MOTORING: ON THE ROAD AGAIN with BRIAN McDAID

On The Road Again columnist Brian McDaid was the envy of a lot of people this week when he test-drove the new Kia Sportage from Inishowen Motors. Not only that but the car belonged to some young ella called Murphy who apparently plays a bit of football.

 

Murphy’s got a new Motor!

I had all the bother I wanted this week trying to get a test drive in the all new Kia Sportage. On the 1st day I went to Inishowen Motors the demo model was already snapped up by a customer that landed in Drumkeen and just fell head over heals with the new Sportage. The one in question had some of the new extras including a full length sunroof.
Micheal Murphy’s name was on the next demo model, Murphy was busy and didn’t get out to collect it, so Seamus suggested that I take a quick spin in Murphy’s newcar.
Micheal Murphy’s New Sportage was the most difficult car I ever drove, talk about “hands free” my arms were pulled out of the sockets flat out returning waves for all of the test drive and busy nodding back at all the other friendly drivers thinking it was the man himself, letting me out of junctions and even parking spaces were made available to me in the Murphy machine.
My test drive was short lived when the Donegal Captain spotted his new wheels at Boyces Corner in Letterkenny. He wasn’t long closing down my options and the first I seen of him face to face was in the reversing camera as I was trying to make an escape. Just delivering your new car, Michael, Ah thanks Brian. Ah well it was good while it lasted. With all my rushing about I might have managed to get a couple of points for him in the National League here and there along the roads of Donegal. ( but I hope not).
On a positive note it’s great to see the demand back for new cars in all the dealerships throughout the county, long may it last.

Kia Sportage Testdrive:

Facts

Prices from €27,995
Reduced CO2 and Road Tax
Modern layout and greater refinement for high quality new cabin
Greater passenger comfort with more space and less noise
The safest Sportage yet, with a stronger body and new active safety tech
Smoother, more refined ride and greater handling agility

Prices

New Sportage is available and comes with a choice of two engines – 1.7D for 2WD and 2.0D for AWD . The 1.7 engine has been refined for extra efficiency and with the addition of Idle Stop and Go technology the new Sportage moves from Band B2 to A4 with annual road tax now at €200 pa .

The car will come in 3 trim levels ,LX (€27,995) ,EX ( €29,995) and GSe (€34,495) . The volume model will no doubt be the mid trim EX, which we tested, comes with a host of comfort and safety features including: 17” Alloys/Sat Nav & Reversing Camera/Drivers Power Seat /Half Leather Seats / Speed Limit Info/High Beam Assist and Lane Keep Assist. The top of the range GSe adds 19” Alloys/ sunroof/ full leather/heated seats/power passenger seat /smart key and xenon flights

Bold new design for 2016 Kia Sportage

The attractive ‘face’ of the Sportage features the biggest change to the car’s design over the outgoing model, with Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille and the car’s headlamps separated for the new model. The headlamps are now positioned higher, sweeping back along the outer edges of the sharply-detailed bonnet. A lower, wider grille – enlarged to support greater engine cooling – adds more volume to the lower half of the Sportage’s face. The result is a more imposing appearance and a more stable-looking stance, despite the new model retaining the same 1,855 mm width as its predecessor. GT Line models develop the exterior look further, featuring new ‘ice-cube’ LED fog lamps, inspired by those found on the high-powered cee’d GT, and aluminium-effect skid plates.

Greater space and improved passenger comfort

The fourth-generation model is set to be the most practical Sportage yet thanks to increased exterior and interior dimensions, with the vehicle’s development teams realising greater space and comfort for all passengers
The new body’s larger dimensions mean cargo space in the fourth-generation Sportage has expanded from 465 litres to 503 litres (VDA), made more practical by a dual-height luggage floor, allowing taller items to fit into the boot and still remain hidden by the tonneau cover.
Road noise is further reduced – from 66 to 63 dB – with the adoption of new bushings in the rear suspension to isolate road noise at source, and more sound-absorbent materials throughout the Sportage’s wheel arches. Wind noise is also reduced as a result of thicker front side glass, a new dual lip seal for the panoramic sunroof and additional soundproofing in the doors.

Summing up the new Sportage, and Micheal Murphy agreed that the new Sportage is roomer than its predecessor but still feels very nimble on the road. The crossover market is huge and only the best will make the cut, and we think the Sportage in up there with the best of them.

Fuel Watch

This week our fuel watch comes from Manorcunningham. This filling station serves petrol only for road use, and is possibly one of the oldest petrol pumps in the Letterkenny area.

Originally it was called Lindsay’s, located on the Main St, in Manorcunningham and now called Browne’s, it is one of the last remaining “kerb type” filling station, and the petrol is selling at 122.9 cents , which is the best price in Manorcunnigham, considering it’s the only petrol pumps in the town! I have to say I love these local shops where you can get every thing from a tea pot to a Belfast Telegraph. Well done Ivan Browne and Sons

Going Automatic

Many years ago the late Joe Kelly and myself had many debates about automatic gearboxes.

Joe was the Toyota Dealer for all of Donegal and had a great belief of automatic in cars. Back in them days I was in favor of the manual gearbox,  believing I was in more control of my driving and in control of the car.

After having a couple of cars with auto gearboxes down through the years I slowly came around to Joe’s way of thinking. The memory of this debate was rekindled recently when a friend purchased a new car.

The were very proud of the purchase, listing all the extras and leaving the best wine to the last, announced with pride, you know it’s an automatic, “I have to do nothing”.

It’s worth a look if your buying a car, and not like in years gone by where the lack of knowledge about automatic cars was a factor for not buying them secondhand.

The new automatic gearboxes are brilliant and possibly in the future with models like hybrids on the way the manual gearbox may be a thing of the past. The best automatic gearboxes (in my view) , are the DSG fitted by the VW group, which for example fitted the the Golf GTI has virtually the same 0 to100 kms time as the manual gearbox and also can produce the same fuel consumption figures as its manual cousin,

161 Dl 1916

This is the year for this special number plate “161 Dl 1916” and fare-play to Seamus Mc Laughlin pictured with his father John Henry at Inishowen Motors who pre purchased the number plate, Main dealers for Nissan and Kia, The special number to commemorate the 1916 rising in Ireland can be purchased for any of the new cars sold at in Inishowen Motors

And Finally, On the Road for the Elections

The roads around Co Donegal will be busy with all the parties and candidates on the run up to the elections. Some old familiar faces and some new will be calling on the doorsteps around the county , one of which we caught we caught up with in Donegal Town last week, Pat the Cope pictured as fresh as ever at the bonnet of a classic Ford Thames, we wish everyone the success he deserves on the canvas.

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