PEACE OF MIND FOR VW OWNERS
THE Volkswagen Amarok has been named Continental Irish Commercial SUV of the Year 2012. In deciding on the category winner, the jury members took into account such attributes as load capacity, reliability, overall versatility, cost of ownership and drive comfort, which the Amarok had in abundance.
And now,Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are offering customers peace of mind from as little as €499. The new low-cost warranty add-ons are available for the Caddy, Amarok,Transporter, Shuttle, Caravelle and Crafter models.
For all Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle customers, an extended warranty offers peace of mind against unforeseen vehicle repairs.This also helps to extend the life of the vehicle.
Prices start at just €499.87 to extend the Caddy, €598.64 to extend the Transporter's warranty by one year or €623 to extend the pre-2012 Crafter warranty by one year. Customers who choose to extend their warranty by two years can avail of even greater value.Two extra years on a Caddy will cost just €704.18, €861.12 on a Transporter or €900 on the pre-2012 Crafter.
For 2012, the latest model Crafter enjoys a three-year warranty as standard, but this can also be extended by one (€623) or two years (€900).
THE new Honda Civic has arrived, and Ireland is the first country in Europe to launch the ninth generation car. First to arrive is the exciting and highly-specified ES 2.2litre diesel, closely followed by the 1.4litre and 1.8litre petrol versions in February. The range will be completed in March when all grade levels will be available. 
MAZDA is bringing the fun factor to drivers in 2012 by offering one lucky customer the chance to win the retail price of their car back in cash during February and March. And the good news continues during February and March as the Mazda2 is available from only €13,495.
EVER feel like you are a bit of a Doh-pey driver when it comes to directions? Well fear not. Ireland's favourite sat nav, TomTom, has comes up with a novel idea to get you there.
THINKING of buying a new car? Well, there's never been a better time to get to the showrooms as manufacturers are offering great deals right now. 
FORD'S all-new B-Max (right) is set to debut at this years Geneva Motor Show. The ingenious design and unrivalled technology of the B-Max sets new standards for compact, city-friendly cars. Ford's compact multi-activity vehicle will go on sale later this year.
The Celtic Tiger years are a thing of past - unfortunately. As the country scrapes the barrel to makes ends meet, the number of luxury cars on our roads has plummeted. When money was free flowing and golf clubs were used as car showrooms, the roads were filled with high-end motors we'd all love to own.The choice of many was an Audi SUV.
If you're feeling flush and can spare an extra €3,300, you can upgrade to the S Line trim which gives the Q3 an even sportier look and bigger alloys.You'll also get Xenon headlights and LED tail lights and stiffer suspension.The stand-out feature, and one you wouldn't expect from an SUV, even a compact one, was drivability.The Q3 has a cracking 2.0TDI (177bhp) engine, and with Quattro all-wheel drive and seven-speed automatic gearbox, is as good as it gets. 
The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class, which made its debut at last year's Frankfurt Motor show, has been launched on the Irish market and can now be seen in dealer showrooms. First of three new models due here this year (the new M-Class and SL follow in March/April), it is the larger of their two compact models, fitting into the range ahead of the well-known A-Class.
Arguably, its most impressive selling point and the feature most likely to appeal to B-Class buyers will be its high quality and spacious interior. Seats are more upright and set lower to the road with the result that headroom has been improved. Its extra interior spaciousness can be made more valuable by an optional feature that allows the rear seats to be adjusted forwards/backwards to facilitate the carriage of bulky items.