PRICE HIKE: New car retail prices in Ireland rose by 7.3 per cent in year to January 2003. Average retail prices for new cars in Ireland rose by 7.3 per cent over the 12 months to January 2003, according to the latest European Index of New Car Prices published by eurocarprice.com in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The rise in retail prices here was 2.9 per cent stronger than across Europe as a whole, where retail prices rose by an average of 4.4 per cent in the year to January.
New car retail prices in Ireland are 31 per cent higher than the average price of a new car in the euro currency zone.
Of the 19 countries covered by the eurocarprice.com index, Poland experienced the greatest increase in retail prices, which rose by 9.5 per cent during the 12 months to January 2003. At the other end of the scale, retail prices in the Czech Republic fell by 0.8 per cent.
OPEL'S POTENT ASTRA: This is Opel's future top-of-the-range Astra, the 250 bhp GTC. The new Astra range is due for launch in March 2004, with this coupé version coming later in the year. The GTC will be unveiled as a concept car at Geneva next month.
Meanwhile, Opel Ireland is to lodge an appeal against last week's court decision awarding the owner of an Opel Astra a refund worth €20,000-plus purchase price after the Judge outlined "a litany of faults" with the car. The court found that the car had been resprayed before it was sold by Dublin car sales firm, Mark Dennis Opel, as a brand-new car to Co Meath teacher Mr Aidan McCabe. Opel says it is appealing the case as: "We believe that the circumstances of the case and the evidence tendered by experts on both sides did not warrant a recision of contract."
FOCUS ON MPVs: FORD has launched a mini-MPV version of its Focus. The Focus C-Max will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It will feature all-new 1.6-litre 110 bhp and premium 2.0-litre 135 bhp common-rail diesel engines. A new six-speed transmission will be available, as will a new Duratec HE 1.8-litre petrol engine developing 120 bhp.
There are suggestions that the new design is a preview of the next generation Focus hatchback.
The C-Max will make it to Ireland just in time to compete with the new Renault Scenic and Opel Meriva, both due here later this year. The mini-MPV battle will then be in full swing.