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AT MANY OF the European motor shows this year the show stealers were electric autonomous concept vehicles that previewed a future of clean green motoring. However, at this month’s LA Auto Show, the big news revolved around a glut of big new SUVs.
This seems a little at odds considering that the State of California is more known for its fast convertibles, electric Teslas and Prius hybrids. But whilst these machines look like gas-guzzlers, they can all be had with some sort of electrified powertrain. In fact, Ford Motor Company has said it is aiming for an all-electric SUV with a 300-mile range by 2020.
Looks like the Sports Utility Vehicle craze isn’t going away anytime soon.
1. Range Rover SVAutobiography
Swit and indeed swoo. This is the ultimate in luxury SUVs. If a regular Rangie is just too compact to carry you and all your wealth then you need the long-wheelbase Range Rover SVAutobiography. It has two seats in the back, one for you and the other for your wallet.
There is a massive full centre console between the two seats, which can each recline by as much as 40 degrees and offer 1.2 metres of legroom.
According to Land Rover, with a “hot stone massage function, heated calf and foot rests, the rear cabin promises a peerless passenger experience.”
The SVAutobiography can be had with a 565hp supercharged 5.0-litre V8 petrol. Or for those who don’t want to immediately melt the ice caps with their vehicle, they can opt for the P400e 404hp plug-in model, which has a claimed 50km electric driving range.
2. Lexus RX350-L
For those that like luxurious SUVs but need more than two seats in the back, Lexus unveiled a seven-seat version of its RX SUV. But if seven seats is one too many, the RX can be had with just six. You can have an extra row of fold-away seats in the boot and in the middle row a choice of a bench seat or two individual chairs.
Again, the RX350-L is a hybrid and it will be available in Ireland next year.
3. BMW X7 iPerformance Concept
The X7 Concept made its North American debut at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show and the luxurious SUV will go on sale in 2019.
It is yet another large, luxurious three-row SUV with a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The powertrain marries lithium-ion batteries and an electric motor to a BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine, likely to be a four-cylinder unit in much the same way the PHEV X5 currently operates. When the X7 goes into production it will most likely be a seven-seat SUV not the six-seat version as seen at the motor show.
4. Subaru Ascent
Subaru also got in on the seven-seat trend and introduced the Ascent, a rugged family SUV with three rows of seats. However, at present it is only for the North American market.
5. Jeep Wrangler
Fiat-Chrysler have done a terrific job updating the iconic Jeep Wrangler. It looks rugged and cool and classic and modern all at the same time.
It has removable doors, windows and roof for even more open-air SUVing and with its 4×4 system it is a proper off-road utility vehicle. But to keep up with the times and to appeal to the more green lifestylers, the Jeep Wrangler will come with a hybrid powertrain option down the line.
6. Future Toyota Adventure Concept
So. Much. Want.
This is perhaps the coolest SUV of the whole show but, alas, for now it is still just a concept vehicle. The concept looks like a Toyota 4Runner from the future and can be powered by either a petrol engine or a hybrid drivetrain linked up to torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, with variable terrain-response settings and four-wheel lock functionality.
This means it is a proper off-roader especially with those 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tyres and liberal amounts of body-cladding protection. Let’s hope that this funky, chunky concept makes it into production.
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Just goes to show you can’t tax your way out of a recession. I’ll bet the figures will be even lower next time around.
I think we’ve gone beyond recession at this stage! Ireland’s beyond help. If it were an animal, the vet would’ve been sent for some time ago!!
The last bunch of Gobshites didn’t learn, you would think that these bunch of Gobshites would have learnt from the last bunch of Gobshites.
Alas, monkey see monkey do! Same gobshites different logo!
The well is dry Noonan. Time to tell merkle to fuck off.
They won’t be patting each other on the back when the civil unrest begins. And it won’t be long now before it begins. A budget away at most.
The way I feel at the moment that civil unrest could be closer than you think!
Yep, I can daily now sense trouble brewing.
More so than last year already.
Maybe the public is finally going to get up and take to the streets in what I hope will be PEACEFUL protest a lot more!
Ye see, the great thing about the Irish is we do nothing for a while.
Sure, we moan and grunt about whats going on but we let it happen in the great subtle hidden hope that it’ll all be fixed.
Though, when the tiger does get poked enough, it’ll not just eat the kids hand but burst outta the cage and eat his family too. Gruesome? It should be.
VAT will be even lower in two or three months time with the insane increase…
Your head would be done in with the weather and news here.
The government will need to make up the missing 2.5%. I reckon it should be docked from their wages and pensions
The deficit would have been less (by 3million) if the gov hadn’t secretly voted to UP their own budget from 14 to 17million for their new name plates, office chairs or whatever the hell they spent it on.
Looks like he’s having a dump in that pic!
Serious squeeze going on there…
More than likely he’s hiding his German Bonds somewhere we can’t find them.
the only thing he is squeezing is the citizens of ireland.
Yeah, he’s shitting all over us!
Great idea to increase the VAT, so takings will even be less next year, why do we have to pay these Idiots and their so called Advisers so much money to make a total cock of the country.
Did anyone in the dept of finance ever hear of the law of diminishing returns?
They do but don’t you know these laws don’t apply to Ireland remember the “soft landing”.Anyway it’ll be ok Enda has a new plan just tax and charge citizens to breaking point and then wonder why people are rioting.
And tax us some more when we don’t… Meanwhile forget about getting extra income by introducing a third tax band so they don’t have to make as many cuts on the vulnerable. He doesn’t want to affect those that might vote FG again.
Noon get lost and dont come back you know your screwed just like you screwed us.
If you look close at the pic I think you can see the top of Enda kennys head….
No news item on the savage increases on health insurance announced today, did Enda tell the journal not to report it?
That’s because it’s not a new development today. We covered the current hikes previously as well as the tax credit for older customers.
Oh Lord. Time to renew my dual citizenship I think. We are screwed. I predict an emergency budget before August because we have not quite hit the bottom yet.
Agreed !!! They will miss next quarter and 2nd quarter.We will have emergency budget in summer when most of the will be blinded by the Joxer army sham show in Poland.It won’t work it’s getting worse bigger numbers on trollies dole queues airport departure terminals.Yet we persist with this “is feader linn ” bullshit foisted up us when Obama was in town as Tim Guidner was telling the ECB the Irish can’t be let default as American reinsurance companies were holding the risk.
Thanks Dave.
A simple but visionary comment.
Keep it ip
Gavan, you are wrong. The increase announced today is a new one.
Fair enough. Will look into it now.
Same headline could also read – ‘tax take rises by 7%’ – or ‘deficit target for 2011 reached’ – there’s a lot of ways to look at this one – I’m just amazed how quickly everything has suddenly become Enda Kenny’s fault!
Not Endas fault last March but when he continues the same bullshit as the previous lot it becomes his to own as well.He wrote the December budget not FF he had choices but chose the EU and the banks over the Irish people.
Everything became Enda Kenny’s fault when he lied to the electorate to get elected.
1) Create employment. There has been no reduction in dole queues.
2) “Politics of cronyism must end” 25 TDs have hired their relatives.
3) Cut 30,000 public sector jobs without forced redundancies or frontline cuts. Lies, Lies and more lies.
4) ” Rogue bankers brought to justice” No one brought to court yet !
5) “Everyone must bear the pain ” Yet he breaks ceiling caps on pay for his friends.
Kenny has lost the confidence of his supporters. I along with thousands of others will not vote for them again. Promise everything to get elected and deliver absolutely nothing.
@Caitriona, did you really think that the country’s problems were going to be solved within ten minutes of the general election? Yes people are incredibly frustrated and at the end of their tether, but no claim was ever made that it’d all be grand by the end of the year!
It takes time to create jobs, they don’t just appear out of thin air – in any case, 6,000 jobs have been created in the hospitality industry since the announcement of the lower VAT rate cut during the summer. With regards the public sector job cuts, neither FG or the Labour party ever for one second claimed that there would be no reduction in public sector numbers.
The current coalition is boxed in by the Troika – You knew that when you went to the polls, so why did you think it would be any different in reality? Neither Labour nor FG deceived the electorate, people like you have fabricated half-truths and nonsense to suggest this. Yes thinks really suck, but blaming the new guy won’t make it all go away.
There is a greater evil in this country that lurks behind the corner at all times that goes by the name of Fianna Fáil, if.
Conor, No I didnt expect things to be better after 10 minutes and never insinuated I did, but after 10 months I along with thousands of others expected improvements. If you read my comment properly before launching into your FG PR shite you would read , i never said FG said there would be no cuts to public service jobs.
FG promised cuts of 30,000 without forced redundancies or frontline cuts. Thats what they promised. The only cuts in the last 10 months have been to frontline services.
I take great exception to your comment and let me assure you I do not fabricate. I am sitting here with lots of FG election flyers that I was stupid enough to put through letterboxes. Currently the only evil I see are the bunch of teachers now running the country, none of whom have ever created a job or have the ability to ever create a job.
Conor. The only difference between FF and FG is the colour of their shirts. Sorry but true. He said, she said!!! Silly civil war pendulum swing. I’m bored of it. Fuming with Labour propping up Enda kenny. Wtf
I’m getting my coat Conor. If you’re FG and part of the club that fooled caitriona to canvass for ye, god help you. Hell hath no fury and all that…
I’m not FG myself, if it’s at all relevant I’m a fully-paid up member of the Labour party. Nevertheless, I’m getting quite tired of listening to people who voted either FG or Labour in the general election claiming that ‘promises have been broken’, or that they were misled by the two parties. Neither made any secret of the policies that they intended to follow or claimed that there would be dramatic improvements in the short-term.
Now we have people ranting and raving about the household charge, the same people who agree that the tax base isn’t broad enough and that stamp duties are unsustainable and yet they oppose moves towards more sustainable tax policies. Sometimes I despair of this country, their lack of loyalty and faith.
I look forward to Caitriona going up for the local elections on behalf of Fianna Fáíl in 2014.
Sorry Conor. You should change your shirt for your profile pic. Only joking! Always voted labour myself and feeling a bit let down tbh. I just console myself that budget would have been worse if FG had free reign but even that consolation is wearing thin atm. It’s a tough road being a labour supporter especially when they forget their party’s ethos. My sympathies.
Connor looks like you wouldn’t have to renew your membership in the Labour party after the next election as they told enough lies to put them in the same place as the Green Party.Jesus but you are a self deluding muppet.
You have to use the link by using the reply button Norman. Some people might appreciate a reply in their emails. Not being smart. :-)
Without getting into all the problems that do currently exist in Ireland, which we have all spent most of our time discussing and learning about, one of the main advantages of Ireland’s current predicament, which we will in time significantly recover from, is re-building our community structures and supporting each other! This in turn eventually leads to increased productivity and positive spending, business growth(farming etc…). 3 national resources we have are our seas, sea-bed, land and our education establishment. These cost money to run but can be used to generate a whole lot more when we export the products in time…. One thing we have to believe is that in time we will recover but grasping a chance to improve our nation is the best we can focus on right now, developing our community and supporting each other through these hard times will strengthen us in coming years and will pave a more positive future society for our children. We can focus on solving our inherent political legal banking healthcare financial social problems etc…in this time and with this community spirit. Perhaps my experience was just unfortunate but having returned to Ireland for 3 years in 2008 after having lived in a few places abroad, this negativity in Ireland together with, let’s face it, an insufferable amount of begrudgery, is the main difference I saw between us and countries with a better and more equal quality of life for all it’s inhabitants …. This is something I think we could easily improve on in Ireland. Our Celtic tiger capitalist days are no longer, we should consider more social and equality based methods than we are at present…. Anyhow, that’s my 10c, I’m no expert and I might be wrong but it’s my synopsis after escaping abroad again recent,y to happier times again…I’d love to cone back to that place some day, but not until things change unfortunately…rant over!;)
Sadly people like you don’t go into politics in this country,only self serving scumbags are presented to us as our prespective leaders,but hey good luck in whatever you do see you in ten years.
The black and grey market would easily make up the balance. It’s rampant across all industries. As a sme owner myself, I pay my taxes and do my returns yet the guy next to me puts the cash straight into his pocket, I ask him sometimes, why doesn’t he pay taxes and he says “why should I have to pay back the banks mistakes”
I continually read these mixed comments, predominantly negative and who can blame them? The thing I wonder about, and would love to hear from the experts out there is if the Irish economy is salvagable without some kind of default scenario?
I’m not an expert but I can tell you a default is inevitable.
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