Irish Car+Travel Magazine

First Drive: new Honda Civic

2012-01-30T10:47:00.001Z

The new Honda Civic pictured with the first and previous generations behind it.

With what is claimed as the highest level of standard specification in its class, Honda in Ireland are directly targeting the mainstream players in the compact family car arena with their new generation Civic, writes Brian Byrne.

And on a first run in the car on Irish roads, it looks like they have a fairly potent weapon in their arsenal to do just this.

It's the ninth generation of the Civic, a car that accounts for half of all Honda sales in Ireland at the moment. In style terms it has evolved from the very high-tech look of the outgoing car to something a little smoother, but still highly distinctive.

Interior upshifts in quality—an element where Honda was always at the high levels anyhow—will also help the distributor to extend market share, it hopes to around 750 units this year despite the delayed arrival of the car.

In powertrains there has been a shift too, in efficiency and improved refinement. The engines are 1.4 and 1.8 petrol, both Band B, and a Band A 150hp 2.2 diesel which is being competitively priced against the 1.6 diesels of its competitors from VW, Ford and others. That will be maintained until a new 1.6 diesel with 120hp is made available this time next year.

We're the first country in Europe to get the new Civic. After a rough year for Honda production because of the devastating effects of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the subsequent floods in Thailand, a source of key components for the company's cars.

There's a solid base of loyalty to the brand and the model on which the Irish Honda network can build. In almost 40 years of selling Civics, more than 42,000 copies of the model in its various generations have been sold.

Although the Irish market has been swung strongly to diesel under the current road tax systems, with four in five cars using diesel powertrains, Honda in Ireland reckon they'll sell the respective powertrains on a fifty-fifty split. Not least because the petrol offerings are so efficient anyhow.

A few relatively short drives in and around the drumlin county of Cavan this weekend showed me a car that is arguably the best built in its segment, certainly it feels that way. The improved interiors also challenge seriously the so-called 'prestige' brands. Honda has always considered premium to equate with quality and engineering rather than bling and swank.

In both versions experienced, the new Civic handled very well indeed—Cavan is a good test area for such things. The diesel is certainly the punchier of the two, but I was quite happy with the performance of the 1.4 too.

It was just a taster, and I'll be lining up opportunities soon to give the car a more extensive trial. I don't expect to be anything except further impressed.

Prices from €21,395 in petrol and €25,445 in diesel.

Civic on sale

2012-01-28T13:09:00.004Z

The ninth generation of Honda's Civic has gone on sale in Ireland at a starting price of €21,395.

The car is available with 1.4 and 1.8 petrol engines and a 150hp 2.2 diesel. In manual form the petrols are B rated for Irish road tax, and the diesel is rated A. A 1.6 diesel with 120hp will arrive in 2013, but the €24,445 pricing of the 2.2 in the meantime is priced at the 1.6 equivalents in competitors from VW, Ford, Toyota and Opel.

Ireland is the first market in Europe to get the new Civic, as the car's arrival was seriously delayed because of production problems due to the tsunami in Japan and the subsequent floods in Thailand.

Honda Ireland expects that the sales split between petrol and diesel will be 50/50, a departure from the 30/70 ratio that currently happens in this market.

A1 Sportback at end of February

2012-01-27T10:11:00.003Z

Audi Ireland will begin delivering the first units of its A1 Sportback at the end of February, priced from €19,910.

The 5-door 5-seat version of the brand's supermini segment car has more headroom and shoulder space and will come with Sport and S Line versions.

Four engines will include a 1.6 TDI with CO2 emissions below 100g/km.

Audi expect the majority of buyers to select either the petrol 1.2 TFSI with 85hp or the diesel 1.6 TDI with 90hp. Diesel customers can also choose 105hp and 143hp whilst petrol buyers can upgrade to the 1.4 TFSI available with either 125hp or 185hp.

The electric choice of Gen Y

2012-01-27T09:27:00.002Z

The future market for hybrid and electric cars looks good, if the conclusions of a global survey of so-called Generation Y consumers turn out to be correct, writes Brian Byrne.

The survey of those who were born between 1980 and the early 1990s suggests that 57 percent of them prefered 'an electrified vehicle' for personal transportation.

According to the consultants who conducted the questioning, Deloitte LLP, the motivation for the EV/hybrid preference is not an altruistic wish to save the planet, rather to save the money in their wallets by lowering fuel costs.

The survey also showed that Generation Y welcome the growing trend to 'connected' cars, and a touchscreen is the most important item on a dashboard for them.

In America, it is estimated that Gen Y consumers will buy one in four of all cars sold there this year, and 40 percent of all cars sold in the US over the next 10 years.

On the other side of the coin, fewer American young people are taking out driving licences, and they are driving less, according to other research. According to Mark Fields of Ford Motor Company, the number of 16 year-olds getting a licence declined by 16 percent in the 30 years up to the end of 2008. He said the smartphone has replaced the car as 'the ultimate mobile device'.

Techology 'will remove' distraction - Ford

2012-01-27T07:45:00.003Z

While there's growing concern that the increased amount of gadgets and entertainment or communications technologies in cars are adding to driver distraction, writes Brian Byrne, Ford Motors boss Alan Mullally says his company has solutions in train that will 'absolutely remove' distraction as an issue.

He says that no matter what happens, 'drivers will not allow themselves to be disconnected in a connected world'. From Ford's point of view, he highlights the company's growing implementation of voice actuation technology for managing communications and entertainment systems, 'which allows the driver to keep hands on the wheel'.

There are still concerns, though, about how much information streaming a driver's mind can handle without distraction, even though his or her hands may still be on the wheel.

Ford is also big into driver assist technologies, both for safety and convenience. These include the Active Park Assisit and anti-collision systems which are available on cars like the current Focus.

While companies like Google have been developing cars that drive themselves, Mullally said that while self-driving modes are possible in cars, that capability is unlikely to materialize except for niche applications. He added that technology is getting better at assisting human drivers with situational awareness, using cameras and sensors.

Murphy and O'Brien to miss start of Valvoline this weekend

2012-01-26T13:01:00.000Z

Owen Murphy / James O'Brien, the current Valvoline National Forestry Champions, won't be at the start ramp this weekend in Donegal for the first round of the 2012 Valvoline National Forest Championship.

All had been going well and preparations were at an advanced stage when Owen hurt his back.

He has been seeing a chiropractor since and it's a case of one day good and the next day in a lot of discomfort. His chiropractor has said that he wouldn't last the day in the car. Owen said "I went to get into the car the other night and had a lot of trouble getting back out. I am really sick about this but stuff happens and my chiropractor is confident that with a little time, it will sort itself out.

He will be back for Round Two in Carrick-on-Suir.

Hankook are back on board as main sponsor for another season and Owen and James are confident of some good results later in the year. (Photo: Ger Leahy Photography).

High tech parking cuts costs, rage, accidents

2012-01-26T10:38:00.001Z

A number of American cities are building 'smart' parking systems as a way of applying new technologies to end 'parking rage', and massive wasting of fuel and time by people trying to find parking space.

The most advanced of these has been set up in San Francisco, writes Brian Byrne, which has installed magnetic sensors under 8,200 street parking spaces.

Drivers can use their smartphones to find in real time vacant spaces, which saves time and frustration, the latter of which can lead to motorists becoming less safe and hitting pedestrians and cyclists or other road users in their search for space.

A €19.8 million grant from the US Department of Transportation was used to help set up the system, which will be extended to provide information on off-street parking.

Los Angeles is working to set up a similar system. Researchers in the city found that cars circling for just three minutes to find parking in a 15-block neighborhood totted up over 350,000 miles of excess driving every year.

2012 Valvoline Forest Rally Championship starts on Saturday

2012-01-26T10:04:00.000Z

The 2012 Valvoline Forest Championship roars into life on this Saturday's Abbey Hotel Donegal Forest rally, writes Austin Shinnors, PRO Valvoline National Forest Championship.

Hosted by the Donegal Motor Club, and based in Donegal town, the Clerk of the Course Michael Kelly has planned a route of 65 competitive kilometers spread over 10 stages. The first car leaves Parc Ferme at 8.30am to head to the Pettigo area where two stages will be done twice. In the afternoon, there are three stages repeated in the Barnesmore Gap area.

The forty five strong entry includes a mixture of forestry regulars and newcomers. The list is headed by Vincent McAree (Evo 9) who was Valvoline Championship runner up in 2011. Enda McNulty (Impreza) is next in line, ahead of Pat O'Connell (Evo9) who won this series in 2010. The next seeds include Martin Cairns (Impreza), Ian Cochrane (Evo9), Colin Britton (Evo9), Stephen Wright (Evo9) and Ger Lucey (Evo8). Next up are the all-singing and dancing rear wheel drive cars, with Frank Kelly, Adrian Hetherington, Seamus O'Connell (Escort Mk2) seeded ahead of the Toyota Starlet RWD of Shane McGirr.

Commenting on the work done by the Donegal MC, John Quill - Chairman of the MI Forestry committee - said "We are delighted with the quality of the entry. Donegal MC have put in a huge effort putting the event together. It's great that the northern lads get a round of the championship on their door step." He added that over the years they put in a huge effort supporting the national championship by travelling south to do the regular events. "This year along Donegal, the inclusion of the Dogleap and the Bushwhacker is just reward for their loyal support."

The 2012 Valvoline Forest Rally consists of seven rounds:

January 28th Donegal Forest Rally
March 3rd Carrick-on-Suir Wm Loughman Forest Rally
April 15th Munster CC Moonraker Forest Rally
May 19th Cork MC Jim Walsh Forest Rally
July 8th Tipperary Sean Conlon Memorial Forest Rally
August 4th Maiden City MC Dogleap Stages Rally
September 22 Omagh MC Bushwhacker Forest Rally

Honda have sold over 800,000 hybrid cars worldwide

2012-01-25T16:25:00.000Z

Honda's worldwide hybrid car sales surpassed 800,000 units as at the end of December last.

This milestone was reached 12 years and two months after the start of sales of the first generation Honda Insight in Japan in November 1999, which delivered fuel economy of 35km/litre then the world's highest fuel economy among all petrol-powered vehicles.

Honda introduced the first generation Insight, Civic Hybrid and Accord Hybrid equipped with its original lightweight and compact IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid system.

More recently, following the introduction of the second generation Insight in 2009, Honda introduced a total of six new hybrid models in the last three years to expand the hybrid vehicle line-up and sales.

Honda's annual worldwide hybrid sales for 2011 was around 200,000 units (up 30 percent compared to 2010), and its total hybrid sales during the last three years topped 500,000 units.

As of today, Honda sells seven hybrid models in around 50 countries around the world.

Loeb and Elena win Rallye Monte-Carlo

2012-01-24T10:40:00.001Z

The 80th Rallye Monte-Carlo drew to a close yesterday with victory going to Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, driving their Citroen DS3 WRC, their sixth win in the Principality.

The pair are pictured as they secured their win and below, following the presentation.

The eight-time World Champions enjoyed a clean sweep as they also picked up the three bonus points awarded to the winner of the Power Stage.

Fourth overall in the rally, Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen also collected two points for their performance on the final stage. This result means that Citroen Total World Rally Team takes the lead in the Manufacturers' World Championship.

After four long days' racing, the final day of the Rallye Monte-Carlo was the shortest ever seen in the history of the World Championship: the 5.16km of the eighteenth stage, on a route between Ste Agnes and the Col do la Madone, were covered in under 3m30s by the leading WRC cars. Loeb and Elena also picked up three additional points in the Drivers' World Championship.

The next event in the World Rally Championship will be held in Sweden between 9th and 12th February.

Peugeot 5008 is Ireland's best-selling compact 7-seater MPV

2012-01-24T07:27:00.001Z

The 5008 is Ireland's best-selling compact 7-Seater MPV with 391 cars registered last year to take 28 percent of its segment ahead of its nearest competitor, the Ford Grand C-Max at 299 units, writes Trish Whelan.

Des Cannon, Peugeot Sales and Marketing Director said the 5008 people carrier had attracted many new customers to the brand in 2011.

Two engines are offered: a 1.6 HDi 112bhp 6-speed manual and a 1.6 HDi 6-speed electronically controlled Ecomatique. Both are in Band B of €225 annual road tax.

The 5008 has a bright, spacious cabin with easy access to the third row seats. These very back two seats have more legroom thanks to footwells. Curtain airbags protect all three rows of passengers and three ISOFIX child seat fixtures are houses in Row 2. Standard safety equipment also includes ESP, ABS, AST, electronic brake force distribution, dual front airbags, automatic electric parking brake with hill assist, and a fasten seat belt warning on all seats.

The load area ranges from 758 litres to 823 litres with the third row seats folded. It increases to 2506 litres with the second row seats folded away.

The 5008 retails from €27,690 plus dealer deliver related charges.

Citroen's free fuel offer goes the extra mile

2012-01-23T16:16:00.000Z

Citroen has announced a Free Fuel Offer for customers who order their 2012 Citroen this month, with Free Fuel Cards ranging from €250 up to €1,000 credit, available on selected models across the range.

Customers who receive €1,000 Free Fuel with selected models of the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, will have over 7,000 miles of free fuel courtesy of Citroen.

Leading the range as the most fuel efficient diesel powered car and delivering a combined cycle of 83mpg (3.4 L/100kms) is the new C3 e-HDi 70 Airdream EGS VTR+.

There are now some 21 models in the lowest road tax Band A and all new Citroens now come with 3 years' manufacturers' warranty. The C4 Picasso and Grand Picasso are pictured above.

Topaz director urges Government to clamp down on illegal fuels

2012-01-23T16:06:00.001Z

At the launch of a new efficient driving campaign by Topaz, Director Paul Candon it is clear that motorists want value for money, especially in light of the recent Budget and VAT increases on fuels.

He said not all fuels are the same.

"The additive in Topaz fuels makes them up to 3 percent more efficient when compared with fuels with no additive. So if drivers use Topaz AA quality checked fuels and follow the driving efficiency tips outlined on our website, they can cut costs by up to 20 percent."

He said the company also intend to highlight the rise in fuel laundering in Ireland and the daners this illegal trade poses for motorists.

A recent report estimated that 12 percent of the diesel market is now being supplied from illegal sources.

"Laundered fuels pose a high risk to motorists and their engines," Candon warns. "While low prices may seem very appealing in the current environment, consumers should always purchase their fuels from trusted retailers as the costs of repairing an engine damaged by laundered fuels can run into thousands of Euro."

He urged the authorities to clamp down on this illegal trade. "Every tanker of illegal fuel costs the Government €20,000 in lost taxes and if they eliminate fuel laundering, it would raise up to €200m in taxes from licensed and law abiding retailers." He said it is worth comparing this figure to the new property tax which is generating a lot of headlines and which is estimated will raise €160m.

Boyzone star urges drivers 'to drive smart' to save money

2012-01-23T15:54:00.000Z

Boyzone's Shane Lynch has launched a new efficient driving campaign by leading fuels and convenience retailer Topaz.

To mark the new campaign, Shane visited the Topaz site at Glasnevin in Dublin, just down the road from where he worked previously in his dad's garage as a mechanic. He is pictured there with Anna Zukowska. He is also pictured, below, with some toy cars at Glasnevin.

Shane also visited the Topaz site at Cashel at Junction 8 on the M8 Dublin Cork motorway. The award winning site has become the main stop off point for motorists requiring fuel, a bite to eat or a short break.

A keen driving enthusiast, he says motorists could knock hundreds of Euro off their motoring costs by adapting their driving styles and making key changes.

"Accelerating smoothly, removing unnecessary weight, avoiding tailgating and driving at a moderate speed are just some of the ways you can save money," he advises.

How to avoid whiplash

2012-01-23T15:35:00.000Z

This week, driver training specialist IAM Drive & Survive advise on how to avoid whiplash.

* Keep a good distance in front of you so that you can slow down gently when you need to.

* Except in an emergency, always look in the mirror before braking. Knowing what the car behind is doing is the best way to avoid getting hit from behind.

* Make sure you have a properly adjusted head restraint. The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of your head for maximum safety.

* Anticipate the traffic ahead and drive to avoid stopping as often - slowing down earlier gives the driver behind more time to react.

* Try and signal early for junctions to give time for the traffic behind you to react.

* Keep your foot lightly on the footbrake as traffic approaches from behind to show brake lights as a warning, until you are sure it is stopping.

This advice should help you avoid injury and a hit to your insurance premium.

Road Test: Ford Focus Wagon

2012-01-20T11:30:00.001Z

When the all-new Ford Focus Wagon, or estate, went on sale last October it gave the Focus range a model to suit all types of buyers. writes Trish Whelan.

This is a very good all round package with lots of space as well as the great driveability that you'd expect from a Focus.

Ireland hasn't traditionally been a strong market for estates unlike the Continent but there does seem to be a growing interest here in these models for their extra versatility, particularly for families.

From the outside, the car looks very stylish and well balanced, with a striking front bonnet and grille, nice lines along the sides and with chrome edging along the base of the windows.

The inside is very roomy indeed. You can squeeze three adults in the back, or three children will fit in comfort.

But people buy estates mostly for their cargo area and in the Focus Wagon this space becomes 1,516mm3 when you fold the rear seats down flat. Below the floor is a skinny spare in case you have a puncture which to my mind, is far better than a sealant repair kit for a family car.

The new Focus Wagon is available with a 1.6 litre petrol or diesel engine and a 2.0 litre diesel automatic.

The review car is the 1.695bhp diesel version, in Band A car for annual road tax. The other two are Band B cars.

I've driven Focus cars at home and abroad so I know they handle beautifully. This wagon is no different. When you get going, there's good mid-range power from the engine; you get a great response from the steering wheel. The suspension is somewhat softer than the last model, but absolutely no problem with that as it makes for a nice, everyday type of driving experience.

I got a nice position behind the wheel after yanking the seat forward to 'fit'. Seats are brilliant, comfy yet offering great back support and a boon to those who have to travel long commutes.

All instruments are clearly visible. The speedometer is on the right with well spaced white numbers on black and the landmark 120km/h is at the very top. The trip computer inbetween shows how many kilometres are left in the tank, as well as your average fuel consumption. Mine showed 6.5 L/100kms which equates to 43mpg in old terms.

I've not been a great fan of the central console in the Focus as for me, it's a bit fussy with all those slants for the phone and radio controls. I prefer to use the remote controls on the steering wheel.

This 6-speed manual gearshifter is a joy to use. One of the best around. Pedals are nicely spaced, and the clutch is light. It all makes for easy driving, and that's what most drivers appreciate from their car. In addition, very little road noise comes through due to good soundproofing.

The entry level Focus Wagon is priced from just below €22,000. The test car was the top Titanium specification priced at €25,235 plus delivery charges but it didn't include Bluetooth and USB connectivity; for that you'll have to pay an extra €204. As these come as standard in many competitor cars, I think they should be included in the basic price for this top spec model.

The new Focus, launched last March, was the top selling car here last year. I'm sure this wagon version will have a very positive impact of Focus sales here for this year as it is a very functional, practical family car.

Citroen and Arsenal FC create series of Cinemagraphs

2012-01-20T11:05:00.004Z

Citroen UK and Arsenal Football Club have produced a series of cinemagraphs - subtly animated images - featuring the New Citroen DS5 and first team players Mikel Arteta, Laurent Koscielny and club captain Robin van Persie.

Citroen has been the official vehicle supplier to Arsenal Football Club since 2008, and both have confirmed a new three year extension to the partnership.

The cinemagraphs show the players executing their best ball skills around Citroen's brand new flagship DS5.

View the cinemagraphs.

To watch the ‘Making of’ video click here.

Turkish private equity firm plans Saab bid

2012-01-20T10:31:00.000Z

Following on from yesterday's reveal that the Chinese are planning to bid again for Swedish carmaker Saab, it now appears a Turkish private equity firm also plans to bid for the bankrupt carmaker and revive its manufacturing.

Brightwell Holdings, which invests in energy, transport and technology, wants to buy all of Saab and plans to keep production in Sweden. The firm are in discussions with the administrators overseeing Sabb's bankruptcy as well as with the Saab CEO Victor Muller.

As reported, the Chinese group Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile may also make a bid for Saab next week.

An earlier attempt by Youngman to rescue Saab collapsed because of objections from General Motors Co. Much of the technology in Saab's cars is licensed from GM, which sold Saab in 2010. Saab, owned by Netherlands-based Swedish Automobile, filed for bankruptcy in December after running out of cash. Any transaction will need approval from GM, as well as the Swedish government and the European Investment Bank.

The OHM Group holds the Saab franchise in Ireland.

Chinese eye fresh bid for Saab

2012-01-19T16:04:00.000Z

It is believed that Chinese group Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile could make a fresh bid for failed Swedish carmaker Saab next week.

Saab was declared bankrupt by a Swedish court in December after protracted rescue efforts by owner Swedish Automobile.

A key stumbling block was the refusal of former owner General Motors Co to allow its technology, which underpins Saab cars, to fall into Youngman's hands.

The Chinese group remains interested and is prepared to make an offer.

A taste of Detroit for Europe

2012-01-19T11:39:00.000Z

There was a time that the North American International Auto Show didn't really have much relevance for European motorists, writes Brian Byrne.

But with the globalisation of models, and the continuing interest in the US in having more fuel efficient cars, that has changed.

So we do now watch the Detroit show and those in other continents for debut cars that either come from our side of the world, or will likely be coming to us.

Of the more than 500 cars and trucks on the NAIAS floor this year, there are quite a few that we should be watching.

For instance, the whole hybrid thing is moving fast out of speciality and into mainstream. BMW's ActiveHybrid 5 and the Activehybrid 3 will be a significant move in two of their key executive models, enhancing even further the brand's drive to fuel economy with more power.

Similarly the Mercedes-Benz E300 Hybrid (pictured above) for that company's direct competitor to the BMW, which will pair a 2.2 diesel with hybrid technology and give 27 percent better economy than the E300 diesel, with just 109g/km CO2.
At other levels, the Jetta Hybrid shown at Detroit moves Volkswagen into the same general arena opened by Toyota's Prius, offering now a 1.4 TSI petrol engine with electric motor assist that is said to improve the fuel consumption by 20 percent over the petrol-only car.

Meantime Toyota itself is expanding its hybrid range with the Prius C, shifting the technology into the supermini segment based on a Yaris platform. A European version will showcase at Geneva in March.

Volvo also gave advance notice of taking a position in the hybrid stakes, with the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept. Basically the way the technology is going, it will soon be just another powertrain system option, like diesel or petrol are today.

The Dodge Dart debuted at Detroit is of interest to us over here in Europe too. Thanks to the Chrysler-Fiat alliance, we are likely looking at the Bravo replacement, as the Dart is built on a wider version of the Fiat-owned Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform. The intriguing part is that the Dart is being built in China, and there's every possibility that the Fiat version will be too.

Ford surprised by changing its boxy Fusion model to a new curvy version, which has all the cues for the next generation Mondeo expected to be revealed at Paris in September. The fusion even comes with 1.6 and 2.0 turbocharged petrol engines, marking a significant shift in engine sizing for the US market.

Nissan showed a concept for its next Pathfinder, which will probably take to the roads in Europe too, replacing a model which has been rather ageing for some time (and which isn't currently available in Ireland). It has a lot of Murano cues. While the market for large SUVs dropped substantially early on in the recession, it has been improving again underpinned by more fuel-efficient technologies, and the next Pathfinder will benefit from these.

BMW used Detroit 2012 to showcase its Roadster 2-seater, based on the Coupe variant which came to Ireland late last year. A niche vehicle, sure, but important because it represents the sixth model format in the Mini range since the modern version was first launched by the Munich carmaker. That there could be six different Mini models would have been unthinkable even half a dozen years ago. And they're not finished yet.

Also niche is the E-Bugster Concept shown by Volkswagen, confirming that maker's intention to be serious in the EV business. The technology will probably go mainstream first in a planned electric version of the up! city car. But never mind that, how cool is the 2-seat E-Bugster in its own right? Cries out for production with a conventional powertrain.

And just because there are people who would complain if we left them out, the supercar sporty enthusiasts across the pond will have been drooling at the new Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet and the Cayman R coupe from the same maker. If you're into Porsches, there's no need to say anything more. If you aren't, there's no need either.

Just a taste of Detroit, that. Samples which in one form or another will be coming to Irish showrooms sooner or later.

Meantime though, the Geneva Show in March looms fast. That's where our real interest lies.

Tracker device recovers Graham Norton's stolen Lexus

2012-01-19T10:52:00.001Z

Irishman, TV and radio celebrity, Graham Norton, had his car stolen after thieves broke into his home and stole the keys to his black Lexus hybrid 4x4. Despite an appeal to his BBC Radio 2 show and twitter fans to help find his car,

The installed Stolen Vehicle Recovery unit, operated by TRACKER (the UK's leading stolen vehicle recovery specialist), led police to the missing vehicle in West London.

The systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. The thief won't even know it's there. The device works even if the vehicle is hidden in a garage or in a shipping container.

Graham said 'it was shocking to think that the criminals break into your home and steal your keys, allowing them to drive off with your car and all your valuables'. He has recommended tracking devices to anyone who wants to protect their car from theft.

Gardai here advise car owners not to leave their car keys on the hall table in full view of would-be car thieves who often use fishing rods (through the letter box) with a magnet at the top to steal the keys.

Opel Astra has fewest defects: DEKRA Report 2012

2012-01-18T12:50:00.000Z

The Opel Astra has the fewest defects according to findings of the DEKRA Used Car Report 2012.

This success gives Opel its third victory in three successive years. In the previous two years, Opel won with the Corsa and the Insignia.

This time the Insignia (pictured right) was narrowly beaten by the Astra and comes second in the 'best individual car' ranking. However, the Insignia had the best result in the mid-size segment.

DEKRA generates its annual used car report by conducting precise assessments in eight vehicle classes and three kilometer reading ranges.

The report is based on data from 15 million inspections made on 230 different models. They only consider typical faults associated with used cars like corrosion of the exhaust system play in the suspension so that an accurate judgement about the longevity and durability of the cars can be made. Defects mainly associated with servicing such as the usual wear and tear on tyres or windscreen wiper blades, are not taken into account.

DEKRA is one of the world's leading organisations when it comes to expertise in the areas of safety, quality and the environment, and operates in more than 50 countries.

MINI wins Dakar victory

2012-01-18T12:42:00.000Z

The Dakar Rally has been won by Stephane Peterhansel (France) and his co-Driver Jean-Paul Cottret driving a green MINI ALL4 Racing car in a time of 38h 54m 46s.

This was Peterhansel's tenth victory at the Dakar, regarded as the roughest rally in the world; he had already claimed six titles on a motorcycle, and now has four wins in the car category to his name.

MINI's Senior Vice President, Dr Kay Segler, has congratulated the pair and the entire X-raid team on their triumph.

After 14 difficult stages, the rally ended in Lima in Peru.

Ford taps Cambridge Experts to aid drivers with vision problems

2012-01-18T07:30:00.001Z

Ford has joined forces with a team of experts from Cambridge University's Engineering Design Centre to gain a better understanding of visual impairment issues that come with an aging society and to use digital tools to better design vehicles for those with vision problems.

Some 285 million people worldwide suffer from some form of visual impairment, and of these, about 65 per cent are aged 50 and over.

With age, the ability to see fine details deteriorates, as does the ability to see in the dark. This means many drivers can struggle to read the instrument cluster while driving, unless they have bifocual or varifocal glasses. Other eye conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, are also prevalent among those 50 and older.

Ford is using the software to study and optimise the design of its instrument displays, to ensure they can be safely and comfortably read by as many drivers as possible. The software also has been used to improve the design of mobile phones and for teaching inclusive design at several universities.

Nissan develop self-healing iPhone case

2012-01-17T16:07:00.000Z

Nissan have today announced its unique self-healing iPhone case - the Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case.

The Scratch Shield is a world first in paint technology that allows fine scratches to quickly mend themselves and so iPhone owners can keep their phone looking at its best for longer.

The Scratch Shield has been designed using several automotive engineering innovations to deliver a more durable and long-lasting paint coat, and closely fitting, tight case.

This is already used on a number of Nissan and Infiniti models.

The initial batch of prototypes of the Scratch Shield iPhone cases has been produced by Nissan for testing with UK journalists and customers, but if demand proves strong, it will look to put the cases on general sale later this year.