Latest news with #Syros
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Telegraph
The unspoilt Greek island just 30 minutes from hellish Mykonos
As I relaxed on the golden sands of Agathopes beach, contentedly watching my two young daughters collect shells, it crossed my mind that Greece's overtourism crisis might be overblown. Yes, it was a weekday in late May rather than the height of summer, but the sun was shining, we were on one of the most popular beaches on the lovely island of Syros, and we had the whole place to ourselves. Syros isn't some far-flung outpost, either. It has its own airport. It's only two hours by ferry from Athens, where it's standing-room-only on the winding streets of the Plaka neighbourhood, and atop the Acropolis. Mykonos – that byword for the perils of mass tourism – is even closer, with the ferry taking just 30 minutes. Yet somehow it still flies relatively under the radar. It wasn't always so. Rewind a century or two and this was perhaps the most important spot in the Cyclades. During the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, Syros adopted a policy of neutrality, sparking a massive wave of migration to the island. Scores of merchants and shipbuilders set up shop in its biggest port, Ermoupoli, triggering a golden age that lasted until the 20th century. While its influence has waned, Ermoupoli remains the administrative capital of the region, and still houses the hulking Neorion shipyard. The civil service and the docks act as a sort of shield against overtourism. As the economy is not overreliant on sunseekers, there's less of an incentive to chase them. It can pick and choose, targeting the upper end of the market. Only smaller cruise ships are allowed, with just eight scheduled to visit during August (Santorini, on the other hand, will welcome precisely 96). There are no large holiday resorts or hotel chains – but lots of splendid villas. Furthermore, the airport's runway isn't long enough for international flights. The tourists who do arrive, therefore, are either Greeks or discerning Western Europeans who are turned off by the prospect of sharing an island with hordes of self-obsessed Instagrammers, and not deterred by a little extra effort. Or a lot of extra effort, when you have a one-year-old and a four-year-old in tow. Because the only thing more stressful than trying to keep two young children happy on a cramped Ryanair flight is bolting on a one-hour transfer to a hectic ferry port, a two-hour boat ride, and 20 sweaty minutes spent fitting two unfamiliar child seats into the back of a Fiat Panda. Fortunately, we had a shining prize waiting for us in the shape of Villa Georgios, on the southwestern corner of Syros. It's a villain's lair of a holiday home, gazing down on the island with impunity from its hilltop eyrie, yet almost invisible, such is its sympathetic design (sky-blue paint job, immaculately crafted dry stone walls, and use of granite, timber and bamboo to blend perfectly with the rugged backdrop). Owner Georgios Tsiogkas told me it was built, along with a sister property next door, back in 2012, at the height of the Greek financial crisis, and recalled with pride how his project helped keep many local businesses afloat. He also spoke of the island's subtle charms and big soul: 'Syros isn't loud in its beauty; it reveals itself slowly, deeply. That's what makes it special.' The luxury trappings were all present and correct. Infinity pool. Concierge service. Love Island -style firepit. More plush outdoor seating areas than seems strictly necessary. But it is also the owner's home from home, not just a holiday apartment, so it has plenty of character and personal touches. Best of all is the view, one to thrill even the most jaded soul: a glittering bay, scattered with yachts – and what seems like the entire Cyclades archipelago. Incredibly, you can spy 11 other islands for your poolside sunlounger: (in order) Naxos, Paros, Antiparos, Ios, Milos, Kimolos, Sifnos, Serifos and Kithnos, plus – on the clearest days, Georgios insisted – the outline of Santorini, 75 miles to the south. It's the sort of luxury digs one expects to find on neighbouring Mykonos, not here. Yet it is actually one of nine properties on Syros offered by high-end French firm Le Collectionist, all dotted around this corner of the island. Max Aniort, the company's CEO, explained that it had honed in on the island as part of an 'ongoing quest to discover unexplored destinations that offer authentic experiences.' I spotted other sprawling villas being built too, clear signs of a desire to target the top end of the market. While our villa was opulent, the rest of the island is classic Greece. Little is done in a hurry – least of all by the ponderous local driver we saw at the wheel of a battered old car without a rear windscreen. Figs grow wild on the roadside, providing deep green contrasts to the flashes of pink oleander. We saw locals gossiping in rustic tavernas, and gaggles of schoolchildren meandering home from class. Our days followed that simple Greek island holiday formula. A morning on a beach, a long lunch in a taverna, some half-hearted suggestions – hastily retracted – that maybe we ought to do something ('that church we saw on the ferry coming in looked lovely…'; 'there's a Textile Museum on TripAdvisor that's highly rated…'), before settling for another afternoon by the pool pondering whether Mythos or Mamos is the superior beer. We rotated between three nearby beaches: Kini, Galissas and Agathopes, all sandy, very pretty, and with shallow water perfect for children. Galissas, hemmed in by hills, with a tiny chapel perched on one headland, has the most dramatic setting, but Kini, attached to a pleasant little village and with a clutch of surprisingly good tavernas, was our favourite. Its swankiest dining option is Allou Yialou, but we preferred Dyo Tzitzikia Sta Armyrikia next door, where a family-sized feast of Greek salad, anchovies, generous bowls of tzatziki and fava, plus a delicious, doorstop-sized zucchini pie (plus drinks) came to less than £40 – only enough for a couple of cocktails in Mykonos. Though it lacks ancient sites, Syros does recompense those who want to tear themselves from this lazy routine. I did my best to forge one of my four-year-old's first memories by taking her for a magical little hike, through butterfly-dusted fields and down steep slopes to the chapel of Agios Stefanos. It was built inside a sea cave by a fisherman to thank God after he survived – so the story goes – a tussle with a giant octopus. My daughter was rewarded for her own efforts with a dusty visitor book to sign and a noisy bell to ring. Ano Syros, a hilltop medieval settlement above Ermopouli, is another must-see. It's the very definition of a classic Greek island village: thousands of lung-busting steps, snoozing cats at every turn, a score of cute cafés, picture-perfect plane trees and explosions of bougainvillea, all crowned by a glorious church (Agios Georgios). It would be crawling with selfie-snapping tourists if it were on Mykonos, but on our Tuesday lunchtime visit we barely saw a soul and found only one restaurant open – fortunately an excellent one, Maison De Μεζέ, whose Greek salad was so good we immediately ordered another. Boat trips with local firm Syros Quest open up the string of deserted beaches scattered around the island's northern edges; the uninhabited island of Didymi, home to a working lighthouse built in 1834; and snorkelling spots including the shipwreck of the passenger ferry Lyktos 1. Best of all is Ermoupouli itself. That aforementioned golden age bestowed upon the town a remarkable architectural heritage. The streets are paved with dazzling white marble. There are dozens of neoclassical mansions – once home to 19th-century entrepreneurs – to admire. The magnificent Apollon Theater, a miniature version of La Scala in Milan, still hosts opera and can be toured for a few euros. The church of Agios Nikolaos, the blue dome of which we spotted from the ferry, is another ornate treasure. 'It's like being back in 1880,' a woman from Athens, visiting for an architecture festival, told me as we both gazed at the imposing town hall. 'There's nothing like this anywhere else in the Cyclades.' And no fast-food restaurants or tacky tourist shops to spoil the illusion. Back on Agathopes beach, we were finally joined by other sunseekers – not tourists, but a local lady with her toddler. 'It's wonderful at this time of year, nice and warm but with no sunloungers on the sand,' she said. 'Things won't be so great in a few weeks when that place opens for the summer.' She gestured to Ono, a swanky-looking bar and restaurant at one end of the beach, where a few workers were gussying up the terraces and dusting off the cocktail menus. Nevertheless, she conceded, Syros is 'definitely not Mykonos'. It certainly isn't. Though there are more beautiful Greek islands, this is an authentic, lived-in destination. And even with a few places like Ono, it seems to be finding a good balance. It's a 'Goldilocks' Greek island, not harking back to any pre-mass tourism era, but certainly a time before overtourism. Not too sleepy, not too busy. Just right. How to do it One-week stays at Villa Georgios (sleeps 10) start at £10,075. Le Collectionist offers eight other properties on Syros, including Villa Ilektra, next door. Syros is served by daily ferries from both Athens (from two hours) and Mykonos (from 30 minutes). See
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Kia Syros EV spotted for the first time, will launch after Carens Clavis EV
The design of the Syros EV will stay more or less the same as the ICE-powered Syros. (X/@evelectree) Notify me Kia India has started testing the Syros EV out on the public roads. This means that the final specs are almost ready and it is being tested to ensure that it performs fine in real-life conditions. The brand will first launch the Carens Clavis EV and then the Syros EV will go on sale, probably before the year ends. The test mule of the Syros EV that was spotted was covered with camouflage so the design details are still hidden. Once launched, the Syros EV will be going against the MG Windsor EV and the Tata Punch EV. The electric version of the Syros EV is expected to get subtle changes to the bumpers and alloy wheel design so that it can be differentiated from the ICE version of the Syros. The feature list of the Syros EV will remain more or less the same as the ICE-powered Syros. So, there would be Advanced Driver Aids System Level 2, 360-degree parking camera, wireless charger, digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, a large touchscreen infotainment system with EV-specific software among others. Apart from this, it is expected that the Syros EV will get segment-first reclining, sliding and ventilated second-row seats. Also Read : Kia Carens Clavis EV to launch on July 15, to come as brand's first made-in-India electric car. Everything we know Kia Carens Clavis EV to launch soon Kia is preparing for the introduction of the Kia Carens Clavis EV in India on July 15. This will be another significant offering from the South Korean automotive leader under the Hyundai group. The Carens Clavis EV will represent several firsts for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). It will be the first electric vehicle produced in India by the brand. Additionally, the Carens Clavis EV will be Kia's inaugural electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Kia India has stated in a social media post that the Carens Clavis EV will have a range of up to 490 km on a single charge. Anticipate that the electric motor in the Kia Carens Clavis EV will deliver approximately 133 bhp of peak power in the 42 kWh battery pack variant, and 169 bhp of peak power in the 51 kWh battery pack variant. Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India. First Published Date: 05 Jul 2025, 13:20 PM IST
The Citizen
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Confirmed: Kia Syros Crossover heading to South Africa
Positioned between the Sonet and Seltos, Kia has confirmed the Syros is heading to South Africa. Here's what we know so far. In February, CAR Mag reported that, while the Kia Syros remained unconfirmed for South Africa at the time, the Seltos' smaller sibling is likely to make its way to our shores, considering the India-built crossover/SUV is already available in right-hand drive and our market's ever-increasing preference towards vehicles of this ilk. Now, at the recent local launch of the facelifted fourth-generation Sorento, the local arm of the South Korean carmaker confirmed that the Syros will, indeed, make its way to South Africa. So, what do we know so far about the upcoming crossover/SUV? Well, for starters, the Syros will be positioned between the popular Sonet and Seltos in Kia South Africa's crossover/SUV model portfolio. The Syros is based on a reinforced version of the Hyundai-Kia K1 platform, which currently underpins the Hyundai Exter and Grand i10. However, the Syros' 3 995mm-long frame is 115mm shorter, front to rear, compared to the Sonet's. Though, contributing to its purposeful stance, the Syros' sheet metal is 10mm wider (1 800 vs 1 790mm) than the Sonet and stands 55mm taller (1 665 vs 1 610mm) than the latter compact crossover/SUV. The Syros' 2 550mm wheelbase is also 50mm longer (at 2 550mm) than the Sonet's. The Syros was unveiled with the choice of two engine options: an 88kW/172N.m, 1l, three-cylinder turbopetrol and an 85kW/250N.m, 1.5l, four-cylinder turbocharged oil-burner, both of which available with a six-speed manual transmission. Though, the petrol and diesel can also be had with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and six-speed self-shifter, respectively. The South Korean automaker's local arm has yet to confirm which powertrain will be employed by the local Syros lineup, but we expect it will be the 1l turbo-triple, the latter probably available with both the six-speed manual in entry-level models and seven-speed dual-clutch in higher-spec derivatives. Seen here, the Syros sports a 12.3-inch, touch-enabled infotainment display, digital instrumentation, wireless smartphone charging and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. However, local specifications have yet to be confirmed. Click here and browse thousands of new and used vehicles with CARmag! The post Confirmed! Kia Syros Crossover Heading to SA appeared first on CAR Magazine. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
The Citizen
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
‘Reinvented Soul': Kia Syros gets the go-ahead for South Africa
MPV-styled Syros will slot-in between the Sonet and Seltos, however, an official date of reveal has not yet been mentioned. Syros has been styled to resemble not only Kia's EV range, but also the Tasman bakkie. Image: Kia India Revealed at the end of last year as the successor for the Soul outside Europe and North America, Kia has confirmed availability of the Syros for South Africa well before the end of the year. NOT and MPV Classified as an SUV and not an MPV as per its name starting with an 'S' and not the MPV denoting 'C', the Syros adheres to India's sub-four metre regulations by measuring 3 995 mm long, 1 800 mm wide and 1 665 mm tall. ALSO READ: New type of Soul released as Kia finally unboxes mini-EV5 Syros Its wheelbase stretching 2 550 mm, the Syros will be positioned between the Sonet and Seltos, thereby making it the direct replacement for the Soul that bowed-out in 2019 before the current third generation went on-sale. Petrol only? According to the confirmation report by Car Magazine, an official date of reveal wasn't disclosed, though projections point to the Syros possibly being a petrol-only affair so as not to overlap with the Seltos that offers both petrol and diesel engines. Syros' rear and side profile harks back not only to the Soul, but also certain Japanese kei cars. Image: Kia India As such, South Africa will seemingly be privy to the 1.0 T-GDI only that develops the same 88kW/172Nm as in the Sonet. Sending the amount of twist to the front wheels falls to a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual-clutch, the latter potentially the only option the local market could get as in the Sonet. Expected spec While available in four trim grades in India, a more condensed line-up will be applicable to South Africa possibly with a mixture of the LS, LX, SX, EX and EX+ denominators used on the Sonet and Seltos. Based on the Indian-market version, expect specification to consist of ambient lighting, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights, a wireless smartphone, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, ventilated rear seats and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Interior has been styled along the lines of Kia's EV-line of electric vehicles. Image: Kia India On the safety side, and again depending on the grade structure, the Syros will feature the following: six airbags; tyre pressure monitor; 360-degree surround-view camera; Adaptive Cruise Control; Front Collision Warning; Lane Keep Assist; Front Collision Avoidance Assist; Lead Vehicle Departure Alert; Blind Spot Monitoring; Junction Assist; Lane Departure Warning; Rear Cross Traffic Alert; Driver Attention Alert; Hill Start Assist; Auto High Beam Assist; Electronic Stability Control A drive mode selector with three settings; Eco, Normal and Sport, alloy wheels up to 17-inches and what Kia calls a traction mode with three settings, Mud, Sand and Snow, rounds the Syros off. Speculated price Likely to be selectively detailed within the coming months in the form of teasers, pricing for the Syros remains unknown, however, as per its placing between the Sonet and Seltos, expect it possibly start from around the R350 000 or R370 000 mark. ALSO READ: Clavis makes way for Syros as Kia starts teasing newest SUV
India Today
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
New Kia Seltos spied testing in India. Check what is new
The Seltos has been Kia India's volume driver ever since its market entry in 2019. While the popular SUV received a mid-life update in 2023, the company seems to be testing the next-generation version, which has now been importance of Seltos in Kia's operations in India can be gauged by the fact that it has contributed nearly 47% to the company's volumes since the sales started in from the Seltos, Kia offers models like the Sonet, Syros, Carens, Carens Clavis, Carnival, EV6 and EV9. The spied images, courtesy Instagram user nitrorush_01, showcases the updated front fascia of the new Kia Seltos. The SUV's design will be based on the 'Opposites United' philosophy of the distinctive aspect is the vertically positioned LED DRL next to the newly designed LED headlamp. The grille has been redesigned as well. We expect the new model to come with changes at the rear as well with a new design for the LED the Seltos is already a feature-loaded SUV, we expect the new model to raise the bar again, like it did six years ago when it first entered the market. advertisement At present, the Seltos has three engine options -- Smartstream 1.5-litre Turbo-GDi petrol (160PS/253Nm), Smartstream 1.5-litre NA petrol (115PS/144Nm) and Smartstream 1.5-litre CRDi VGT diesel (116PS/250Nm). The turbo petrol unit gets 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT, the NA petrol unit 6-speed MT and IVT, and the diesel unit 6-speed MT and 6-speed AT. Kia might diversify the powertrain options in the new expect the new Kia Seltos launch in India to take place in 2026. While the SUV is currently priced between Rs 11,18,900 and Rs 20,55,900 (ex-showroom), the new model will come at a new Kia Seltos will continue to rival the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Tata Curvv and Honda Elevate, among to Auto Today Magazine
