Golf Plus successor

Volkswagen has unveiled the Golf SV as successor to the Golf Plus. The new model, which will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show this month, is claimed to have a more spacious interior. The Golf SV will feature a similar engine line-up to the standard Golf range. The bulk of sales are expected to come from the 1.6-litre 110bhp diesel engine, which will be EU6 compliant. Prices will be released shortly.

tackling fuel fraud

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The Irish and British governments are to bring in a new product to mark rebated fuels, including the off-road diesel commonly known as green diesel in Ireland and red diesel in Britain. The move aims to boost the fight against illegal fuel laundering. The authorities claim that the new marker will make rebated fuel harder to launder by removing the marker which allows it to be sold on at a profit.

New chic peugeot 108

Peugeot’s new 108 micro-mini, due in Ireland this summer, will be unveiled at this month’s Geneva Motor Show. The new small and lighter car will be available as both a three-door and a five-door hatchback and convertible body style. This new 108 weighs just 840kg and is claimed to be light and agile on the road. Three cylinder engines are used throughout, three 1.0-litre versions and one 1.2-litre engine.

fresh take on Twingo

Renault has taken a fresh look at its Twingo city car. With the new Twingo, the aim was to create an even roomier and more agile city car with a smaller environmental footprint. The engine is rear-mounted and it’s claimed that this gives agile handling and extra cabin space. Renault engineers also claim that this frees up the front end and improves the turning circle.

Opel’s turbo engine

Opel has developed a new three-cylinder, 1.0-litre all-aluminium petrol engine for the Adam range that’s economical and low on CO2 emissions. The new turbo petrol engine delivers CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km. The engine will come in two configurations, with 90hp and 115hp and a low-end torque of 166 Nm from just 1,800 rpm. In Ireland it will qualify in tax band A2 with an annual road tax of €180.