Latest news with #Dacia
Auto Car
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
The joys of dune bashing: why it's more fun to drive on sand than ice
Can you really love something that you've done only a handful of times? I certainly enjoyed getting married and, as my better half will (hopefully) be reassured to read, don't plan to do it again. I'm confident that I'd have a blast parachuting, even bungee jumping, without necessarily feeling the need to sign up for a repeat performance (the bungee certainly wouldn't). When it comes to sand duning, however, I'd roll up time and again. It's precisely what it sounds like: the act of driving a car up and, in all likelihood, back down a sand dune. And it's great fun. (My Apple Mac's autocorrect is insistent that I mean 'sand dunning'. Rest assured if you're in the debt collection business, that there must be richer seams to plunder than the vast emptiness of the Namib.) This is, most famously, the thing that so many 4x4 enthusiasts head out of their air-conditioned metropolises to engage in at the weekend. Will my Toyota Land Cruiser get up Big Red? Or the Moreeb? Or Dune 7? Moreover, will it go up quicker on my new tyres? Or with my trick locking diffs? Or if I'm wearing my raciest pair of flip-flops? To much of the world, the act itself probably seems a bit puerile, but that's perspective talking. Is it any more gratuitous than driving around in two-mile circles for your kicks? It doesn't seem so to me, and less so, I must say, every time I do a bit more of it. My first go was, I think, 15 years ago, on the Moroccan press launch of the original Dacia Duster. Not the worst sand duning device, as it turned out, because it's quite light and easy to keep moving. I've since done more in the UAE (in a Maserati Levante) and in South Africa (on the launch of the Land Rover Defender Octa). Somehow I've yet to get anything stuck or beached or cave in a sump or a set of suspension turrets by disappearing too quickly over an unsighted summit or into a gully. It's nice to leave the odd excitement for years to come, after all.
Top Gear
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Buy Toyota Aygo X Price, PPC or HP
Buying What should I be paying? Prices kick off at £16,845, with the auto gearbox an extra £1,110 on top. That's slightly pricier than a boggo Dacia Sandero and Kia Picanto, although Toyota will say the crossover style and practicalities justify the extra expense. And it's still cheaper than a Hyundai i10 or Suzuki Swift. In terms of monthly costs, you'll be able to get an entry-level Aygo X for around £143 per month if you can stump up £5,000 ahead of a three-year agreement. Advertisement - Page continues below What's the difference between kit? The base-spec Aygo X Pure gets 17in alloy wheels, a 9in touchscreen with wireless smartphone pairing, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and all the safety systems you could want (or possibly not) including emergency steering assist, lane keep assist, pedestrian and cyclist detection and driver attention alert. Add a couple of grand and the mid-spec Edge gets all of the above plus 18in bi-tone alloy wheels, gloss black front upper grille, front fog lights, auto wipers and privacy glass. Exclusive trim will set you back £19,745 and includes keyless entry and start, LED projector headlights, the 10.5in touchscreen, wireless charging and front and rear parking sensors to justify the extra. New for 2025 is a JBL Edition, which tops the range out from £21,195. For that you get a very unusual (and strangely fetching) pearly lavender paintjob, plus a sweet 300W sound system with five speakers and a subwoofer under the front passenger seat. Not to mention much JBL badging and black alloys. One for da kidz, perhaps? Advertisement - Page continues below Pure models are only available in white, silver, black or blue, but the Edge and the Exclusive trims get the option of bi-tone colours. They include Juniper Blue, Ginger Beige, Persian Salt, Tarragon (Green) and Chilli Red, paired with matte black C-pillar and roof, and they're well worth speccing for the extra character they add, especially if your budget doesn't stretch to the range-topper. What's the best spec? In today's times the simplicity of the Aygo X's configurator is very refreshing. You've just one engine, a manual or auto gearbox, and three trim levels to choose between. So, you want the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine (not that you have a choice), the manual gearbox (we've made no secret of that), and, we reckon, mid-spec Edge trim, which allows you to spec one of the funkier bi-tone colours. Job done.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Chinese car brands double market share in Europe: JATO Dynamics
Chinese automakers have expanded their presence in the European market, doubling their market share to 5.9% in May 2025, according to JATO Dynamics. This growth is an increase from the 2.9% recorded in May 2024, highlighting the rising influence of Chinese brands in Europe. Europe's new car market saw a 2.5% year-on-year increase in registrations last month, with a total of 1,107,517 new vehicles registered across 28 European markets. This brings the year-to-date figure to 5,535,831 units, representing a 0.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024. JATO Dynamics' global analyst Felipe Munoz said: 'Despite the EU's imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, its car brands continue to post strong growth across Europe. Their momentum is partly due to their decision to push alternative powertrains, such as plug-in hybrids and full hybrids, to the region.' Volkswagen Group, Renault Group, and BMW Group all experienced growth in May, with volume increases of 3.3%, 4.6%, and 6.3%, respectively. MG registered 29,400 vehicles in May, marking a 30% year-on-year increase and surpassing Fiat in year-to-date registrations with 133,400 units compared to Fiat's 125,300. BYD saw a 397% surge in registrations year-on-year, although it dropped 40 units short of Tesla in May after outselling the US brand in April. Other notable performers in May included Skoda, which ranked second in brand rankings, and Dacia, which experienced a rise in volumes. Cupra overtook Seat in year-to-date brand rankings, recording a 30% increase in registrations. In addition, Jaecoo outperformed Honda with 7,449 registrations while Omoda recorded 4,213 units, surpassing Mitsubishi. Leapmotor registered 1,723 units but did not outperform its sister brands from Stellantis such as DS. Furthermore, INEOS was ahead of Jaguar, which registered only 86 units, and while Maserati saw a 40% decline, Lotus and Abarth experienced dips of 48% and 78%, respectively. In model rankings, the Renault Clio led in May with a nearly 12% increase in volume. Although Dacia experienced a 10% sales drop, it clinched second place in model rankings and maintained its lead in year-to-date standings. The Volkswagen Tiguan and Dacia Duster also showed strong results, whereas the Volkswagen Golf and T-Roc saw declines of 18% and 10%, respectively. In May, standout performers included the MG ZS, BMW X1, Seat/Cupra Leon, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Kodiaq, Jeep Avenger, MG 3, and Mini Cooper. Among recent market entries, the Skoda Elroq topped the charts with 9,200 units registered in May and 24,100 year-to-date. Earlier this month, Startline's June Used Car Tracker revealed that more than seven out of ten UK motorists are open to purchasing vehicles from emerging Chinese car manufacturers. In the survey, 72% of respondents expressed willingness to consider Chinese cars, with BYD emerging as the most recognised brand among potential buyers at 28% awareness, followed by Maxus at 19% and Chery at 14%. "Chinese car brands double market share in Europe: JATO Dynamics " was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Herald
Renault Duster 1.3T Intens excels as an urban adventurer
The Renault Duster is jointly produced by Renault and Romanian subsidiary brand Dacia. It should be the last word in the segment considering Eastern Europe gave birth to the dominant crossover segment with the Russian Lada Niva. With 54 segment alternatives from Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and China to contend with, is the third-generation Renault Duster model on test this week up to the challenge? Three models are on sale, and differently configured. Our Cedar green car is the Renault Duster 1.3T Intens, a front-wheel drive, seven-speed automatic mid-tier offering costing R520,000. The entry level Duster Zen that shares similar mechanicals is R30k cheaper while the range-topping Duster 1.2T Zen that comes with a hybrid drivetrain, 4WD underpinnings and a manual transmission exclusively costs R30k more. The chunky design continues inside the cabin that's transformed dramatically from old, with a neat minimalist approach. It is ergonomic and sensible with remote finger controls for the climate system, mirrors, central locking and volume control, but many of the settings have moved into digital menus within the standard fitment 10.1' infotainment touch screen. A 7' digital instrument cluster is for the driver and amenities include a 360° camera, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, air-conditioning and electric windows. The seats and steering wheel are manually adjusted and the seating was comfy and well-judged. Other likable bits are the roominess for four or five passengers, and a 472l boot, though the tailgate isn't electric.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Renault Duster 1.3T Intens excels as an urban adventurer
The Renault Duster is jointly produced by Renault and Romanian subsidiary brand Dacia. It should be the last word in the segment considering Eastern Europe gave birth to the dominant crossover segment with the Russian Lada Niva. With 54 segment alternatives from Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and China to contend with, is the third-generation Renault Duster model on test this week up to the challenge? Three models are on sale, and differently configured. Our Cedar green car is the Renault Duster 1.3T Intens, a front-wheel drive, seven-speed automatic mid-tier offering costing R520,000. The entry level Duster Zen that shares similar mechanicals is R30k cheaper while the range-topping Duster 1.2T Zen that comes with a hybrid drivetrain, 4WD underpinnings and a manual transmission exclusively costs R30k more. The chunky design continues inside the cabin that's transformed dramatically from old, with a neat minimalist approach. It is ergonomic and sensible with remote finger controls for the climate system, mirrors, central locking and volume control, but many of the settings have moved into digital menus within the standard fitment 10.1' infotainment touch screen. A 7' digital instrument cluster is for the driver and amenities include a 360° camera, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, air-conditioning and electric windows. The seats and steering wheel are manually adjusted and the seating was comfy and well-judged. Other likable bits are the roominess for four or five passengers, and a 472 l boot, though the tailgate isn't electric.
