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Peugeot’s new 5008 has taken top spot in the large 7-seat SUV segment for the first six months of 2018, writes Trish Whelan . Big brother to the multi-award-winning 3008 SUV, Irish Car of the Year 2018, the 5008 has taken a huge 14pc of the D-SUV market year to date.   Colin Sheridan, Sales and Marketing Director at Peugeot Ireland, said the new 5008 has been a huge sales success in Europe since launch and that performance has been replicated in Ireland since initial stock arrived in late 2017, right through the first six months of this year during which Peugeot gained many conquest customers to the brand. “Over 80pc of 5008 customers are new to us,” he added. With the 2008 and 3008 SUVs, the Lion Brand’s passenger car market share jumped by +53pc June year-to-date in a market that has seen a slight decline. “With strong orders for the all-important July 182-registration plate, we look forward to the second half of 2018 with confidence.” It features three rows of seats...

Volvo Cork Week is the biennial sailing regatta based around Crosshaven and Cork harbour. This year it runs from Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 July. Over the 40 years of its history, Cork Week has cemented its reputation as a world class sailing experience, flavoured with the key ingredients of friendly competition, varied sailing and superb entertainment. In partnership with Johnson & Perrott, Volvo Cork Week has seen a surge in entries for this years event as 110 boats and crews from all over Ireland, the UK and from as far away as Dubai, Australia, Hong Kong, USA have already signed up. With 28 clubs represented, it makes 2018 one of the most successful regattas to take place in Crosshaven. Gavin Deane, General Manager of The Royal Cork Yacht Club, recognises the importance of the local economy saying “it is worth up to 2 million euro to the locality”. Competitors can enjoy a packed line-up of events and nightly entertainment on-site. There are fun packed family events such as ...

Irish company, Applegreen, has launched its most advanced fuel ever, named fuelgood, writes Trish Whelan . Applegreen is one of Ireland’s leading fuel and convenience retail brands with over 184 service stations, employing approximately 2,500 people across Ireland. Not only is fuelgood their most advanced fuel ever but the company claims it is also good for your car, the environment and it will take motorists further, offering savings of up to 4c per litre, at no extra cost. The company says it cleans your engine so it can perform better and reduces harmful emissions meaning it’s better for the environment. Applegreen has improved its unleaded and diesel base fuel products with an additive to deliver an enhanced product for motorists. The rollout of the fuelgood fuel as standard begins across Applegreen forecourts nationwide and is due to be available in all its forecourts nationwide by the end of the year. Speaking at the launch of fuelgood , Joe Barrett, Applegreen Chief Op...

Opel Corsa There was a drop in new car sales for the month of June while sales of used imports were up, writes Trish Whelan .   The total new car registrations for June were down 10.4pc (1,255) compared to the same month last year (1,400). Registrations year-to-date (87,151) are 4.5pc down on the same period last year (91,215). There’s been a slight increase in New Light Commercial Vehicle registrations (LCVs) of 2.06pc (694) on June last year (680) and year-to-date are up 5.7pc (16,633). New Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HGVs) are up 110pc for the month of June (185) compared to the same month last year (88) and are down 1.1pc (1,571) year-to-date. Imported Used Cars sales were up 11.5pc for June 2018 (8,142) over June 2017 (7,304) while year-to-date are 12.8pc (51,879) ahead of 2017 (46,002). Alan Nolan Commenting on the figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), SIMI Director General, Alan Nolan, said “While June has seen a decline in ne...

Kia's new generation Ceed will go on sale in Ireland on 1 August, writes Brian Byrne . It will be available in four trims, with prices ranging from €22,695. Power options will be 1.0 and 1.4 petrol, and 1.6 diesel. Safety technologies which will be standard include forward collision assiste, lane-keeping assist, high beam assist and driver attention warning. All versions will also have Bluetooth with voice recognition and a reversing camera.

A new generation Opel Combo van will be launched in September following a debut at the Hannover Commercial Vehicle Show in September, writes Brian Byrne . Based on the Citroen Berlingo and the Peugeot Partner, following the purchase of Opel by PSA Group, the van will be the 5th generation of the nameplate, and will offer load volume of up to 4.4 cu m, and up to 1,000kg payload. There will be SWB and LWB variants along with a crew cab option. The new Combo will feature a range of connectivity and safety technologies, including a permanent rear view camera. Prices in Ireland will be announced closer to launch.

"C'mon, Aggro. Do your stuff …" Aggro didn't seem particularly interested in the brace of pork chops dangled in front of his snout. Though he had cared enough to slither out of his comfortable mud on the side of the Adelaide River to join us. "Remember, keep your hands inside," our skipper and guide, Steve, warned. At that point, with Aggro up very close and personal to the riverboat, we really didn't need the reminder. The crocodile might not be showing big interest in raw chops, but a couple of fingers or a hand might well have tempted him to an appetiser. "Come on, Aggro," Steve called again, this time almost bouncing the tasty pork on the croc's nostrils. After a further investigation, swishing his tail to stay with us against the current, he made a rather half-hearted jump at the bait, but failed to win as it was whipped beyond him. Then he simply gave up and disappeared under the boat. "OK, we'll go and see if one of ...

Dubliner Derek Tohill, the former double European Rallycross Touring car champion, qualified his Parts for Cars Ford Fiesta in eighth position in Saturday’s heats of the Swedish round at Holjes, heading into yesterday’s third round of this year’s series, writes Richard Burke . However, his hopes of advancing to the final were dashed when a stewards’ decision demoted him in the results of the fourth qualifying heat, denying him a place in the semi-finals and leaving him down in fourteenth position in the European Supercar points table. His teammate Peter McGarry made it to the quarter finals in the Touring car section on his European debut, driving an older Fiesta previously used by Tohill. Kilkenny’s Ian White, the reigning Hewison National and Munster Autotest champion, was the clear winner of the Cork MC Premier Autoparts Munster round at Fermoy, 24 seconds clear of Martin Walsh, with Liam Croston close behind in third place. Photo aabove of Derek Tohill in action in Sweden at ...