ELECTRIC SWITCH
RENAULT Ireland has announced the pricing and specifications for All-New Captur, now available to order from Donagh Hickey Motors.
Since its launch in 2013 Renault has been key to defining the compact-SUV segment and with almost 10,000 registrations to-date, Captur has been the most successful compact-SUV ever in Ireland.
Style, space, interior quality and active safety equipment have become the keys to success in the segment, which All-New Captur offers to an unrivalled degree.
All-New Captur has been awarded the maximum 5-star Euro NCAP safety test.
Starting from €21,995, or €199 per month with 3.9% APR PCP, the second generation All-New Captur is available with three trim levels – Play, Iconic and S-Edition – on a comprehensive powertrain line-up and offers totally revolutionary interior design while the exterior styling has been transformed.
From entry level upwards, all versions of All-New Captur include 17” wheels, multimedia touch-screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, full LED lights and Automatic Climate Control. Moving up the range adds more standard features, including the contrasting roof, the stunning 9.3” touchscreen and some stylish alloy wheel designs.
All-New Captur has increased in size, now 110mm longer than before, offering significantly improved interior and boot space. The front gains full LED lights with more pronounced C-shaped LEDs, while the C-shaped motif is repeated in the rear LEDs which now curve around the tailgate. Meanwhile, All-New Captur’s two-tone roof is accentuated further by a bold chrome strip and customers can choose from 11 exterior colours and four roof finishes; a total of 90 colour combinations.
Inside, the seats are more comfortable than ever, with All-New Captur the only mainstream car in its class coming with rear-sliding seats as standard on all trim levels.
All-New Captur is available to order now at Donagh Hickey Motors with €3,500 Savings Guaranteed. Renault is rewarding customers for choosing a cleaner, lower emissions car with Renault Carbon Rewards, a simple offer for 201 registrations. Customers will receive €1,000 Carbon Cashback and 2.01% APR until 31st January 2020 through Renault Bank.
WHILE for many people hybrids and electric cars are aspirational, diesel-powered vehicles remain the most popular engine type to drive in Ireland, according to a new survey of the country’s motoring preferences.
The Carzone survey says 58 per cent of those surveyed drove diesels, more than a third (39 per cent) own a petrol-fuelled car, and only two per cent drive a hybrid or electric car.
However, motorists would consider a switch to electric and hybrid cars, with 70 per cent saying they plan to buy an electric or hybrid car in the future with the Nissan Leaf and Lexus IS300h being the most searched electric and hybrid vehicles on Carzone so far this year.
Younger drivers (18-24 year olds) are more environmentally conscious with 77 per cent saying they were likely to purchase an electric or hybrid car in the future compared to those over 45 years old at 63 per cent.
Cheaper running costs, better for the environment and tax incentives were the top reasons why people would buy an electric or hybrid vehicle.
Only 36 per cent of people were unaware of the Government’s goal to reach 100 per cent of all new cars and vans being EVs by 2030, and only 16 per cent feel that it is achievable.
The Carzone Motoring Report is compiled by analysing data from the 80 million+ car views carried out on Carzone in 2019, as well as an in-depth survey of over 1,500 Irish drivers.
According to the Report, 39 per cent of respondents intend to buy a car in the next year and nearly a third change their car every two to three years. The main reasons for purchasing a car is simply wanting a newer car, the need for a more reliable car or they require a larger car for a growing family.
The Report says it is clear from the data that Irish drivers are unsure when it comes to car finance, and the research highlights the perceived barriers to using car finance for motorists.
Over half (55 per cent) of drivers are concerned about getting into debt, 44 per cent are sceptical about the lump sum required at the end of a PCP agreement and 40 per cent don’t like the idea of not owning the car outright when buying via PCP and hire purchase.
Using personal savings is the first option considered by car buyers when looking at financing a car (48 per cent ) followed by a bank loan (41 per cent), Credit Union loan (34 per cent), hire purchase (16 per cent ) and PCP (14 per cent).
Browsing online (90 per cent) is the most popular way of researching car finance, followed by enquiring with a dealer (45 per cent) and getting recommendations from friends and family (25 per cent).
While most cars are still purchased in dealerships or private sale, motorists have become more open to buying a car online with 1 in 10 saying they would buy a car online without seeing it first. 77 per cent say they would pay up to a €1,000 deposit online for a car while 17 per cent would be open to paying for a car in full online.
The research found that insurance remains the top financial concern for 64 per cent of Irish car owners. Almost 1 in 5 cite the cost of fuel as their main worry, while 10 per cent say general maintenance of