Road Test: Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI ACT Highline

Price as tested: €33,642

+ Solidity, comfort, technology, refinement, styling, desirable
– Not as economical as a diesel, not sporty to drive
= Golf cements its position as the best family hatch around

Road Test: Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP

Price as tested: €47,640

+ Handling, performance, styling, seats, noise, fun
– Hard ride, impractical
= Small car, massive fun

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– Noisy & outdated engine, tight rear seats and boot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

Road Test: Ford B-Max 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium

Price as tested: €23,170

+ Doors, comfort, engine, chassis, quality
– 1.0 not economical enough, needs more space in the back
= Better than the diesel version but still flawed

News: Renault ditches Scenic, launches XMOD

Renault has decided to stop making the Scenic. That might sound like a bit of a shock, but hang on, the devil is in the detail. The seven-seat Grand Scenic will continue on as one of Europe's best-selling medium-sized MPVs, but the five-seat Scenic is now going to be dropped, and replaced by a new model called the Scenic XMOD. 

News: Car sales off to sluggish start in January

It hasn't been a good start to the year for car sales in 2013, as figures released by the Society Of The Irish Motor Industry show. Volkswagen sit atop the sales pile, following on from its best-selling performance last year, while Ford occupies second place in the charts with Toyota in third. 

News: Irish car fleet ageing at a dangerous rate

Vehicle data expert Cartell.ie reports today that vehicles in counties Leitrim, Longford, Carlow, Mayo and Kerry are, on average, over 9 years old and vehicle owners are holding their cars longer in those counties. The findings are contained in new research, compiled for the first time, which gives an accurate county specific breakdown of the age of the fleet in Ireland.