The latest new cars being tested by the CompleteCar.ie team.
Day two of the new BMW 3 Series launch and Matt is now sampling the headline act - the new i3 EV. This one is a 50 xDrive, with a near-109kWh battery and 912km of range. Also has 469hp and a 4.7-second 0-100km/h time. Driving impressions lift towards the end of next week, so keep your eyes peeled for reviews of both this and the BMW M350 xDrive on the site then.
Car launches don't come much bigger than the debut of a new BMW 3 Series. Matt's the lucky so-and-so out in Provence today and tomorrow, driving both the 'G50' petrol-powered car and the all-new, all-important BMW i3 EV for the eighth generation of this sector-defining compact executive. There's a shortish embargo in place on driving impressions for now, but here he is with a luscious M350 xDrive in ‘Fire Red’. Which has a 443hp straight-six turbo, you know...
Matt's now out on the road in a BYD Shark, in the fetching colour of Sunset Orange. He reckons it looks good inside and out and drives well thanks to its powerful PHEV running gear and advanced suspension. A full review of the Shark will be on the site this week, so stay tuned.
Matt's over in the UK trying the BYD Shark pick-up truck today. It has a 436hp plug-in-hybrid drivetrain and rugged good looks on its massive frame - it's more than 5.45 metres long, a Great White of 4x4s! First task has been seriously clagging up this white one on a slippery off-road course. The Shark ate it up… #sorrynotsorry
Shane is in California this week at the international media drive event for the new BMW X5, including the key new, all-electric iX5.
Vital stats: over 800km range, 578hp and from about €107k in Ireland.
Embargo on driving impressions lifts Thursday evening.
Since the car's update late last year, Toyota Ireland refers to the bZ4X as just the bZ, which is easier to say (and write), and it also added a new Touring model. Shane has it on test this week (excuse the very windswept selfie taken near Sally Gap in Wicklow) and he thinks it just might be Toyota's best EV right now. It looks great - more estate than SUV - and it copes admirably with poorly surfaced Irish roads. Not only that, but it's averaging better than 14kWh/100km, which is exceptional for such a big family car.
Neil is in Spain driving the new Polestar 4 SUV. It’s Polestar’s most conventional car yet, and will likely be its best seller when it hits Ireland early next year. Can’t tell you what it’s like to drive just yet, but doesn’t it look nice? Gorgeous colour. More space than the regular Polestar 4 (now known as the Polestar 4 Coupe) and a little cheaper to buy too.
With all the hype around the (admittedly excellent) Cupra Raval EV, it would be easy to forget that the Born is still available. And it's a notably polished offering.
Shane has a VZ example on test this week in luscious 'Forest Green' but he's more excited by the discovery that using the ESC Sport setting allows for even more fun at the wheel, while keeping the electronic safety net in place. Perfect for damp autumnal roads.
On the flip side, this car is proving remarkably efficient, too, averaging 15.4kWh/100km despite us enjoying its 326hp whenever possible...
