installation, and given that it's really a glorified sunroof (the pillars and side rails of the roof remain in place) then it's rather well suited to Irish conditions. A 16-sec retract or replace time and the fact that you can lower or raise the roof at speeds of up to 120kmh means that you can take advantage of the scattered bright spells.

The boot, at 245-litres, is more practically sized than that of the Mini cabrio or the Fiat 500C, and the boot lid opens with a delightfully quirky motion, cantilevering up almost flush with the body. A shame that the actual boot opening is so small, meaning larger items won't go through to the space beyond, but it is an inevitable compromise for an open-top car.

Top down, and there's plenty of wind and fresh air to enjoy, but even at motorway pace, buffeting is kept to a minimum. Top up and refinement and insulation are excellent, aside from a tendency for road noise to echo up through the rear wheel arches. The optional roof colours include a deep indigo blue and a version woven with the DS logo, that stands millimetrically proud of the cloth and can be traced with your fingers.

You can't even use the excuse of purchase price or running costs to count yourself out of the fun fest. The basic 1.2 VTi petrol model will cost from around €21,500 and the main-selling 90bhp 1.4 HDI diesel, with its Band A 94g/km Co2 output, will be around €24,500. So if you're in the market for one of those dingy diesel hatchbacks (and don't strictly need the cabin or boot space) you can afford one of these.

The launch of the DS3 was a new beginning for the DS name, resurrected from its legendary 1955 origins. The follow-on launches of the DS4 and DS5 haven't captured the same critical acclaim of the DS3, but perhaps can be best described as the end of the new beginning. The DS brand's future will snap more firmly into focus at this April's Shanghai motor show when a Mercedes CLA-sized three-box saloon, a compact SUV and a large executive model will all be shown off.

Will any of these new DS cars make more of an impact in the Irish market? It is, possibly, doubtful but that would be a crying shame. We can continue to buy the same grey, silver, blue and black hatches, we can continue to listen endlessly to Cooper, Hook, McWilliams, Kenny and Duffy. We can keep firm on our slide into national apathy.

Or we, some of us at least, could buy a cute French convertible, possibly painted in a bright, happy shade of yellow. We could open the roof on a rare sunny day and get some vitamin D. We could listen, on a rainy day, to the evocative sound of raindrops on the canvas roof. We could do all that safe in the knowledge that our motor tax and fuel bills will remain low and sensible. We could, in a vehicular sense, if nothing else, cheer up.

Facts & FiguresCitroen DS3 Cabrio 1.6 THP 155 DSport
Price as tested: €26,545Range price: €21,195 to €26,545Capacity: 1,598cc

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 240Nm

Top speed: 212kmh

0-100kmh: 7.4sec

Economy: 7.4l-100km (37.8mpg)

CO2 emissions: 137g/km
VRT Band: B2. €280 road tax

Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 87% adult, 71% child, 35% pedestrian, 83% safety assist

Road Test: Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2.2d SE

Price as tested: €47,000 (approx)

+ Utterly gorgeous, terrific handling and ride, spacious, practical, agile
– 2.2 needs to be revved hard to work best, brakes could do with more bite
= Easily the equal of 520d or A6, and more characterful than either


Jaguar, it may surprise you to learn, is no stranger to the big-booted format. It has dabbled in estates before.

There was the late, unlamented X-Type estate, which was the designer Ian Callum’s first work for Jaguar. Since then Callum’s Jag portfolio has expanded prodigiously, taking Jaguar out of its 1960s-style design straitjacket and into the realm of the modern, clean cut and ruthlessly contemporary.

It was the 2008 XF that broke the Jag mould and its updated 2011 version that returned Jaguar to the design winners’ circle. So grafting an estate body on to the XF had to be done with the utmost care, preserving the beauty of line while still creating a practical, usable loadspace beneath.

Job done. The XF Sportbrake is possibly even better looking than the standard four-door, and it is certainly less boxy-looking than the rival BMW 5 Series Touring or Audi A6 Avant. In fact the Jag’s only real rival in the handsome- estate department is the new Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake, a car that will cost the better part of €30,000 more.

Underneath the swoopy rear tailgate (which raises and lowers electrically on all but the base model) is a square-sided, flat-floored 550-litre boot that matches its German rivals (except for the gargantuan Mercedes E-Class estate’s) for space and is trimmed with sumptuous carpet and shiny aluminium load rails. The entire structure aft of the front doors is all new, with more headroom for rear-seat passengers (alas, not with a commensurate increase in legroom) and darkened privacy glass if you fancy it.

Up front little appears to have changed, but Jaguar has been carefully tweaking the XF’s cabin to keep it ahead of the game. Revised dials, comfier seats and some switchgear updates keep the XF’s cabin feeling fresh. Plump for swanky Portfolio trim and the suede headlining feels so good it’s almost naughty.

So far the Sportbrake is available in Europe only with diesel engines; the updated 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine is the key one for the Irish market. Crucially, its emissions have dropped from 149g/km to 135g/km, so the XF now drops a tax band, to band B2.

We tested the 197bhp version (a 162bhp version, with the same emissions figure, is also available), and, although it occasionally struggles with the XF’s weight, it is mostly well suited to the car, revving smoothly and quietly. It’s not as economical as Jaguar claims, though, with low-40s mpg being more realistic than the claimed 55mpg. It could also do with sharper brakes; the bite point is just slightly too far down the pedal for comfort. Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue on the 3-litre V6 diesel S that we also sampled.

Comfort, in another sense, is very much a priority. The 2008 XF was often criticised for its too-firm ride. Jaguar has since honed it, and the Sportbrake’s standard-fit self-levelling rear air suspension makes it a paragon of bump-absorbing refinement.

The BMW, Mercedes and Audi rivals all beat the Jaguar for cabin space, but the Sportbrake is such a delight to drive, and so handsome with it, that we cannot see it as anything short of the best in the class.

Facts & Figures


Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2.2d SE

Price as tested: €47,000 (approx)

Range price: €TBA

Capacity: 2,279cc

Power: 197bhp

Torque: 400Nm

Top speed: 200kmh

0-100kmh: 10.9sec

Economy: 5.1l-100km (55mpg)

CO2 emissions: 135g/km

VRT Band: B2. €280 road tax

Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

News: Peugeot's crucial crossover revealed

Peugeot's crucial new 2008 crossover has broken cover for the first time and it it couldn't be coming at a more significant time for the beleaguered French car maker.

Peugeot's woes over the past 12 months have been well-publicised, and even it's much-anticipated (and critically well received) 208 supermini simply hasn't sold in the numbers Peugeot needs it to. Which makes the 208-based 2008 more important than ever, as compact SUVs are one of the few growth markets in Peugeot's traditional European heartland right now, and is just the right segment to be entering if it wants to break into Asian and American markets in the future.

The 2008's 4.1-metre length pitches it straight against the likes of the Skoda Yeti, Nissan Juke and Opel Mokka, and although the range-topping engine will be the 150bhp 1.6-litre petrol turbo, expect most to be sold with either 1.4 or 1.6-litre HDI diesels.

No official figures yet, but it's safe to assume that there will be at least one sub-120g/km model, and possibly, given the 208's frugal nature, even a sub-100g/km version. Production starts at Mulhouse in France later this year, and the 2008 will also be built in burgeoning markets like Brazil and China.

These photos were not due to be released until the 2008's official debut at the Geneva motor show in March, but French website L'Argus got hold of them and once something's on t'internet, it's leaks ahoy...

Road Test: Fiat Punto 1.3 MultiJet

Price as tested: €15,495

+ Styling, improved quality, excellent engine, value, comfort, space
– Still too much cheap cabin plastic, not much else
= Unfairly ignored compact hatch, deserves more attention

I bet you've forgotten about the Fiat Punto. It wouldn't be hard to be fair. Since its 2000 heyday when it was one of the best selling cars in Ireland's all-time bumper year for car sales, the Punto has steadily slid down the car sales cliff, in spite of a gorgeous 2005 re-issue with Maserati-like styling by Giugiaro. In a class populated by the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Peugeot 208, Kia Rio and so many talented others, it's just too easy for the Punto's light to stay well and truly beneath a handy bushel.

And I'll also bet you have some pretty lazy pre-conceptions about Fiat cars in general. If you're of a certain age, rust and electrical maladies will still be top of your list when it comes to Fiat, in spite of two decades where Italian build quality has done nothing but improve.

Of course, Fiat itself has seemed to occasionally ignore the Punto. While the glamorous 500 and the practical Panda have since come along to take centre stage, the current Punto is merely a facelifted version of the car that was launched in 2005.

So, I wasn't expecting all that much when I grabbed the keys to the test car. Yet another facelift of the Punto has come along, reversing some of the rather poor styling decisions made when it became the Punto Evo in 2009, but I too had fallen prey to assuming I knew the Punto's place in the universe.

I'm therefore pleased to report that I was wrong. The updates to the latest generation have gone a long way to strengthening the Punto's hand and it's actually a much sharper competitor to the likes of the Fiesta and Polo than you would have thought. Certainly, it looks arguably better than either, and the cabin now benefits from much higher quality surfaces than before, albeit you don't have to look too hard to find hard, scratchy plastics.

There's good space in there too, and the seats are comfy while out back, the boot is big and well shaped.

The actual production version of the updated 1.3-litre MultiJet Diesel engine will have 85bhp in the Puntos you'll find in dealerships, but our test car actually had the old 75bhp version fitted. No matter, even with the rise of the clever little two-cylinder TwinAir petrol, the diesel is the Punto to have, even if it is a pricey option. Quite apart from exceptionally good economy and emissions figures (90g/km of Co2 and potentially as good as 80mpg if you're in-cred-ibly delicate with the throttle) there is the matter that its 200Nm of torque means it is a relaxed and capable long-haul car, something you could never have said of the old 1.2-litre petrol. Mind you, an extra cog in the slightly slack-shifting five-speed gearbox would help in this regard.

Also a touch slack is the steering, which feels entirely artificial and fake, which is a shame as through the clouds of over-assistance you can feel a really quite talented chassis at work. It's not quite as sharp or rewarding as a Fiesta, but it's more fun by far than most others in the class to throw around, and in spite of ever-increasing girth the Punto still feels properly small and enjoyably agile. It also rides better than it did in 2005 when I first drove it. It still jiggles a little over small, sharp surfaces, but bigger bumps are smoothed over with a deft Italianate roll of the shoulders.

Add to that a reasonably affordable list price of €15,495 which includes pretty decent equipment as standard, and the Punto's package is starting to come together really rather well. And then there's the intangible loveliness that comes with merely driving an Italian car. A little touch of flair, a merest hint of style all makes the experience that bit more enjoyable. It's not something that will appeal to all, perhaps indeed only to a select few, but it's the difference between shopping on Grafton Street or in the Grand Piazza in Milan. You just, or at least I just, feel as if you're cutting a bit more of a rakish figure climbing out of your Punto at the kerb side.

No, the Punto's not perfect, and yes, thanks to that broad public perception you will pay a harsh price come resale time, but I left it back feeling quite surprisingly sad to see it go. Character is a rare thing in an increasingly homogenised car market, and the Punto has that in buckets. To find that it also has a remarkable amount of substance to back that up was simply a welcome surprise.


Fiat Punto 1.3 JTD 85bhp
Price as tested: €15,495
Price range: €13,495 to €15,495
Capacity: 1,248cc
Power: 85bhp
Torque: 200Nm
Top speed: 170kmh
0-100kmh: 12.7sec
Economy: 3.5l-100km (80mpg)
CO2 emissions: 90g/km
Road Tax Band: A2. €180
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 3-star pedestrian

Road Test: Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 125ps

Price as tested: POA

+ Slick styling, brilliant engine, classy cabin, handling
– 100ps and 125ps EcoBoost versions won't be cheap
= Updates put the Fiesta right back at the top of the small car tree

Cinecitta Studios lies just on the outskirts of Rome and has been home, over the years, to productions as famous os Ben-Hur, Cleopatra and The Gangs Of New York. When choosing to launch an updated version of the Ford Fiesta, so bursting with new technology that it could not be more bang up to date, it might seem odd to have it sit in front of a fake recreation of the Roman Senate. But hey, maybe Ford has just looking for a little reflected glory from the likes of Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Certainly, the updated Fiesta looks glamorous enough to bestride a film set. That new grille (very Aston Martin-ish), lights and bumpers have really freshened up the shape.

Inside, much effort has gone into improving cabin quality and the results are palpably good. Before, you would have had to place the Fiesta just behind the likes of the Volkswagen Polo in the interior quality stakes. Now it's neck-and-neck.

From the mobile phone and media player-linking SYNC system (that recently debuted on the new B-Class mini MPV) to a new function called MyKey (long since on sale in American Fords) which allows nervous parents to limit the speed, audio volume and other functions of the car when their teenage offspring have borrowed it, the Fiesta can now be specified to levels that would have seemed ludicrous when the 1977 original was launched. A self-braking city safety system, a function that automatically phones the emergency services in the event of an accident and niceties such as a reversing camera and an automated parking system are now all available, for a price.

Indeed, you'd have to ask if Ford is backing the wrong horse – investing in high-tech gizmos at a time when most buyers are looking more closely at the bottom line and rivals like Dacia are arriving with arrestingly low-balled prices. I asked; Ford said no. All its research points to customers wanting more and more technology in the car.

Ford's award-winning 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine has already found happy homes in the Focus and B-Max, but the Fiesta is surely the car best suited to the lightweight, frugal, free-revving little unit. For the first time, you'll be able to buy an EcoBoost unit that doesn't use a turbocharger, and the new 65bhp and 80bhp versions of the engine will eventually replace the ageing 1.25-litre Yahamha-developed unit at the base of the Fiesta range. Punchier 100bhp and 125bhp versions, with a turbo, will be rarer by far in Irish dealerships but sadly, that's all that Ford made available for us to drive on this event.

I say sadly, actually it was terrific. In 123bhp form (a version which still scores a 99g/km Co2 rating and can, claims Ford, average better than 65mpg) the turbo EcoBoost almost qualifies as a junior hot hatch. There's a touch of off-boost lethargy below 1,900rpm but after that the little engine revs smoothly and crisply to the 6,500rpm redline and theres's a thick seam of effortless 170Nm torque to revel in on the way there. Even with just a five-speed gearbox, it's an effortless drive and maybe it's just me, but there seems to be a hint of Porsche-like roar as you pass 4,000rpm.

As ever, the Fiesta's chassis is up for any challenges you throw at it, and the updated electric power steering is better than ever – firmly sprung and rewardingly talkative, it goes beautifully with the Fiesta's neutral balance and grip. Even on roads streaming with heavy rain and peppered with aggressive Roman traffic, the Fiesta never felt less than confidence inspiring, and frequently felt just damned good fun.

Alongside the EcoBoost units and the carry-over 1.25 petrol, Ford will also offer a new 1.5-litre TDCI diesel and two updated versions of the existing 1.6-litre diesel, the most efficient of which emits just 87g/km. Prices will start from €15,550 for the most basic 1.25 and you can expect the 99bhp EcoBoost turbo to clock in around the €17,500 mark.

Bringing the test car back to Cinecitta was a slightly bizarre experience what with having to thread the Fiesta between sets, semi-abandoned props and the occasional film-set statue that had be placed next to a car park. There was even a complete TGV-style train, marooned on tracks that go nowhere, presumably to give future Cary Grants and Tom Cruises a convincing set for railway-based action.

Thankfully, the Fiesta is no film-set fake. It’s a car of true style and substance, with a delightful chassis and, with the brilliant EcoBoost engine, real star quality.

Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 125ps
Price as tested: TBA
Price range: €15,550 to €TBA
Capacity: 999cc
Power: 123bhp
Torque: 170Nm
Top speed: 170kmh
0-100kmh: 9.4sec
Economy: 4.2l-100km (67mpg)
CO2 emissions: 99g/km
Road Tax Band: A2. €180
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 91% adult, 86% child, 65% pedestrian, 71% safety assist.
 

Road Test: Toyota Auris 1.4 D4D Luna

Price as tested: €23,995

+ Slick new styling, comfort, ride, refinement, quality, space, economy
– Steering still too detached, engine a bit underpowered
= We were hoping for GT86-like driver appeal, we actually got the quietest, comfiest car in the class


Toyota generally gets a lot of flack for being dull and middle of the road. Indeed, influential US website Jalopnik.com has made the words Toyota and Beige almost indivisible. But it’s an unfair rep, especially considering cars like the original Celica (and its subsequent versions), the Supra, the MR2, the brilliant new GT86, all those World Rally Championship victories and the amazing Le Mans racing cars. Beige Toyota ain’t, no matter what some snarky bloggers might say.

In fairness though, some of Toyota’s mainstream models have been a bit too quiet for their own good down through the years, and the last generation Auris was a case in point. Too subtle on the outside, with a cabin that even Toyota now admits wasn’t up to snuff means that while it always sold well, the Auris fell well behind the likes of the Ford Focus and VW Golf in critical terms.

But what’s this? A new Auris with a sharp-looking body (check out that beaky nose with the dramatic bottom grille and big cut-outs for the foglights)? Has Toyota finally injected some flair and drama into its mid-size hatch?

Well, you won’t find much drama in the engine room. The 90bhp D4D Diesel engine is about 20bhp down on most of its rivals, and you can tell that as soon as you put your foot down. Performance never quite descends into being sluggish, but neither does it have the effortless punch of, say, Ford's 1.6 TDCI. Toyota, of course, has a grunty, efficient 2.0-litre diesel already in the Avensis. What hope of it being fitted to an Auris? In the meantime, the 1.4 D4D is at least a sweet-natured unit, and very economical. Toyota claims 3.8-litres per 100km on the combined fuel cycle (around 74mpg) and that seems entirely believable, as we were gettting close to 4.0-litres per 100km when driving mostly around town. 99g/km Co2 emissions (as long as you go for the basic 15" wheels) should keep you in the lowest two of the proposed four-way-split Band A tax ratings.

It settles quickly from idle into a distant thrummy noise, and fitting in with the Auris' generally refined nature. Cabin noise levels are very low, whether you're thinking about engine, wind or road noise and the ride quality, especially around town, is truly exceptional. It all adds up to make the Auris one of the most refined, comfortable cars in its class.

It is not, however, much of a drivers' car. Off the back of the brilliant little GT86 coupe, we had hoped that some of that car's DNA might seep through into the Auris and allow it to have a tilt at the sort of pin-sharp driver appeal as displayed by the Focus and Golf. Alas, no. The Auris' steering is light, verging on over-light (think of an early seventies Jaguar XJ6 steering and you're getting there) and it leaves you feeling distanced and separated from the car. That's a shame, as beneath the mush, the chassis feels well-balanced and controlled. There is, possibly, an engaging driving tool in there somewhere, but its light is being kept defiantly sub-bushel.

Such considerations are compensated for by the fact that the cabin is spacious, bright and airy, the boot a decent size and shape (although the boot floor is made of the most unpleasantly cheap flooring material we've yet seen) and of course, the fact that the famed Toyota quality seems to be present and correct.

It is also rather handsome. Possibly less so at the back, where it descends into generic hatchback-ness, but up front, the beaky new nose with its scowling lights, LEDs and aggressive trapezoidal grille looks rather striking, certainly by Toyota standards. It seems to owe no debt to any other Toyota (save perhaps a passing resemblance to the Avensis) and if so, hopefully it is the vanguard of a new family of sharper-looking Toyotas.

Prices start at €18,995 for the 1.33 99bhp petrol in Terra trim (which notably does without such items as air conditioning or Bluetooth phone). Our bells-and-whistles 1.4 D4D Luna comes in at a very competitive €23,995 and includes climate control, Bluetooth, reversing camera, touch-screen stereo and much more.

So while the Auris might be lacking in the final sheen of GT96-like driver appeal we were hoping for, its comfort, spaciousness and its likely reliability score very highly with us. The new found style is welcome, the rest are welcome returns. No drama then, but equally, no crisis.

Toyota Auris 1.4 D4D 90 Luna
Price as tested: €23,995
Price range: €18,995 to €27,990
Capacity: 1,364cc
Power: 90bhp
Torque: 205Nm
Top speed: 170kmh
0-100kmh: 12.6sec
Economy: 3.8l-100km (74mpg)
CO2 emissions: 99g/km*
Road Tax Band: A. €160
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested


*When fitted with 15” steel wheels
 

Road Test: Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI

Price as tested: €28,550

+ Styling, engine, handling
– Driving position
= Puts Merc right at the top of the premium hatch tree

I can still remember clearly the last time I drove an old-shape A-Class. You remember? The tall, slightly geeky looking one that was big on space but small on styling and driver appeal. I can still recall heading north up the M1 motorway, just passing the exit for Skerries and thinking “I just don’t like this.”

And that was odd, because I should have. I liked, and still do like, most Mercedes cars. I appreciate cars that are clever, spacious and useful and the old A was all of those things. But I just couldn’t appreciate the shopping-trolley handling, the awkward driving position or, especially on that warm August day, the feeble, non-air-conditioned ventilation.

While the old A certainly had its followers and was one of the most genuinely innovative cars of the past two decades, it just never resonated with customers the way that rivals like the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 did.

I think that might all be about to change because on a chilly November afternoon, I have now driven the all-new A-Class and suddenly, Mercedes’ smallest car has snapped into sharp focus.

Gone is the tall, spacious MPV-like body of before, and gone with it the clever ‘sandwich’ floor arrangement (originally designed to leave space for the batteries for a proposed electric version) and in comes properly gorgeous, low-slung styling with a prominent bonnet and a cab-backward stance. The new A really is very handsome indeed and that alone should increase its potential sales by a significant figure.

Inside, you no longer get the massive space of the old one, but then you do now get a cabin that looks like it has come from a proper Mercedes. The big, iPad-style control screen in the centre of the dash looks like it should be a touch-screen (sadly it isn’t) and the retro-sixties-style circular air vents are a nice touch.

Slip behind the chunky, sporty, three-spoke steering wheel and you will instantly find the A-Class’ one major flaw. Its driving position. If you’re tall, then you’ll have to sit low to the floor and with your knees splayed out. That’s not a major issue, but at this point the angle of the throttle pedal becomes distinctly awkward and the pedal’s light action means you can’t rest your foot on it when holding a constant speed – you have to hover your foot over it all the time. That’s going to cause major leg ache on a long journey and will expose the fact that the A doesn’t have standard-fit cruise control.

Ah well, perfection is unattainable in nature and all that, so let’s press on and see what the new A-Class does well. And the answer to that question is; pretty much everything else. The 109bhp 180 CDI diesel engine is actually a 1.5-litre unit and while you wouldn’t think it would be especially muscular, it actually provides really decent amounts of poke. The 260Nm of torque is the key figure here, as is the A’s 1,395kg kerb weight. Stir the six-speed manual gearbox with a touch of vigour and you’ll never be less than impressed with its straightline performance, all of which is delivered while it averages a claimed 3.8-litres per 100km (74mpg) and emits as little as 98g/km of Co2, depending on which size of alloy wheels you specify.

To drive, at first, the A feels a little loose-limbed and remote. Trickling through traffic, there’s little or nothing to tell you that this is anything other than another comfort-oriented Mercedes. But get it on to a twisty, properly challenging road and the A-Class really comes alive. The steering weights up (without becoming intrusively heavy) and the chassis really starts to sing, allowing you to fully exploit the diesel grunt. It’s not merely precise, predictable and poised; it’s actually fun. In fact, it’s so good to drive that it just manages to nick the driver appeal trophy from the rear-drive BMW 1 Series.

To all of those talents you can add a cabin that’s decently spacious in the rear and a boot that’s large and square enough to make the A-Class feel truly practical.

At €28k for this most basic of diesel models, you can’t say that it’s exactly affordable but at long last, the A-Class does the job it was originally designed to do; to offer a truly desirable, properly Mercedes driving experience in a compact package at a compact price.


Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI
Price as tested: €28,995
Price range: €26,435 to €41,230
Capacity: 1,461
Power: 109bhp
Torque: 260Nm
Top speed: 190kmh
0-100kmh: 11.3sec
Economy: 3.8l-100km (74mpg)
CO2 emissions: 98g/km
Road Tax Band: A. €160
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: Citroen DS5 Hybrid4

Price as tested: €43,645

+ Style, technology, comfort, improved ride over standard car
– Still too firm, cramped in the back, not economical enough
= The best of the DS5 range by far

If ever you find yourself down the pub, debating whether or not cars can be considered as a form of art (I know, I know, not again...) then wait for everyone to exhaust their arguments and throw in the hand grenade that is the Citroen DS5 Hybrid4. It combination of looks (stunning enough that you’d seriously consider buying one just to be able to look at it every day) and technology (cutting edge diesel hybrid drivetrain) mean that it walks so deftly the line between art and science that everyone will have to re-set their arguments back to zero.

Which is not to say that it’s perfect. The DS5, as a whole, suffers from two significant issues. One; its ride quality is just too harsh and jittery for it to ever truly live up to its luxury billing (especially in an era when the formerly-rough-riding BMW 3 Series now glides over obstacles like a limo) and two; it’s a Citroen. Now, I count myself as a true fan of the great French marque, a Citroenista if you will, but the harsh fact of the market is that against the German ‘Big Three’ Citroen is a brand with a lot to prove in the premium segment.

This DS5 Hybrid4 is bringing some seriously cutting edge technology to the party though, and that might just be enough to allow it to jam a foot in the door. Up front lies Citroen’s familiar 163bhp 2.0-litre HDI diesel engine, which is, and always has been, a very fine unit. Behind, under the boot floor, lies a 37bhp electric motor, driving the rear wheels and fed by a stack of rechargeable batteries. We’ve become used to hybrids ever since Toyota introduced the Prius, but the DS5 (along with its cousin, the Peugeot 3008 Hy4) is the first to tie the potential fuel savings of battery power to an already frugal, low-emission diesel engine.

The result is mostly rather pleasing. There’s a rotary control switch that watches over the hybrid system mounted between the front seats. Leave it set in Auto, and the computer will effortlessly shuffle around power from the diesel, the batteries or both as needed. Keep an eye on the fighter-jet-style heads-up-display, which projects ghostly speed and sat-nav information onto the windscreen, and you’ll notice the frequency with which the speed figure turns a light blue, meaning that you’re running on pure electric power.

Flick the controller around to Sport, and suddenly you remember that 200bhp is still quite a lot of grunt, even in a car weighing a not inconsiderable 1,800kg. Now the DS5 feels very fleet of foot indeed, and what other car can you think of that can combine 99g/km Co2 emissions (depending on which wheels you specify) with an 8.3-sec 0-100kmh time?

All of that is being done while you recline in a sumptuously comfortable seat, with optional leather trim that mimics the shape of a high-end watch strap, surrounded by a battery of instruments and buttons that make you feel like you’re the pilot of a rather avant-garde jet fighter. An F-15 by Hermés, if you like.

Sadly, there are still a few flies in this otherwise lovely ointment. The ride quality, although better than in other versions of the DS5 we’ve driven, is still too harsh-edged and you really need to keep to perfectly smooth roads for the DS5 to feel at its best. Fuel economy isn’t as god as advertised either; Citroen claims that you can hit just 3.8-litres per 100km on the combined cycle (a massive 74mpg) but we could only manage a test average of around 6.5-litres per 100km (43mpg). It’s so often the case that hybrid cars are never as economical in real world driving as they claim to be, but it’s disappointing that Citroen’s combining hybrid with diesel couldn’t liberate any extra efficiency.

That love-hate relationship continues in other areas. I love the little individual sunroofs above the driver and passenger – they make you feel as if each seat should come with a massive yellow handle marked 'eject.' I love the switches mounted on the roof and I adore that swept-back chrome blade that runs from the back of the headlights to the base of the windscreen. But I hate the robotised six-speed gearbox (too... slow... at... changing... up) and the fact that the hybrid batteries really chew into your boot space.

Still, while the DS5 has to climb the steep hills of being to thirsty, too rough-riding and too French in a corner of the market that only seems to want German, the fact that it does so is testament to two things. On the one hand, its quality and technology are right up there with the Germans. On the other, it is a truly beautiful car, and in a world that seems to be a touch uglier every day, that’s a beauty that would be most welcome on the streets of Ireland.

Of course, if you wanted to buy a striking looking Citroen that can mange 40-odd-mpg and is actually a huge amount more fun to drive, you could save yourself around €10,000 and go for the DS3 Racing, the latest version of which we got to try in the same week we were driving the DS5.

Now, while our affection for the DS5 is tempered by our criticisms of its ride and economy, out love for the DS3 knows few, if any, bounds. The first premium hatch to convincingly take the fight to the doorstep of the mighty Mini, in standard form, the DS3 combines gorgeous looks, decent practicality and a peachy chassis of rare balance and deftness.

The Racing version is something else again. Based on the standard 155bhp 1.6 THP model, it and its 1.6-litre turbocharged engine are taken away and tweaked by the same people that design and build the DS3 rally cars for the unstoppable Sebastian Loeb, a man who has almost literally won more rallies than we have had hot dinners.

So the Racing looks more butch, thanks to a 15mm suspension drop, a 30mm track widening and a gorgeously subtle carbon fibre exterior trim spruce-up. Inside, there are hip (and everything else) hugging sports seats, more carbon fibre (the real thing too, not just appliqué) and a squared-off steering wheel. It’s a delightful environment in which to sit, and thanks to this being a Citroen, comfort hasn’t bee thrown out with the sporty bath water. In fact, even on those chunky 18” rims, the DS3 actually rides better than the DS5 Hybrid...

It’s got the same 200bhp as the Hybrid too, but with only 1,165kg to haul around, it goes a good bit harder. 0-100km comes up in just 6.5secs, which is decidedly brisk. Interestingly though, this DS3 Racing feels a touch different to the last version we drove. It feels a bit less manic, less unruly. That is until you push the throttle all the way to the stop, and then it feels plenty manic enough, thanks, but there’s definitely a sense that Citroen has tried to build-in a little more day-to-day useability into what was originally supposed to be a short-run special edition. It’s a well-judged move, leaving enough mental-ness at the top end, while making the Racing feel more sensible around town. And yes, it really will do 43mpg on a long run.

Citroen DS5 Hybrid4 200 Airdream DStyle
Price as tested: €43,645
Price range: €33,195 to €46,695
Capacity: 1,997cc + hybrid battery drivetrain
Power: 200bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Top speed: 210kmh
0-100kmh: 8.3sec
Economy: 3.8l-100km (73mpg)
CO2 emissions: 99g/km (on 17” wheels)
Road Tax Band: A. €160
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 89% adult, 83% child, 40% pedestrian, 97% safety assist