The Toyota recall affects some 3.4 million vehicles globally and is being undertaken because the air bags might not inflate in a crash.

Loftus Hall hosted overnight paranormal tours in October – but the haunted house is worth a visit to Wexford any time of year, writes Vickie Maye.

WE ALL knew the electric automotive revolution would eventually gather some sort of momentum and move on quickly from the Neanderthal technological base it has been operating from for the last decade or so.

Here is a selection of eight people who have recently begun interesting new roles with companies based in Ireland.

Operating profits at one of the largest car dealerships in the country, Johnson & Perrott, increased 11.5% to over €4.6m last year.

Two Dublin men have gone on trial, having pleaded not guilty to the ‘brutal, callous and shocking’ murder of a 25-year-old father in the city three years ago.

A young family had a narrow escape when their car went up in flames on the M3 motorway last weekend.

The new Kia Sportage has seen upgrades to its exterior and interior design, new powertrains have been introduced and a lot of new technology has been added to the mix, writes Declan Colley

Without doubt the Focus range is the foundation stone upon which the current Ford model line-up stands. Ably helped by the Fiesta in cornering a large slice of market share, the Focus is — and has been — a car which has stood the test of time since we first saw it in 1998 and through three generations since.

They are a funny crowd, those guys at Mazda.

These are good days for Ireland’s manufacturers as a resurgent economy driven by home-grown and foreign investment provide the biggest turnaround since the financial collapse 10 years ago, writes John Whelan 

THE first phase of a significant €15million motor trade investment on Cork city’s Bandon Road opens next week, indicative of the recovery in the Irish economy, the motor trade and a forerunner of other developments to follow on Cork’s western fringes.

Three young brothers, all of whom were injured when a wheel came off an SUV on a motorway, have been awarded €85,000 damages between them.

Given the limitations of many in the class, the Kia actually can hold its head high, says Declan Colley.

SsangYong’s new Rexton has arrived. Tom Wiltshire gets behind the wheel

Time was when the micro-mini segment was populated with cars which between them were equipped with little more technology as could be seen on, say, a wheelbarrow. Dodgy plastics, terrible seats, appalling designs, poor chassis, and absolutely no kit was the order of the day.

The super-mini does not sell as well in Europe as elsewhere, and that’s a shame, because its latest version is efficient and good-looking, says Declan Colley

Aside from the mild aberration that is the hybrid Niro, which we reviewed recently, the majority of cars in the Kia model line-up are good.

Kia has updated the Picanto, its popular city car. James Baggott heads to Spain to try it out

AA Ireland has today announced a partnership with Kia Ireland to provide breakdown assistance to those who purchase the new Kia Niro Hybrid.

Kia has brought a new hybrid model to market, but the Niro is unexciting to drive, says Declan Colley.

Brexit may put a halt to the recent strong growth in the motor industry, with new car sales expected to fall this year.

Kia president of design, Peter Schreyer, says despite completely transforming the look of the brand in the last 10 years, his job is not done yet.

The motor show in Detroit this week was stuffed with cars. Not 6,000-pound SUVs, but regular old saloons and coupés, spinning on the industry’s greatest stage like so many boring vanilla cakes.

In 2016, the Irish motoring market grew 17.5%, and Toyota enjoyed 18.5 % year-on-year growth, becoming the best-selling car brand in Ireland. They sold 15,530 passenger vehicles and had an overall market share of 10.6%.

Pre-tax profits at one of the largest car dealerships in the country, the Cork-based Johnson & Perrott group, last year increased by 28.5% to €4.68m.

We take the new Kia Optima for test drive to find out if it’s worth the investment.

We take a look at the new Kia Niro.

Kia has just announced details of its new hybrid contender, the Niro. Kia says the new vehicle offers the practicality and kerbside appeal of a spacious crossover, together with the high fuel efficiency of an advanced hybrid powertrain.

There was a time not so long ago when Hyundai’s marketing thrust here in Ireland was based on the premise that the Korean marque was ‘Ireland’s fastest growing car brand’ and a very neat little tag line it was, adding weight and substance to otherwise bland advertising.

FOUR of the top contenders in the rapidly expanding, wildly popular crossover segment are essentially two pairs of cars which are very closely related to each other.

Some time ago I got a phone call from a reader who was torn between buying a Hyundai i40 and the Kia Optima and he was quite startled when I responded to his inquiry as to which he should purchase by immediately plumping for the Hyundai, writes Declan Colley

The names Peter Schreyer and Luc Donckerwolke might not mean much to the average Joe or Josie, but in the world of automotive design, they are hallowed legends.

What’s new?

The Kia Optima may not have clicked with Irish customers in the same way as its’ sister car the Hyundai i40, but it was a very worthy effort from the Korean manufacturer and probably deserved better in overall sales terms.

Meath Rose Elysha Brennan has been crowned this year’s Rose of Tralee after a whirlwind festival of poems, party pieces and all the parades a town could handle.

There can be little doubting about Kia’s ambitious nature right now. The Korean company — a sister brand to Hyundai, remember — has made massive strides since the days when it pedalled fairly grim family-oriented hatchbacks and saloons, as well as a couple of faux 4x4 jobbies.

The quality of vehicles made by European, Korean and US companies has improved so much in recent years that Japanese manufacturers, long the industry standard, are having trouble keeping pace.

The 1,000,000th Kia cee’d has been manufactured by Kia Motors in Europe, a major milestone since starting production in 2006.

Kia Motors unveiled its latest concept car — the Kia Novo — this week at the Seoul Motor Show.

Following its debut at the New York International Auto Show in 2010, the Kia Optima has become a catalyst for the brand’s tremendous global growth.