Declan Colley says the Skoda Octavia Soleil will be seen as a bargain for many, priced from €24,200 to €28,700 as tested.

A compact SUV manufactured by Skoda had the highest pass rate of any vehicle submitted for a NCT test last year.

The number of new electric and hybrid cars being licensed has increased, despite overall car sales declining in the first six months of 2019.

The total number of new car registrations increased in May, according to new figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

In a joint statement last night, both governments referred to its previous communique of April 26 and the “new phase of political talks in Northern Ireland”.

Sales of higher-margin sports utility vehicles and cost cuts helped Volkswagen shrug off a €1bn legal charge to meet first-quarter operating profit forecasts, sending its shares 4% higher.

With two wins from two rounds, Monaghan’s Josh Moffett is on home territory for Sunday’s Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan Rally, round three of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship as he aims to increase his lead over his main title rivals Declan Boyle and Roy White.

Statistics released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that the number of new electric car registrations have risen from 542% this year.

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.

Cork’s Keith Cronin will debut a different car in the British Rally Championship as he bids to equal the legendary Jimmy McCrae as a five-time winner of the series.

Renault and Nissan are in talks to merge, seeking to solidify their two-decade-old alliance as an unprecedented shift toward electric and shared cars transforms the industry.

Taking the lead on the sixth stage, Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) and co-driver Stephen Thornton won the Silvermines-based Treaty Plant Hire Limerick Forest Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Declan Colley looks back over his choice motoring picks of the year. Yet again, some of his selections may come as a surprise.

Right now Skoda is the sixth most popular manufacturer in Ireland with sales to the end of November of 9,026. The company’s most popular car — by miles — is the Skoda Octavia with a total of 3,978 units registered here in the last 11 months.

Volkswagen’s leaders have approved a five-year spending plan that aims to further the German automaker’s goal of transforming itself into a leading force in electric cars.

Everything that is making news in the world of cars and motors.

BMW is looking to form a joint venture with Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor.

This should not work. It definitely should not work.

Contenders for the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship and the Prestone British Rally Championship go head to head for the only time this season on the John Mulholland Ulster Rally starting in Derry this afternoon.

With his sixth victory of the season Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (27) clinched the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with a comfortable victory in the FAAC Simply Automatic/Sligo Park Hotel Rally.

QUITE a number of people have been moaning to me recently about the treatment they received at the hands of car dealers who sold them diesel cars at the height of the oil-burning boom of the last 10 years.

Triple British rally champion Keith Cronin from Ballylickey, with co-driver Killarney’s Mikie Galvin, are back into contention for this season’s Prestone MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) as they annexed top points in the Ypres Rally in Belgium, the first overseas round in the 59-year history of the BRC.

With four rounds completed Sam Moffett (Ford Focus WRC) is marching towards success in the Triton National Rally Championship.

Škoda has released details of their most powerful Octavia RS to date, the RS 245, with a price tag from €39,865.

Prices and specifications have been announced for the new Škoda Octavia Scout 4X4. Based on the Octavia Combi estate, the first Octavia Scout was launched in 2004.

It has been pretty obvious for some time now — to me anyway — that the VW ‘dieselgate’ scandal was going to have a massive and very positive effect on two companies within the Volkswagen Group.

In something of a surprise move Škoda has announced that its new compact SUV will not be called the Yeti.

There was late drama in the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, where Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (Fiesta R5) and his Bandon co-driver Karl Atkinson took victory after long-time leaders, Roy White and co-driver James O’Brien, clattered their Fiesta WRC against a chicane bale on SS 13 and limped to the stage finish before retiring.

Details of Škoda’s new high powered Octavia RS model have been revealed and when the car makes its debut in Irish showrooms from this May, it will come at a price of €34,450.

Although victory in the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally wasn’t the ultimate goal for Ballylickey’s Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin (Ford Fiesta R5), they secured a fine win with a measured and composed drive that provided the perfect preparation for their next outing in the British Rally Championship in three weeks time.

Škoda will debut its first electric-study ‘Vision’ concept - which has capability for autonomous driving — at the Shanghai Motor Show 2017 next month.

Interesting times in the motoring business.

The are those in quiet corners of the VW empire that have, for many years, referred to the company’s Seat brand as ‘The Spanish Patient.’ 

Skoda has updated the Yeti SUV with the addition of two new trim levels?— the SE Drive and SE L Drive.

Declan Colley took the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate oout on the road. Here’s what he thought.

Škoda Ireland has announced a 20% volume growth in sales for 2016, versus 2015, in a record year. The brand delivered 9,500 new vehicles.

Declan Colley looks back on the automotive year that was 2016 and picks out the best wheels he has driven in the last 12 months — some of his selections may well surprise you.

Skoda  are entering the SUV segment in earnest with their new — and

Volkswagen is to cut 30,000 jobs in a restructuring plan as it tries to recover from a scandal over cars rigged to cheat on diesel emissions tests.

?Skoda Ireland has announced the introduction of the new Superb Sportline model as part of their 2017 model line-up, ahead of a mild facelift for the car later in the year.

Pre-tax profits at the group that imports and distributes luxury car brands, Jaguar and Land Rover more than doubled to €6.65m last year.