Derry Journal Motoring with Jim McCauley: New models arriving - VW Golf, Smart #1 Pro, Dacia Duster, Hyundai Bayon

To date, more than 37 million Golfs have been sold across eight generations. It remains a solid pillar for the Volkswagen brand, adapting as a driver of innovation in each new phase.

The latest addition to the ‘smart #1’ line-up, the ‘#1 Pro’, has just launched, priced from £31,950. It represents a new entry point for the range and uses the same single motor, rear-wheel drive drivetrain as the ‘Pro+’. It takes advantage of a smaller, 49kWh battery to reduce costs and has a 193-mile WLTP range. Its 200kW output delivers a 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds, while 130kW DC charging allows for a 10-80% top up time of less than 30 minutes.

Standard equipment features a suite of driving assistance systems including ‘Adaptive Cruise Control, a panoramic sunroof, heated seats, 360-degree surround camera, intelligent voice assistance, LED lights and a powered tailgate. It comes with a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating, three-year unlimited mileage warranty, and complimentary Over the Air system updates.

Hyundai has unveiled the new Bayon with revised front and rear detailing, incorporating new LED light clusters. This smallest member of Hyundai’s SUV family features a comprehensive list of safety technologies including Lane Following Assist (LFA), and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with car, pedestrian, and cyclist detection, as well as Junction Turning, which can apply the brakes to prevent a collision with an oncoming car when turning at an intersection.

A total of nine exterior colours are available, including four new colours: Lumen Grey Pearl, Meta Blue Pearl, Lucid Lime Metallic and Vibrant Blue Pearl. An optional two-tone roof in Phantom Black is also available with several exterior colours.

To tempt customers into the all-new Duster model, Dacia has introduced Dacia Flex, a new finance product that minimises commitment to long-term vehicle ownership. Only available on the current Duster, Dacia Flex builds on the convenience of a Personal Contract Hire (PCH) plan with the option to end the lease after only six months.

The company is hoping that anyone who takes up the offer will use the opportunity to change the vehicle for the all-new Duster when it is launched later this year. As with a PCH, there are no potential issues about owning or selling the vehicle, meaning that at the end of the term customers simply hand back the keys.

Customers have the choice to select the model of choice including engine type, colour and required specification. They can then choose an advance rental, which is then followed by a monthly rental cost based on mileage and the length of the lease. The advance rental can be as little as one monthly payment with road tax also included.