Louth Motors: Eight new car releases to look out for

Some tasty new cars have found their way, or will very shortly, onto dealers forecourts and I have eight for you. They are the DS4, Megane E-Tech, Alfa Romeo Tonale, Citroen C5X, the Range Rover & Range Rover Sport, Nissan Ariya and finally the ID Buzz.

Oh and in case I forget there is the small matter of the Aston Martin DBX - oh yes, we are talking Top Gear and Grand Tour territory now.

This selection is just a quick heads up if you have plans to get your hands on a new model with the 231 reg.

I feel I should buy a new car with that reg as it was the number of the hall door where I grew up. Even I can forget the head when it comes to buying a car. 

The Tonale is Alfa Romeo's entry into the compact SUV sector and just by being an Alfa Romeo it'll send pulses racing. How do they always, always take design to the next level when they launch a car? X1/Q3/GLA better watch out.

You'd never pair Alfa Romeo and Volkswagen in a design war but they have a sure fire, I want that car, winner in the ID Buzz. Seen on sight, you'll want it and you'll be googling where and how you could sell a kidney to get one.

Apart from it's super modern, retro looks, it is all-electric, looks like the fried out kombi it's paying homage to, and has the funkiest selection of colours ever. I don't think there is a colour that you'd not want or doesn't suit the car perfectly.

Renault has considerable form in the all-electric space and the new Megane E-Tech combines looks and propulsion to create a very beautiful and desirable car. I'd a few days with it and can report a strong attraction to it.

Watch this one sell and sell. The executive space is getting harder and harder to define because, for me, the prices of all cars seem to be in that space now. One vying for your attention is the DS4.

Its USP is its looks & interior which is quite unlike anything else on sale and if vive la difference is your thing, you'll be in a DS4.

Nissan who in some ways paved the electric way with the Leaf, have taken volts and amps to the next level with the Aryia.

It's an SUV, of course, but this is a huge leap forward for Nissan and I feel will recover some of  the sales lost to their competitors who copied their pioneering mantle.

The interior is a seismic change for Nissan and will be copied, like the Leaf, mercilessly by the competitors. It would be my first choice electric car, it's that good.

Citroen, with the new C5X, may be onto a niche all of their own. In these environmentally sensitive days they foresee a turn away from the SUV/Crossovers which is where the C5X steps in.

It's a sort of a coupe, estate that has a bit of an elevated seating position. So a bit of an allrounder with the appropriate petrol and hybrid powertrains.

Range Rover on the other hand see no let up in the demand for their dyed in the wool SUVs. These designed for the country/used in the city vehicles have moved with the times though and the expected best sellers are the petrol PHEV variants which boast up to 113 kms of all electric driving.

All I will say is that my drive in the PHEV Range Rover Sport, in Dynamic mode on the roads around Maynooth will live long in my memory and has reconverted me to the SUV club. It was glorious.

The Range Rover looks like it'll never lose its appeal and the new one is adorable. I took it to its natural but rarely frequented home and went off-road. The ability of this car is phenomenal, it can tackle anything and all done in the best possible luxury. I got to use the automatic parking feature in it. Wow. Now you don't do anything with the car automatically steering, driving and braking. It really is a wonder.

Speaking of wonders I got 30 mins in my first proper supercar, OK SuperSUV in the Aston Martin DBX 707. This was a drive that pleased all the senses all of the time to an exceptionally high level.

My ears haven't heard as nice a sound ever in a car. I always hold out the belief that one day I'll be able to buy any car I want but if I want the keys to a DBX 707 I'll need to find ~€420k just for starters.

Big numbers and my only real hope is to get 7 correct numbers in the Euromillions to get one. More realistic is the RR Sport which would more than compensate me.

Full reviews of some of these soon in Dundalk Democrat Motors.