It may be Winter but many motorists are already thinking ahead to Spring, the prospect of long balmy Summer days and the pleasure of open-top, wind-in-the-hair motoring.
One model that is sure to catch the eye is the restyled Mercedes-Benz two-seater SLK Roadster, versions of which can be seen in dealerships around the country.
First launched in 1996, followed by a second generation in 2005, the SLK Roadster is already a familiar sight on Irish roads. In its new form, it has been given a more pronounced arrow-shaped front and diffuser-style rear. Its modified interior includes a new three-spoke steering wheel and instrument cluster. Enhanced audio and telematics systems provide better in-car entertainment.
Available in four-cylinder and six-cylinder versions, all engines are more economical and emit lower levels of CO2. Prices begin at EUR52,970 ex works. An AMG version also forms part of the model mix.
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ACCORDING to Irish Advanced Motorists, there’s no doubt that modern cars are structurally far superior to models widely available in years gone by. One of the recent trends in structural safety has had a possible downside in terms of driver vision – the growth of the A pillar.
The A pillar is the engineering term for the area dividing the windscreen and the windows. In recent years the A pillars have become sturdier in a bid to improve the structure of the car as a whole.
In response, car designers have made them thicker. But the A pillar has created a blind spot which campaigners have pointed out obstructs the vision of thousands of drivers.
A study commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) from the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in the UK found that while the A pillar can obscure vision, there is rarely only one factor that contributes to an accident.
The study therefore found that there was not enough evidence to suggest that changes to current legislation regarding A pillar design would be of benefit. That means the onus is on drivers to cater for possible A pillar restriction. So what should we do?
More than 90 per cent of the information from the car’s external environment is viewed by the driver through the windscreen and windows. So, firstly, you should be aware of the potential restriction the A pillar may cause in your ability to scan the road ahead.
It is vital to check that nothing is hidden from view by the A pillar before making a manoeuvre. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are easy to “lose” in the space behind a pillar. Make sure you take time to look around the pillar, not just take a quick “snap-shot” look which could allow a cyclist to be hidden from view.
As you are driving in a straight line in approach to a junction, look further ahead, and scan to the left and right on your approach. That way you will see things through the windscreens before they become “lost” behind the pillars.
Remember that good, all round vision is vital. The onus is on you, as the driver, to see what is there.
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Motorists still in the market to buy
THE trusty Automobile Association had good news for the economy and car dealers. Apparently, 21 per cent of Irish motorists want to change their car this year, despite the trough, according to an AA survey of 3,500 car owners. A further 12 per cent said they would postpone changing because of the economic slowdown.
AA spokesman Conor Faughnan said he was surprised by the results.
Bank pulls five year car loans
PERMANENT tsb has stopped offering five-year car loans. It has advised car dealers that the decision was taken based on the heavy depreciation of used cars and doubts about buyers’ long-term financial stability during the credit crunch.
A spokesperson for the bank said: “In light of the current economic environment, we believe it is in the customers’ interests to repay loans as quick as possible and are therefore focused on terms of shorter than five years”.
The new policy will apply to car loans offered privately through Permanent tsb or in financing arrangements from dealerships. Customers can still apply for unsecured loans over five years.
From March onwards, Permanent tsb Finance Ltd will be the new finance provider for Mazda Motor Ireland and its 35 dealers such as Lucey Motors in Charleville. The business will trade as Mazda Financial Services.
Irish buyers going British
MOTORPOINT, the British car supermarket group, reports a big increase in the number of people from the Republic of Ireland buying vehicles, as sterling declines against the euro.
It claims that in the final quarter of 2008, its online operation received nearly 400 calls from Irish customers. Web traffic from the republic has grown by 23 per cent since September.
“This trend has shown no sign of slowing in 2009, with over 15 calls a week currently being received. In addition, so-called ‘qualifying’ vehicles like the VW Passat are exempt from VAT for EU nationals when purchased in the UK — making the prices more affordable”, says the company’s online general manager Jon Baird said. “Given the current state of the global economy, expect cross-border trading to become even more active this year”.
