DRIVE TALKING

What’s hot on the road

IBIZA IS A BIG HIT

SEAT launched the new Ibiza in Ireland on Thursday, the fifth generation of its ‘most iconic’ car. The all-new iteration is the first car in the Volkswagen built on the group’s MQB AO platform, a sign of the renewed focus on the Spanish carmaker. Sales in Ireland are up by over 16% this year, thanks in part to the Ateca SUV, and the company hopes the new Ibiza will add considerably to the 5.4m Ibiza sales in Europe since 1984. Prices start at €14,995 for the S range, €17,335 for the SE range, €18,745 for XCELLENCE and €19,465 for the FR range.

ARONA ON THE WAY

STICKING with SEAT, the Ateca’s little brother (or sister – we’re not sexist here) is the Arona, and it will arrive in Ireland in November. A full-size SUV will complete the range next year. The car will feature a selection of petrol and diesel engines, starting with the threecylinder 94hp 1.0-litre TSI and the 1.6litre 94hp TDI. Pricing has yet to be announced.

KIA POWERS ON

WHAT brand do you reckon topped the JD Power quality rankings in the US – BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti? Wrong – the answer is KIA, which for the second year running delivered the best results in the 20-year history of the survey. The top spot was driven by category wins for the Soul, Forte, Cadenza, Niro and Sorento. Optima and Sportage came second in their categories.