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Inside the Volvo XC90, Toyota’s Irish Love Story & Renault 5’s Big Reveal!
310 Plays24 days ago
This week, Paddy & Mark dive into the latest car news, including a unique recording session inside the ultra-quiet cabin of the new Volvo XC90. Zoe Bradley from Toyota Ireland joins us to explore why the Irish public has such a strong connection with the brand. Plus, we head to Dundrum Town Centre for the launch of the all-new Renault 5 and catch up with Renault product expert Jeremy Warnock for all the details!
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Transcript
Introduction and Setting
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Motors, Ireland's favourite car buying website. With the widest selection cars from certified trusted dealerships, most Irish drivers find their next car on Dundeele.
Recording in a Volvo XC90
00:00:13
Speaker
Now, if it sounds any way different today Paddy... I don't know if anyone will be able to know. First of all, we should do a, what car are we recording this week's podcast in? What beautiful acoustics has this car that we're sitting in actually. Yeah, it's a, it's a, it's an expensive car. It is. It's one that we did mention in last week's pod as one that both of us agreed on we would probably have in its category.
00:00:36
Speaker
And, um, Yeah, I see it has a Barrett & Wilkins audio system. It's a plug-in hybrid, so the engine is technically running, but it's not, and the aircon is on. And like, a tractor unit of a truck is after driving by, and you can just about hear that.
00:00:51
Speaker
It has seven seats. It does. It's like a Scandinavian apartment in here. It has a new kind of rose gold colour, which I believe is the new colour. I did a video on this facelift in Sweden last year I'm just trying remember all the bits. It's actually, it's more on the outside of the differences than the inside. The inside kind of stays the same.
00:01:08
Speaker
And if you need to go back to last week's one, no one has ever been killed driving one of these. Correct. And it's, someone actually messaged us saying, I can't believe you didn't mention the electric version, which is the EX90.
00:01:20
Speaker
Well, that's good and all, but when you have the XC90, why would do you need anything else? No, I think this was supposed to be an EX90, was it? and Yes, this was
Cafes and Luxury Car Insights
00:01:32
Speaker
meant to be. I got a phone call last week from Volvo, which often happens, and a car maybe hasn't arrived in the country yet or whatever it is.
00:01:38
Speaker
um Although I think there have been some delays with the EX90. um Say nothing? Well, we are in the same place for once, which is good. and Yes. Yes, we are in sitting in a very beautiful Volvo XC90.
00:01:50
Speaker
i am But we are sitting in what feels like the set of love-hate. Well, that's not because that's not the car's fault. No. That's because we're sitting in JFK industrial estate, which sounds a lot more historical than it is.
00:02:03
Speaker
Like, are you allowed to do that? Can you name an estate after a former US president? I guess you can do what you like, really. He was killed in service. He's unlikely to be here ever. but i am No. You would imagine that the um if it became on the agenda of Trump coming over on his next Irish visit to honour JFK,
00:02:21
Speaker
Yeah. he might um He might go to Breeders Cafe. ah shout out actually to Breeders Cafe. It is closed but have you ever had a fry up here? And you know when I was waiting for you I pulled into Goose Cafe on Knockmitten Road and that also I thought it was closed down but I saw a guy pulling the shutter down.
00:02:36
Speaker
I think all these places just obviously lunchtime comes it's now 20 past 3. No, yeah like you could be here at 5am, 6am and it would be hopping. And what a feed as well.
00:02:46
Speaker
Really, really nice feed. So yeah, shout out to Breeders Cafe. How do you have such good knowledge of greasy spoons around town? Well, again, friend of the Robert Guy, head of sales for Vogue Side Group Ireland. He is who I would call a breakfast connoisseur.
00:02:59
Speaker
And he used to work in Mitsubishi around here a long time ago. And um I think he just has ah has a very sound knowledge of all of the best breakfast places. And he's right up this place. He brought me here one day when we were in Volkswagen. We to cross from Liffey Valley to come over here to have
Affordability and Maintenance of Luxury Cars
00:03:14
Speaker
have the feed. But, um you know, it's a place that gives you chips with your fry and all.
00:03:17
Speaker
Ah, nice. Nice. Cup of tea. You know, people in high-vis vests. Workers. The real people. Yeah. And what a feat as well. Well, shout out to Breedis and also a good car park when it's ah not open. and So, well, on the surface, we know what I'm driving this week now. I'm only in it. I've driven maybe 20 kilometres in it. but Executive summary, it's great. It's great.
00:03:39
Speaker
If you have the means to buy a Volvo XC90, just go and buy one. And if you can't afford a new one, buy a used one. As long as it has a service history, I really wouldn't care. And this is like, the it goes back to the point again we were talking about last week about some of the Korean brands when they change their car it just radically changes and then you look like a pauper in your two year old one. yeah This is a brand new one but it still has the essence and vibe of 10 years ago. you could I'd go more, I think you could park this beside a Zero 4 one and still have an idea of it's the same car.
00:04:17
Speaker
Yeah, it's one of those cars i've I've toyed with. If you're brave enough, you know, getting a 04051 just as a bit of a thing to hack around, the bills are going to be ugly.
00:04:28
Speaker
bush But, you know, you're talking a few grand. Well, it's funny you say that because I was only looking at, I'm not buying, but i just out of curiosity, Porsche Cayennes and stuff. You can now get, you know, sub 5,000 euro Cayennes, which, how much were they new?
00:04:44
Speaker
140 Like that That is going to be A big bill But what if what if it's You just get a good one That's it that That auction I was at Newcastle The other week um They were 1500 pounds 4.2 litre mean there's awful lot To go wrong with
00:05:02
Speaker
i mean there's a law for logic or wrong And the the bills are going to be eye watering. But as you said, and I think you said it the last time, if you got a month out of it or two or two or summer out of it and, you know, how bad? And you just... What? you Yeah, but you have to move it on You don't want to scrap it.
00:05:20
Speaker
Well no you don't but at least if you consider yourself renting it for three months and you charge yourself like whatever. There is a guy has a YouTube channel Ireland and he just does videos on his 7 series and his car came up for sale on the Bangernomics tread on boards.ie a few months ago and it is a 0.5 limousine version 7 series and he only wanted like five grand or something for it. Were you 750 IL? Was it a 50 or was it a 40?
00:05:51
Speaker
It could have been a 50. Well, the L was in a 50, I
Radio Work and Car Reviews
00:05:54
Speaker
believe. It must have been 50 then. It had like the tray tables in the back of the seats and like, what a car. And this guy had meticulously maintained it.
00:06:04
Speaker
He'd done videos on retrofitting. This guy had turned off the soft, closed doors because they just give too much trouble. Like, he was babying this thing.
00:06:16
Speaker
And I don't have space for these things, but you can really buy, whether it's an Audi A8, a 7 Series, an old S-Class. like Yeah, i'd forty five grand I'd be a set of a 0304A8 kind of a fella. Yeah.
00:06:30
Speaker
4 litre TDI. That was the one. I remember buying an A3 out of Grange Motors and the guy was buying the car off. His demo that he was running was the silver, it was a titanium body, wasn't it?
00:06:44
Speaker
Yeah. Or aluminium. Aluminium. Titanium would be a little bit more expensive. ah silver matching alloys, just twin exhaust pipes on the back. That diesel one was an absolute beast.
00:06:56
Speaker
Yeah um So what's going on this week? So quite a week for me Because I'm not travelling Which is actually okay with me this week I'm doing little bit of radio work You can hear me on Classic Hits radio Classic Hits In the breakfast time Classic Hits are actually bigger in Cork Than they are Dublin They're huge in Cork So much so I know a lot of the DJs Would love to have a studio in Cork The owners maybe not so much Because they to pay Who owns Classic Hits?
00:07:23
Speaker
A company called Bay Broadcasting. Okay. Who are kind of, well, one of the last few Irish-owned radio groups in the country. Because obviously you've got Red FM, who are the big boys down there.
00:07:34
Speaker
Yeah, Red FM. You've got Cork 96 and C103. And then the same owners on Radio Nova in Dublin.
Dacia Bigster Review and Market Positioning
00:07:42
Speaker
and But no Cork Studio.
00:07:45
Speaker
and No Cork Studio. It's a shame. Right now. I know from talking to Gareth O'Callaghan, who lives in Cork, and is a bit of radio legend at this stage. Oh, he is. He gets the train. He does a Saturday the morning show at 10am in Dublin, and he gets the train at like...
00:07:59
Speaker
Half three or something from, what's the name of the station in Cork? Kent. Kent. And Uppy Pops. What we didn't talk about, although we mentioned it last week, was we didn't talk about the Bigster.
00:08:12
Speaker
You were going to do the Bigster? Yeah. We didn't talk about the Bigster. The video's there now. Are we allowed talk about the drive and all that? yeah We can talk about that now. the The embargo lifted earlier on on Thursday. So, yeah.
00:08:24
Speaker
So you can ask me anything you like about the Bigster. Well, is it any good? Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Any further questions? ah So we got there and I was i was wondering how this was going to work. So there's many different paratrains. You've got different hybrids.
00:08:38
Speaker
You've got an LPG version. You've got a manual version. You've got a 4x4 version. And then you have the hybrid 155, which we had um It's and in lots of ways like a ah new duster inside in terms of switch gear. The dashboard, they have raised the dashboard up so you get more knee. Like the dashboard is higher than in this XC90 for example.
00:08:59
Speaker
Idea gives you more knee and passenger space. and Price is still not confirmed. i i even think by the time this is going out. What's your best guest, educated guest? Having literally been at a Renault event recently, because they're all the same company, with two senior guys in Renault, I looked at them and said, now guys, this car has to start with a 2, even if it's the entry level.
00:09:21
Speaker
And they both laughed and said, you mean the version no one buys? And kind of puffed their cheeks out and... Sharpen, take a breath. They just said, well, it's good to know where you're thinking anyway. So, I mean, all the press cars that were there were the launch, highest spec, of course, the one with the sunroof, the electric boot, all the rest of it.
00:09:41
Speaker
i Again, I'm only just guessing here, but... Look, if it is 38, 39 grand, it's still going to offer a lot of value compared to some of the other, you know, more prestigious badges like a Volkswagen Tiguan. There's nothing really the duster, the bigster, sorry, won't be able to do.
00:09:57
Speaker
But some people will obviously just, you know, prefer... Have the finish, and the you know, the fit and finish of a decent-spec Tiguan. No, no. But that's the point. Yeah, but I guess um I'm trying to position it in my head because it's not a cheap car.
00:10:12
Speaker
It's not, a you know, it's, I know we're not supposed to use the word cheap, but ah and I had it in my head as, okay, this is a cut price kind of Tonka toy. It's not quite that. It's just a slightly less expensive medium SUV. C-segment car.
00:10:27
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, it is. um Have they missed a trick there? ah In what sense? Look, is there an entry, you know, is the entry one really nice and spartan but chunky and big and cheap? but We don't know. We don't know because they didn't have it there, you know. So, compare it to the Opel Grand land I literally had last week. So that car starts at 39 grand.
00:10:50
Speaker
And yes, Opel may not be the most exciting brand in the world right now, but will it feel a bit nicer inside? Yes. Right. So, and that's my point with where the bigster pricing, the the only thing that car has to get right really is the price.
00:11:05
Speaker
Yeah, and let's be real, there they're definitely getting everything right. i mean, it's not like they've produced some so bad cars recently. though Their stuff is really working and selling. Their CEO was at the launch, he didn't sit at our table for the dinner but he he was sitting with the guys from the UK which I was slightly envious of because he is a very charismatic, a not your normal CEO, like he was pushing some of the design guys out of the way and front of the projector screen so everyone could see the car. He was like, let them see the car, move, move.
00:11:35
Speaker
And I said to him, ah you know, you get to raise your hand and ask question. They'd spoken about focus groups in Germany where they'd done a lot of research into the car. And they took 14 potential customers and they asked them, you know, what are the big things you want in this type of car?
00:11:50
Speaker
And, you know, they spoke about price and blah, blah, blah. that So I just came back because I always get asked about NCAP ratings and in datches. And people... will look at the the rating and go, oh, that's not a safe car. It only has a one star. It only has a two star.
00:12:06
Speaker
And on the surface, you could understand why people would feel that. But when you go into the NCAP report, and I'm not saying pedestrians are less important than drivers, but I do think to a certain point, if you hit somebody in any type of car, they're not going to necessarily dust themselves off and come away from It's going to hurt. But that can be one of the reasons why these cars, or they don't have lane keep assist, or they don't have blind spot, and they will lose points for this.
00:12:31
Speaker
And I said to him, I said, hello, Mr. CEO, and you mentioned the research of 400 Germans. what How on the priority list, how high was safety? And you haven't this car hasn't been tested yet for end cap, but what would be a what would you be happy with, three star, four star?
00:12:47
Speaker
Because he'd gone on record recently say that Dacia are not chasing end caps. They cost too much. It's not what they're about. Yeah, I read that at the time. I think the controversy at the time was around the jogger and in particular. there was ah There was uproar that it had got a one-star result. And I think they'd based the score on something else. I'm not sure they'd even tested the car at the time.
00:13:07
Speaker
It's based on a Clio chassis. um And, you know, you're right. it's And for anyone, you know, kind of going, oh, I'm not sure I could necessarily go and buy one.
00:13:19
Speaker
A lot of the features that NCAP look for now are some of the active safety, some of the really high-end technological pieces, which it's not that you don't need them, but they're additional to, you know, you getting out of the car alive. a lot of them might prevent you getting the into the accident in the first place or or help with that. Yeah.
00:13:38
Speaker
It's not that these cars are unsafe, right? Exactly. um and And he said, can I just get a show of hands there and no judgement who turned off lane keep assist as soon as they got into the bigster to drive today? And I and many others have said, yeah, we did.
00:13:53
Speaker
And what's the first thing I do is I turn off the speed notification when I get into a car. Although in Volvo, they make it very hard as they would to, fight I don't even know where it is. So I have been driving this.
00:14:04
Speaker
But, yeah, I mean, it's not it's not like it's it's saying, okay, there's no seatbelts in this car or it hasn't got airbags. And actually, you know, take the spring, for example. It is a small car. You do feel quite vulnerable in any sort of small car.
00:14:16
Speaker
But the bigster doesn't give you that sense of, you know, you're high up off the ground. It's bulky. It's not huge, but, you know, you you feel like it it would take a whack, so to speak. I always think you have to put these things in context as well. I mean, if you're driving that or driving, you know, a spring or you're driving a, you know, a jogger,
00:14:32
Speaker
But compared to a 10-year-old, anything, yeah and it's infinitely safer. yeah you know So so you know the the there was the changes come to the test, but at the same time, you know i think this I think if you asked customers what they prefer, okay, a certain amount of safety, that means they're you know they're going to be reasonably safe, yeah and port or they'd like lower prices, and I think they'll probably go for lower prices. that's it, and and they will, and people will vote for that. and But that's just where they really have to get this right. When you have things like Grandland, you know that ah again, it's not the most exciting car in the world, but you know people will just perceive Opel as a better badge than than a Dacia.
00:15:09
Speaker
um So that's where it has to be price-wise.
Renault 5 and EV Market Discussion
00:15:12
Speaker
But like a smooth car to drive, it was in hybrid mode a huge proportion of the time. um lot of lot of space in the rear, good size boot.
00:15:21
Speaker
um I did manage to. so So, you know, they they have this plastic housing over the arches and some of the bumpers and they call it Starkle, which is Dacia's way of using recycled plastics.
00:15:34
Speaker
And they don't put, you know, black high gloss over wheel arches and stuff because they say, you know, it'll get marked. It's more expensive. You use more paint to do that. So it pushes up the cost the car. So you get this Starkle effect. So you don't really notice until you go close. When you do up close, it looks like someone's been painting near your car on a windy day.
00:15:49
Speaker
It's all these flexors, right? So it has front and rear cameras, but they're not the best. Now, not blaming the equipment here. the The clarity of the screen, it's not as good as the screen here in the Volvo, right?
00:16:03
Speaker
But ah I was maneuvering the Bigster in the vineyard where where I was filming. And I was aware of kind of sort of two foot high rocks, right?
00:16:14
Speaker
They were kind of just marking out a path. And I... Let's just say I didn't see one of them. And I heard this loud scrape in this brand new Bigster.
00:16:25
Speaker
And there's a couple walking to the vineyard, because walk around this hotel, and they both heard the noise and turned around immediately with these kind of these shocked faces. You had that oh shit moment. I was having that oh shit moment not really reacting you know being like oh let's see here this is this normal.
00:16:40
Speaker
So waited they left and I jumped out of the car to see you know how had I caught the entire front of the car and what I had done was the Starkle kind of skid pan whatever underneath the car had got a little bit of rock connection.
00:16:53
Speaker
But it it does what it says because the whole point the historical stuff is meant to be if you get a a robe in a car park you won't see it as easily. And I can i can test of testify for this. I can vouch for this. It was basically just called journalism.
00:17:07
Speaker
Yeah, but I was, yeah, yeah, or bad manoeuvring. But yeah, if you see Starkle on your car, it's it's it's a good thing. So look, when's it coming? Price, we don't know. but Price, we don't know. i'd imagine it's going to be a July car at this stage. um we're We're not far off April now, so yeah, around that kind of time. But look, do you know what? If you thought there was a lot of cars last year, it ain't slowing down. and i like we're just We're just back from the Renault 5 launch. They gave us a sneaky preview with the Renault 4. People will be able to test drive the Renault 5 now in dealerships from this week, so i' I'd expect to see more of them. ah The highest price is 33 grand. Every one of them comes with a heat pump of standard.
00:17:47
Speaker
and We'll actually be getting more from an expert very soon on the podcast. I was on the um website the other day, sort of configuring, as you do. How were you?
00:17:58
Speaker
I'm dying to see their entry one. Have you seen on their website they have steel wheels yeah on the entry. I would love to know what it looks like in real life. No one will buy that car. They probably won't even offer it. it's that That's the one that's 26, just under 26 grand. But does it actually physically exist anywhere?
00:18:15
Speaker
ah in In general terms Renault don't always sell the entry version in Ireland I think with this car they will though And also i don't want to give away too many secrets Because we'll be talking to Jeremy Warnock from Renault Ireland Who's their product expert I suppose He's he's figured out a quirk that The French do not allow you order a certain colour On the Renault 5 exterior With a certain colour interior Ah okay And for that reason he'd go for the mid-spec version So So they had the five there, which is obviously coming out. They had the four.
00:18:47
Speaker
Four was there, which it really has managed to eclipse the ah snapshot of of of the original car.
00:19:00
Speaker
Like the curves on it. Obviously, that's have it's got a totally digital face, for want of a better description. It's a big light bar cross. So it has an first time that Renault put an illuminated Renault badge on a car.
00:19:12
Speaker
But in order to have an illuminator badge on a car, EU regs say you have to have a full width across the front surround also lit up. I don't know why, but it looks well.
00:19:24
Speaker
But the curved nose, the kind of bulbous rear on the original Renault 4, it's all in this car. and They obviously don't have the gear shifter in the dashboard, which did you know was just a hook?
00:19:36
Speaker
It was a hook around another stick in the engine bay that was changing the gear. I do remember, and I remember my dad who was a motor journalist for the Sunday Independent a long time ago. A legendary motor journalist. He was a good one. He picked me up from Bettys Town Tennis Club, I'm going to say around 1987 or 8, in a brand new, no it must have been later, sorry, was 1990, in a brand new yellow Renault 4 press car.
00:20:07
Speaker
And I was just like completely mortified. But they were still but knocking around at that stage. Yeah, they were. And I actually said to the people today at Renault, I said, the Renault 4, it was kind of Renault's 2CV, wasn't it? And they were like, yes, but it was better. And said, how is it better? And they were like, well, the cooling effect on the Renault, on the 2CV only happened above 80 kilometres an hour.
00:20:31
Speaker
So you could bring the Renault 4 to the Sahara because it was liquid cooled. And they were the two reasons that in their opinion it means it was a better car. But i I remember that gear stick on the dashboard That's a memory that sticks out But they were you but they were also on Post Vans They were on Post Vans and Telecom Aaron Yeah They they ah probably did lots of fleet numbers for Renault sales um And when you drive in France and Morocco and places like that You still see them And two CVs.
00:21:01
Speaker
So look, i know we're going to hear from Jeremy shortly, but look, give us a low down on the five price-wise, 25-ish starting off. So 26 starting off, you've got three different trim levels, the highest price is still low 30s.
00:21:14
Speaker
There's a pop-up store in Dundrum Town Centre, if you want to go and have a look, you can. It's a cool idea, you can go in, you can buy a hoodie, you can play foosball, you can look around in the car. Do they give you any indication on not supply for these things? They're hoping to get 500. There's 100 pre-orders. They're hoping to get 500 this year, according to Seamus, who's the boss of Nissan and now Renault, and I suppose Technic Dacia as well in Ireland. They're just wondering will they get the supply.
00:21:39
Speaker
Doesn't sound like enough. It feels like they will want more, but also... But do they want to leave them wanting more? Better off looking at them. Well, in this case, not looking at them than looking for them. It's that balancing act because residual values in EVs haven't been spectacular.
00:21:57
Speaker
and This is a car people are going to want and going to love. If they get just enough to keep supply going and not to annoy too many customers, there'll be no discounts. And values will remain high, but if they, um you know, if but so I think that that'll be car that'll be in demand for for for two or
Toyota's Market Success in Ireland
00:22:15
Speaker
three years. I think so.
00:22:16
Speaker
So at the end of today's episode, you will hear from Jeremy Warnock, who is ah is's a super guy. He he loves cars. and A proper petrol head. Yeah. And he he really knows his stuff. And it's a guy who, he's just one of those people that, you know, you don't have to do a day's work because your work is your passion. That's that's the kind of guy that he is.
00:22:35
Speaker
I'm just out of the Skoda Octavia ORS um and yeah my my video on TikTok there, Car Talk Ireland um is doing pretty well but it's it's having a lot of controversy. Why?
00:22:50
Speaker
Just a lot of a anger about the fact that it's not diesel. Oh really? Yeah. yeah So people are getting annoyed that there's a front wheel drive petrol car but not a diesel option.
00:23:00
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, a lot of the comments I get on the channel are, there's some real diesel lovers there. Yeah. um And, yeah, just angry that the that the thing is not a diesel anymore, even though that was never the the point of the Ores. That was the original one was a 1.8 turbocharged. Yeah, only drove that car again last year in the oil of man.
00:23:21
Speaker
Yeah, the first one was what, 180 horsepower one out of the TT? Yeah, a lot of police forces around Europe used it. It was just over 1,300 kilos. Wow. It was manual box and it was a bloody crack. and I'd forgotten, to be honest.
00:23:35
Speaker
I didn't probably appreciate these cars when they were new because I was only a Jungfla and to me it was like... Well it's a family car But now the passage of time it is a ah Great little car Just nicely balanced And yeah I mean look youre de I drove the Mark II diesel RS then as well And it was Night and day difference I've had a few, I mean and when I worked in Volkswagen Group Ireland it was a regular um staff car for me. My first car when I joined the company from being a Monojournist was a white Octavia RS Estate.
00:24:09
Speaker
Nice. And that was that would have been the Mark two Yeah. um And then I had a black ah estate later version but they were outstanding outstanding for cars that just did everything you could possibly need now I always had an estate because why would you not yeah but an interesting thing struck me though from from from this one and well it's really just a about the price I mean the prices have gone crazy for everything but it's The one I had was go to 60 grand.
00:24:41
Speaker
Yeah. And now you can have a Cooper Leon. We were talking about this before. Cooper Leon VZ, 300 horsepower is €58,000. But within the Volkswagen group itself, if you if you're not an EV hater, you can have the ID.3 GTX Performance Plus. 326, Brick. For €39,000. Yeah.
00:25:01
Speaker
for forty thirty nine thousand euro You don't put a fancy paint colour on it, yeah. Yeah, if you want 40, yeah, 40 grand, 41, and you've got everything you can possibly think of. Which is five grand dearer than a Mark V Golf GTI was 20 years ago.
00:25:18
Speaker
Yeah, I have a figure in my head, and I didn't look it up, but I have a figure in my head that the not so long ago the Octavia RS was 25 or 6,000 euro. When was that, though? Oh, it's while back.
00:25:29
Speaker
Yeah. But as in within living memory.
00:25:34
Speaker
No, I think the amount of stuff you get on an Octavia RS these days warrants more than that. But it is, I mean, it's no longer, it's the same price as a Golf GTI, essentially. So it's no longer the slightly more affordable, hot hatch version of of a GTI. It's the same price. But that was the thing. The the the Octavia RS was the bargain performance car. Yeah, now it's not. And now it's not. And look...
00:25:56
Speaker
but you know, Skoda would probably argue, you okay, well, Skoda is not the bargain basement brand it was in the days of Felicien and the like, this is now, ah you know, if it's a premium or mainstream premium brand.
00:26:09
Speaker
So, and the Octavia RS does something that the Golf GTI probably doesn't. It is a slightly more useful family car. It's more of a blend between Okay, something that you can pootle around and do the shopping in and if you need to blow off a little bit of steam you can do that as well. It's not quite as nimble because of the hat versus the boot.
00:26:29
Speaker
No, it's not. but But it's still, it's ah it what would you have of that sort of triumvirate or more of of models, GTI, Leon, Octavia, what would you have?
00:26:45
Speaker
um I think I would probably always go to the Golf GTI. I've had three of them in my own life. um I had them as dinky cars growing up. And to me, they're just, and in some ways, the OG. Not always. Like, I remember I had a friend who had an Astra OPC and I had a Mark V GTI.
00:27:02
Speaker
And in a straight line, he would e that car all the time. But it was to torque steering like ah um But, so the GTI wasn't always, especially in latter years, wasn't always the fastest, wasn't always the best handling, but it just had a bit of everything. It just was, there's a bit of Goldilocks's parrage about the GTI.
00:27:21
Speaker
Everything was just right. I just, I miss the fact that you can buy a two-door version. Yeah. I always did two doors. i I did have a fondage for the Octavia RS diesel estate the last one they they did was a lovely lovely all-rounder um but but yeah I think I would still go manual Mark 7 GTI just tungsten silver no options manual gearbox I, I, yeah, I, I, do you know what, if, if we're talking where money doesn't really matter, I'd happily get into a black Mark V with the 18 inch alloys, the cream beige leather, because that had the heated winter pack.
00:27:59
Speaker
Wouldn't really fancy a DSG, but probably with that leather combo, you'd probably so find someone would have spec'd DSG and not manual. um i remember I still remember I went from an Audi A3 2.0L TDI 140 brake to the Mark V GTI.
00:28:12
Speaker
No extras, just the wheels. Everything else was standard. And I remember I got it in September 2005, I'd had a Mark IV GTI two years before previous, and ah it was just so different, and it was so much fun.
00:28:25
Speaker
And it sounded good. And looked good. And it was, the it was again, a bit like maybe VW are going through now. It was a little bit of a wake-up moment for them where... And that's sometimes where VW come back strongest.
00:28:36
Speaker
When they've had a bit of a kicking. When they've had a bit of a lesson. And then something comes
Interview with Zoe Bradley from Toyota
00:28:40
Speaker
out. Like, like the new ID4, I would say, will be absolutely yeah spectacular. Yeah. I've heard rumours that it will be.
00:28:48
Speaker
um But... Yeah, with the hot hatch thing, do you think, and this is what I'm curious about in the short term, are the EVs going to give you that visceral feeling that we've we're that we're starting to see, you know, that we know and loved from GTIs and the like?
00:29:04
Speaker
Do you think that's going to happen? um I think with cars like the Renault 5 and more, in particular the Alpine 290 and maybe the Alfa Junior Veloce, and I will be asking Jeremy a bit about this later on in the podcast,
00:29:17
Speaker
m They're offering maybe different things. Like, yes, the engine note is gone, but there that is not to say, you know, whether it's limited slips, better suspensions, better brakes.
00:29:30
Speaker
They can put all those things into EV hatch version of of of a hot hatch. m It can still be front wheel drive, it can still have lots of power, and it can still have you know really cool bucket seats, it can still have red strips on the front or in the Renault's case, all around the roof.
00:29:47
Speaker
It can still have class wheels. I think we we maybe need to adjust our expectation of of an engine sound but maybe that's about it. Look at the IONIQ five n Yeah.
00:29:58
Speaker
That is an amazing car. That's a proper performance car. Amazing. Too much power. Yeah, I think maybe we we just get a little bit misty-eyed about some of these. We do. And we need need to may bring ourselves back to the to the future, really, I suppose. Yeah, and look, that's the way it's going. and But I do think, um I think we've more chance of actual hot hatches existing now because of electrification, because if it was just to be petrol and emissions-based, they'll die. a day i'll die Coming up after the break, what what are we doing?
00:30:28
Speaker
We're talking to a lady who is a marketing executive in one of the most successful automotive brands, well not just in Ireland, but especially in Ireland. Yeah, we are talking to Zoe Bradley who is um in charge of marketing for Toyota who are you know, a brand so synonymous with Ireland and who've been, um you know, in and around number one for a long time. And, you know, certainly their cars, there's so many of their cars in the top 10 this year. So we're keen to talk to Zoe, find out what it's like and working in that brand and also the secrets to their success.
00:31:00
Speaker
Join us after the break. Welcome back to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Motors, Ireland's favourite website for car buying with more certified trusted dealers than anyone else.
00:31:11
Speaker
You're sure to find the right car for you on dundeele.ie. Hello, Mark. Hello. Hello, Paddy. So we've moved from the salubrious surroundings of a Volvo XC90 plug-in hybrid and, well, Volvo doesn't exist in the room we're in now or the building, I should say.
00:31:25
Speaker
ah Two fine brands do, however. It's the home of Toyota and Lexus. um But we're here to talk to Toyota today ah in the form of Zoe Bradley, who is the marketing. What's the it's marketing, but what's the like sometimes you're marketing directors, sometimes you're marketing executives, sometimes the head of marketing. What's your title?
00:31:43
Speaker
I have a lovely long title. It's head of marketing, communications and corporate affairs. Wow. Wow. Oh, the corporate affairs bit is good. I like that bit. That's my area where where you, if stuff goes wrong, that's what it generally means.
00:31:59
Speaker
If stuff, if the proverbial hits the fan, that's what the corporate affairs bit means. Yeah, but stuff doesn't go wrong, Paddy. It's a Toyota. So, you know, generally, generally speaking anyway. um So welcome to the podcast, first of all.
00:32:10
Speaker
ah Thank you for for joining us. I know it's kind of a a cliche question, but we have we've asked all our guests so far. Just give us a quick overview of your career. Where did it start? Have you always worked in automotive?
00:32:22
Speaker
And that kind of stuff. um Hey guys, yeah, thanks for having me. Great to be here. Yeah, so my career, i suppose, getting here was a bit convoluted. I started off in law actually in UCC um and then I did a master's in law and then I decided law was not for me. So I went into advertising. So I worked in Ireland for a few years in Dublin.
00:32:42
Speaker
And then I moved to Sydney, also in advertising. And then I came back to Dublin and I was looking for a marketing role. And at the time, Toyota came up and I hadn't really worked in the automotive industry before. But, you know, it's a really big brand, very well liked. I thought would be interesting, and something new.
00:33:00
Speaker
um So I really bought into it and I've been here actually nearly nine years now. um and i can say like every single year has been different, you know, a lot of different challenges, but and i think it was a great step to move in here.
00:33:16
Speaker
um On the note, actually, what what's what's Toyota like to work in? Because I've been in lucky position of being away with yourself and a lot of your colleagues. And it always strikes me that you guys are always back. front And i'm not I'm sure there is lots of hard work as well.
00:33:30
Speaker
But you're always just back from ah trip in Paris or down in Kerry or whatever. It seems like Toyota really look after their staff. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Kerry, obviously the most glamorous place you could ever go to, of course. um Yeah, no, I think that's one thing I really like about the role here is that ah we do a lot of different stuff. So i suppose predominantly I work in in marketing and comms and the corporate affairs as well.
00:33:54
Speaker
um And across the board, we work work across the TV, advertising, product launches. As you said, we get to go on those really ah great PR trips and get to go to really nice places and drive nice cars.
00:34:05
Speaker
um And elila last year we had our Paralympics sponsorship, which meant we went over and back to Paris quite a bit. So there's a lot of travel, but it's always very enjoyable. And yeah, Toyota is very, very good. You can really see it in the longevity of the staff here.
00:34:20
Speaker
and and I think everyone really enjoys working. It's a very, very warm in place to work and probably one of the friendliest places I've ever worked.
Gender Balance and Diversity in Automotive Industry
00:34:28
Speaker
I feel almost dumb asking the question because, you know, we're we're way beyond it now about, you know, women in the car industry. it's But look, we're still at a stage where it tends to be an industry where which draws in more males, which...
00:34:44
Speaker
For you, from your experience, were you daunted getting into it at the start? Was there any apprehension? And and I suppose as well, the second part of that would be what advice would you give to to someone, in particular female, who was coming in the industry and and was a little bit apprehensive about it Yeah, I mean, it's it's still a great question. and It's still male dominated. Like I've definitely noticed in the last nine years or so, there has been a change. There's more women, and more women who are dealer principals, who are working in sales and tech.
00:35:14
Speaker
and We've got a great apprenticeship program um and the surrounding roles as well, like marketing, it service and all that kind of thing. So, yeah, when I first I was actually thinking about this, that when I first joined Toyota, I didn't think at all about that. um It just didn't really cross my mind. um But have definitely found it to be very, very welcoming.
00:35:34
Speaker
am Like I said, it's it's a different industry. I do think everyone in the industry really wants a better gender balance. So. There's a huge amount of support around it. and You know, everyone is conscious of it and and wants to make it a really great place to work. And I think that's across the board and in in the industry, that's what I've noticed.
00:35:53
Speaker
So for, say, women who were probably not thinking about the car industry, but, you know, might be thinking about it, I definitely say go for it. and There's so many different ways in. There's...
00:36:04
Speaker
You know, I think there's this um perception or preconception that if you want to work in the car industry, you have to really love, you know, how cars work. You know, they're incredibly technical and sophisticated machines now. So, you know, you have to be very technical to understand it all. But actually, a car is so much more to people. It's transport, it's independence, it's safety, it's comfort.
00:36:26
Speaker
um And a car means so much to many people. And women are... you know, about 50% of our customers. Women are so influential in decision making. um So yeah I would definitely encourage any woman who's thinking about it to get stuck in and give it a go.
00:36:41
Speaker
I remember you and I speaking before on the AA Ireland podcast a couple of years ago, and it was a special issue that we did, and ah you know, about women in the car in industry history in Ireland. And remember us talking about and the dealerships in particular. Are you finding there's more women coming into sales and more women coming into the after sales side of the business?
00:36:59
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. So i am ah last year, actually, one of the trips we did was with salespeople and there's there's more women involved and you see it when we do kind of bigger events, like when we have, um you know, salespeople on site and we hear it from our dealers and The more women that get involved, the more women that will be involved. So I think I remember that conversation and we were saying at the time there is a campaign and it was if you can't see her, you can't be her.
00:37:25
Speaker
and But now I definitely think we are getting to the point that you see many more women in the car industry, which will hopefully encourage more to come in. Now, we've got to go back, I think, before all our times here, guys, because we're all still relatively young.
00:37:38
Speaker
But Toyota in Ireland were a product that appeared on Irish roads in the 70s. And i mean, there's huge heritage which is there. But I mean, i think Irish people would nearly think Toyotas are built here at this stage, but they're definitely not.
00:37:53
Speaker
They were assembled here. They were, yeah. yeah And I've no doubt that the range um of what was available then is, is well, it's as far superior in terms of the amount of models that Toyota now have 2025. But what it that...
00:38:08
Speaker
but what is it that has just kind like when you look at the top 10 figures of any sales period, it's usually the top five, five of the top 10 are Toyota products.
00:38:19
Speaker
what Like what is it about Toyota that Irish people love? um Yeah, so I suppose, i suppose go you mentioned that we started in the 1970s and in 2023 we did celebrate our 50th year in Ireland, which was a huge milestone.
00:38:33
Speaker
And as part of that, we kind of looked back at Toyota through the ages, because when it first came into Ireland, it would have been this really small, unknown Japanese brand, which is kind of hard to fathom now.
00:38:44
Speaker
and But at the time, I think what really set it apart was the price of the cars, its reliability and its fuel efficiency. um So that was key for the the founding and in the Irish market.
00:38:56
Speaker
um And then following on from that, there was this was a huge focus on advertising and really creating an an Irish brand for Toyota. So they did a lot of ads, Os Gaeilge.
00:39:06
Speaker
um So one of the better known ads was Unballatawmol, St Toyota. And that was basically the fuel gauge, which is the slowest moving part of the Toyota. So again...
00:39:19
Speaker
and You know, it was really focused on Ireland. It's it's a 100% Irish at ah irished company and still is. um And then we've had a lot of really great sponsorships as well, which I think really have embedded it in irish in Irish communities as well. So we had...
00:39:34
Speaker
you know, the Munster rugby sponsorship, you still see the jerseys around the place. We still love Paul O'Connell as ambassador. and we had Dublin GAA, we had the Special Olympics, we had the Paralympics most recently. So i think that really helped, you know, when we look, you know, ah today in the last few years, we are best-selling car brand for the fifth year
Toyota's Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Strategy
00:39:54
Speaker
in row.
00:39:54
Speaker
um I think a large part of that is due to, you know, our our dealer network, which would be the core of of what we do. very much community based. There's a huge amount of trust in the brand and I think you huge amount of that comes through the dealer network and and how we focus on our customers. Everything is customer first and I guess in the last five years and we've had a lot of focus in terms of product on multipath which would hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric and that strategy is really working.
00:40:25
Speaker
A lot of car brands will always talk about conquest sales and how, you know, they launch a new model, whatever, and 50% are, you know, from other people. and imagine it's nearly the opposite in Toyota. Have you any research in sense of, you know, once you get a customer, how likely are they to stay with the brand?
00:40:42
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, in terms of retention, yeah, the retention figures are very, very high. um ah we did some focus group research about two years ago and what came across was we were kind of looking at why people buy cars, but the people who own the Toyotas, there was a a lot of love for the brand. So they would just openly say, I love my car. I love going to the dealership. So it it's a very emotional connection, I would say. So, yeah, our retention levels are very, very high.
00:41:10
Speaker
I know Ireland is a small country and and, you know, you're going to be number one in the in the market you're in, but surely the Japanese japanese market and or headquarters must pay attention to what you guys are doing. and And, you know, do they pay particular focus to how you have managed to do so well over the past few decades?
00:41:28
Speaker
Yeah, so um Japan absolutely does. like So any market that is number one in the country and would always get a special focus. And um how Toyota workers, they like to get independent feedback from all the different markets. So the on the ground feedback and then bring it into their own research and particularly their product strategy and things like that.
00:41:49
Speaker
Of course, they're looking at all these different regions, you know, not just Ireland. But the good thing is that i suppose Toyota strategy has always been customer first, then dealer, then distributor and then global.
00:42:01
Speaker
And that's how they look at everything. So insights from the country, particularly countries that are doing very well, is always valued and always appreciated. When you think of the the term self-charging hybrid, that's a termin terminology Toyota have owned in the last couple of years, sometimes to criticism and certain certain markets because it was essentially that the petrol engine was topping of a battery. and But sitting in Toyota, whether it's in Ireland or HQ in 2025, when you look at EV sales, particularly Europe, you who would have to get the sense that maybe Toyota knew something a lot of us didn't.
00:42:36
Speaker
um Was that just pure luck or what like Toyota definitely hesitated, and like there are definitely in the electric space now, but there was a was a kind of a holding off period.
00:42:47
Speaker
and Yeah, so that's been a kind of topic of conversation definitely for the last few years. And the narrative has has changed in the last few years as well. When in Toyota globally are looking at products, they don't just look at the next 10 years, it's the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years.
00:43:03
Speaker
and Of course, I don't know what those ah that those plans are. and But I do remember that particularly when was the you know there was a lot of and commentary around electric cars and why didn't Toyota have electric cars.
00:43:16
Speaker
A lot of what Toyota was saying then, we still say now. so I suppose if you go to the core problem, it's carbon. So we need to reduce carbon. So how do we do that? So electric cars are great because they have zero tailpipe emissions.
00:43:30
Speaker
But what about the people who don't have access to a charger or, you know, Toyota Globally, you're looking at lots of different regions which have much less access to chargers. What about people who live in apartments?
00:43:42
Speaker
Surely they should want to reduce their carbon. OK, they can do that through hybrids. OK, what about the people who want to drive electric during the week but have longer journeys in the weekend? OK, plug in hybrids. So that's where the multipath a strategy really was born from. Toyota always does its own analysis and Kind of doesn't really look at what everyone else is saying, looks at the customer. It's very fact based and takes quite a long time to do that analysis, which is why sometimes Toyota has been called slow or not agile enough. But it's it's a lot of deep thinking, looking at the the research and then making a plan and executing it. And
00:44:18
Speaker
I think that's what they did back when a lot of other brands may have been jumping into electric. They just said, no, we don't believe it will be where it's going to be in five years. We believe it will take longer. So it's really just based on the facts and the research. So it's great to see that that has been that's been the case and we can be confident in in future plans as well.
00:44:38
Speaker
Because when so many brands have bet the farm on, know, EV being a success and have got themselves in proper trouble as a result, you know, if you look across Europe in particular. and But maybe didn't have the choice. I mean, like ah Toyota is one of the most valuable automotive companies in the world and and certainly Europe, it's a huge market for them. it just like they They have other markets. So I just wonder is that as well, they weren't maybe as gun to the head as VW or whoever.
00:45:03
Speaker
Yeah, well, you know, in particular, they were able to pull out of diesel very quickly. And then, you know, they it wasn't a case of, OK, the opposite of diesel is electric. They, you know, they were able to to park fine carve their own path. And i think it's really paid off.
00:45:18
Speaker
Although there are anecdotal stories, Zoe, of in previous years, farmers at the National Ploughing Championships going up to staff and Lexus staff asking them, have they got any diesel models? Which was, I think the first couple of times quite funny, but after two days of rain and the same question. I was at that plough.
00:45:37
Speaker
but It was very rainy and there was a lot of talk about diesel. um ah Yeah, again, like because I remember when I started in 2016, we had really started focusing on hybrid, but people didn't really want hybrid at the time. So it was definitely, we were, ah probably we seemed to be going against the market then and You know, to your point about moving out of diesel, we were able to do that because we'd started hybrid in 1997. So I would say back in 1997, those Toyota execs were thinking what's going to happen in 30 years and and kind of made their plans based on that. But and yeah, no, definitely like hybrid is, you know, the second most popular powertrain now. But when we were really talking about in 2016, people didn't believe that either.
00:46:22
Speaker
It's a very exciting time for the brand. Currently, you know, obviously the range is quite big, but there's ah raft of new models coming. Can you talk us through some of the ones we can expect to see? Yeah, so I suppose we're we're talking a lot about electric cars and we had our Toyota Kinshiki event a couple of weeks ago. So Kinshiki is Insights and um three cars were shown at it. So the and really exciting Toyota CHR Plus will be the big one um and an updated BZ4X and Urban Cruiser. There'll be more for next year.
00:46:50
Speaker
And then also there will be three more cars announced for 2026. um But the CHR Plus model is really exciting. It's developed on the battery platform, so it still has the same battery quality. So up to 10 years or 1 million kilometers. So is the CHR Plus bigger than the standard CHR that everyone knows? What's is the Plus referred to?
00:47:11
Speaker
ah The plus is basically the additional electric features or that it's an electric car. um So yeah, it's built on the electric platform, but say the style, the driving dynamics is all part of the CHR family.
00:47:24
Speaker
um It will have about 600 kilometers range um and we'll be launching it at around Q4 in October of this year. So definitely and we say to customers, you can register online if you're interested.
00:47:36
Speaker
and We'll be releasing more news as it comes. um Another really exciting car, and I was was very lucky to drive in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco last year, was the new Land Cruiser, which is a phenomenal piece of kit.
00:47:51
Speaker
still Doesn't need any introductions. um Probably has more gadgets now than it ever did. i didn't know until the trip, Ireland is the biggest market in Europe for commercial vehicle Land Cruisers. you know that, Paddy?
00:48:02
Speaker
So, I don't know, is that because of our equestrian background, farming? what's the What's the reason for that? Yeah, yeah, it is farming. and I know it's a great stat, but Irish people for love Land Cruisers.
00:48:14
Speaker
It's a great car and that looked like a great trip. and But yeah, no, we still see the same people. It's a lot of farming, ah construction who are looking for the Land Cruisers. It's been a long time coming.
00:48:26
Speaker
I live in rural East Cork now and it they are everywhere. I mean, everywhere from 94, 95 models right up to modern, you know, day ones.
00:48:37
Speaker
It's just, you know, for farmers, it's just the default choice because it has the duality. And I think obviously the new one is very fancy, but it has the duality of, you know, you can wash it scrub it up it still looks pretty good you could you know you could rock up to a reasonably nice place in it and it'll still go across a muddy field and pull horse box or a trailer full of cows yeah I mean like in the Atlas Mountains I've driven i've done two trips there and one you can you can stick to the roads if you like but this Toyota trip wasn't it was like it was navigating rocks and you know many different things but look like a lot of cars it it is it's in a slightly different price point now the passenger version due to emissions it's
00:49:17
Speaker
It's borderline 140,000 euro for the past year. It was always and it what like we were never a passenger Land Cruiser country. ah The commercial vehicle version now will start from about 70,000 euro. Does that mean the the the customer for Land Cruiser will change? Will they need to be wealthier or like can dealer finances bridge that gap or how does that work?
00:49:39
Speaker
Yeah, so um actually we brought it to the Plough last year and it was the first time we'd unveiled it in Ireland and there was huge crowds surrounding it the entire time, as you can imagine. um But yeah, no, we would have put out the pricing around then and then people were happy with it. I think this car is vastly different to the previous one. There's a lot more specs. It kind of drives more like a car. It's got your electric steering, you've got your and bigger nine inch display, you've got your heated seats, your parking sensors, eight speed automatic transmission.
00:50:11
Speaker
So it's so a lot more and a lot more safety features. um But dealer feedback and customer feedback has been quite good and we we're still seeing those same customers coming back in actually. um And they're happy with the price and they're happy with the value that they're getting in the price.
00:50:24
Speaker
and We actually have hundreds of orders in already, which is really promising as well. And funny enough, Paddy, you mentioned in East Cork and people driving their Land Cruisers. So there's so much at home in Kerry as well. But what I've heard anecdotally now is people are holding on to their old Land Cruisers and and buying the new one as well because they want both.
00:50:41
Speaker
And so, yeah, look, the very wealthy. don working very last yeah And look, I do want to say, I mean, yes, the passenger one is is a substantial increase in the last model. There's a substantial increase in what it can do. And I would say that maybe people who would have.
00:51:01
Speaker
But a Land Rover in the past or Range Rover could now, it may to some it may not have the same prestigious badge, but I think it would offer a lot of the same things.
00:51:12
Speaker
And a lot of people would say the Toyota will keep going for for quite a while longer compared to some of the competition. And again, if if you have those means, I would definitely look at it. But yeah, it's ah the price does kind of shock people when they hear about it.
00:51:28
Speaker
Would something like a plug-in hybrid help that car in Ireland, do you think? Or is there any demand for it? or um I think, yeah. So I think, look, we'd always be open to other powertrains for the Land Cruiser. It's such a legendary model here and people love it.
00:51:43
Speaker
am At the moment, there's no plans for that. But, you know, we never know in the next couple of years, we we'd love to look at something that's more electrified. Speaking of electric, obviously, you'd mentioned lots of new EVs coming.
00:51:57
Speaker
From the customer point of view, from from your own brand point of view, do you think it's now the right time for EVs into the market? Were we a little bit early previously? And and what's the appetite for the customer that you're hearing from from the showrooms?
00:52:11
Speaker
Yeah, so I think there's, you know, you can see it even in the stats, that increase in the electric segment. it's It's gone up again this year, which is really good to see. suppose from our own customer base, we do still see i'm ah huge demand for hybrid and now following on from that for plug-in hybrid and then for us electric cars. So we're we're different to other brands, you know, in terms of our our product lineup.
00:52:34
Speaker
I think now is a good time for us to be bringing out new electric cars into the market because the appetite is there. And I think people who are looking at electric now are very, ah they're more aware of what you need to be thinking about because, you know, when you buy an electric car, it's not just a new car. It's nearly like a new ecosystem.
00:52:52
Speaker
have to catch your head around the charging and how the temperature affects that. And I think ah the customers who are coming in looking for electric cars now are ah really aware of that and they understand that the electric car is slightly different to, you know, a normal car and you to treat it differently. So um I think it's it is the right time for people to start moving towards electric if they have, I think, really it's the home charging that people need to be able to get access for forward the electric car to make it work.
00:53:18
Speaker
and what What has been your own experience of electric? Yeah, like, i so we have our BZ4X here and I've taken for a few weeks and I love it. Like the drive is amazing. i I'm actually currently in a plug-in and that would definitely be my favourite because, like I said, I'm from Kerry so I can charge it here.
00:53:36
Speaker
drive in and out to work on completely on electric but I can go home to Kerry and I don't have to worry about adding on a long kind of break on the way. But look, electric driving is great. um It feels great. It's very comfortable. It's very quiet. So,
00:53:49
Speaker
um I do think that people who go into electric really like it. I think a lot of people do want that backup of having a petrol engine as well. um And then say for myself, actually, where I live is in an apartment, so I wouldn't be able to get charging in for probably many more years. So you definitely need to have. have the options. Options, yeah, exactly.
00:54:07
Speaker
and For people who don't know Zoe, you're a very well-traveled lady. um Have you ever seen ah very old Toyota in a random part of the world and it's brought a smile to your face?
00:54:20
Speaker
Gosh, um I've definitely seen a couple of ah very, very old Corollas. That was in Spain, actually. Very randomly, yeah. And I was in Australia a couple of Christmases ago and I saw they're not very old, but they're CHRs, but they are in really great, vibrant colours. And that's something I'd love to see more in Ireland, more vibrant colours.
00:54:38
Speaker
Why are we so obsessed with blacks and greys? I don't know. is it the weather? Can't blame everything on the weather though. from Well, from previous but experience, it's people don't, yeah, people are scared of the yeah the yellows and the others because the resale value doesn't hold up necessarily.
00:54:55
Speaker
That's the theory anyway. But yeah, if you look at the figures, it's just all black and silver and Grey. Now, grey has been number one for years on the sales. Black I kind of get because black is it's it's like a little black dress. it's It's classic. It never will go out of fashion. yeah But it does take a lot of effort to keep it clean in this country. But as as you say, ah like you nearly maybe need an ad, not just you, but any brands to say,
00:55:17
Speaker
buy the bright colours, the resale will be fine. Because ah you as you say, you do see it in the continent and stuff like that. Has as the way you're in Toyota now nearly a decade, has the way you market and advertise cars, has the message had to change?
00:55:32
Speaker
im I would say our messaging has, broadly speaking, been quite consistent. So for more brand, it's always been about drive lower emissions, move away from diesel. And that's pretty much been since um when I started in 2016. So we ah launched a new, i suppose,
00:55:51
Speaker
a brand promise which was built for a better world and it was all about making a difference in our society and bringing down emissions. So the messaging has changed, I suppose, in the last couple of years in that, apart from being completely focused on hybrid now, we're looking at plug-in and electric and we have more options for people. But for our own messaging, I suppose it has been very consistent, I would say, for the last decade. Sounds like a very long time, but yes, decade. It flies when you're having fun Yeah.
00:56:18
Speaker
I know it's like asking someone, you know, what's their favorite child, but of the current range of Toyota models, if ah if you were, you know, there was a big bolt bunch of keys on the wall, which one would you take to go to carry in?
00:56:32
Speaker
um I actually have been driving the CH-R so long now, I have to say the CH-R. um Every so often i change out and I go into a different car. So I was in the RAV4, which I absolutely loved, but I always go back to the CH-R.
00:56:47
Speaker
I know it's being discontinued in Ireland, but can I say the Highlander? I mean, the Highlander was basically, it was a Lexus with a Toyota badge on it, which is kind of the same thing anyway. But like air-cooled seats, grey leather interior, beautiful, beautiful car.
00:57:04
Speaker
Yeah, it's lovely. I'm not going to mention that comment back to Ian though.
00:57:09
Speaker
Say nothing. We must get him on the podcast actually sometime he's around. And are we going to see, you can't give away too many secrets, are we going to see a return to cars like the Celica and the MR2, which Irish buyers in particular really loved? Are we going to see, you know, do you think we might see a return to those sorts of cars in the future?
00:57:28
Speaker
Your guess is as good as mine. i will say, though, Kia Toyota, you know, he's been very vocal about his love of driving and performance driving and things like that. It's very close to his heart. So we'll have to wait and see.
00:57:40
Speaker
Well, I mean, he allowed the RSGR happen. So fingers fingers crossed. Yeah, the RSGR incredibly special. and um But do you do you know what it's a car, I don't know, you're certainly too young to remember, is the Toyota E86, the Corolla GT, which is ah the the rear wheel drive rally car, which Ireland has ah huge proportion of because they all ended up in places like Monaghan and Caffin. Frasenigal, those kind of places.
00:58:11
Speaker
ah yeah I'm sure you have seen him because it like obviously they have a second and third, it's a Toyota, maybe a tenth life ah in them. So they they seem to have been acquired by a gentleman of a certain description.
00:58:24
Speaker
but Over, boy racers, over the last few years. Well, Zoe, look, here's another 10 years and in Toyota. Here's to another top five in the top 10 for the next little while. I don't see that changing, especially with so many new models coming down the line. So, continued success.
Renault's Marketing Strategy and EV Design
00:58:43
Speaker
And thank you for having a chat. Yeah, thank you so much. That was great. Thanks, guys. Welcome back to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Motors with Ireland's widest selection of cars for sale from certified trusted dealers.
00:58:56
Speaker
The right car for you is on dundeele.ie. And a big thanks to Zoe Bradley from Toyota for joining us on this week's episode. ah Don't forget you can email us at any time if you've got a question or you'd like something brought up to do with motoring or any sort of mobility here in Ireland and beyond. Drivers of Public Podcast at gmail.com is the email address.
00:59:21
Speaker
Our final interview on this week's episode is with a very interesting guy who's worked for a long time in the Renault Group here in Ireland.
00:59:32
Speaker
And we head along to a pop-up store in Dundrum Town Centre this week to have a chat with him. I'm here with Jeremy Warnock who is, ah well he definitely has listened to one episode of of the podcast. I know listened to a few now. But no pressure.
00:59:46
Speaker
Because as we've alluded to before, Jeremy is the real deal. He works in Renault Ireland but he has an interesting car collection himself. But also is the is the guy Renault go to when I suppose they want to explain what a new car is to a room full of journalists or dealers or customers or whoever. you are you the guy who's kind of wheeled out for every occasion?
01:00:05
Speaker
Well, I am the yeah product and distribution manager. So when it comes to talking about product, I am the guy. So yeah, but when when when there's an audience that needs to hear something about our new cars, I tend to tell them about it.
01:00:18
Speaker
And when you are researching, as as we often do, about new cars, um where where do you do that? Is it just through a combination of in the office or do you like to kind of just... go somewhere quiet? Do you need to even do that anymore? Well, there's there's a combination of things. Obviously, when it comes to learning about our own cars, you know, Renault have a fantastic training team and they set up training events and, you know, but they're they're able to tell us everything about our cars and it's fairly easily absorbed.
01:00:49
Speaker
um They tend to give us a good bit of relevant information on competitor products as well. So, you know, if you're not into cars, and you're in a training position, it's easy to get all the information.
01:01:02
Speaker
Myself, I tend to just absorb any information I can about cars anywhere. I spend a lot of time on the internet reading about cars and specifying my own cars and configurators and browsing, done deal.
01:01:16
Speaker
interesting well we we often say how how joyful it can be of an evening just to look what's in the the vintage section and and i presume that makes life easier for you like anything when you enjoy what you do as a job it makes the job easier i've been into cars since i was maybe four or five uh so for me i've never worked in any other industry because it's the industry i wanted to work in and i was very fortunate that coming straight out of college i was able to get a job with an importer in the yeah uk and I haven't looked back, I've been in the industry ever since.
01:01:47
Speaker
Impressive. We're recording today in Renault's pop-up store in Dundrum Town Centre, which is a nice idea. I don't know if too many car brands have done this format. So essentially, if you're browsing in Dundrum, you might be looking at the window of mannequins and then suddenly you see a car. um Has this been a a good way to launch a car, do you think?
01:02:07
Speaker
It has actually, yeah. I mean, it's, I suppose, something that Renault themselves have been very keen on. and Anyone who who who knows the brand at all, I guess, knows about the showroom on the Champs-Élysées.
01:02:19
Speaker
um But even since then, they've they've promoted Renault 5 with pop-up stores in Paris. ah We're the first kind of smaller importer country to to launch one of these pop-up stores.
01:02:33
Speaker
And it's been great for us. i mean, Dundrum Town Centre, the footfall is fantastic. you're You're in the target audience area for new car buyers. And it's great to be able to engage with people who wouldn't necessarily be shopping for cars at the moment.
01:02:49
Speaker
They quite possibly wouldn't have been considering Renault, but you get a chance to be in front of them. and We have very knowledgeable people operating the store. Brian Kellett, who works on my team, is here four days a week, and he he knows it inside out, so he's really well able to talk to customers. So it's been good from that point of view.
01:03:09
Speaker
It's obviously a very vibrant car when you walk back by like you can't miss it. You mentioned in your presentation or you're on that term ah lot, like you're getting customers in here, maybe like they're not necessarily buying or they didn't think they were buying or or looking for a car and equally who mightn't have a huge knowledge of of EVs.
01:03:26
Speaker
And you said some of those questions are then fed back to you in Renault HQ in Ireland. What sort of normal people, if that's the way to describe them, questions are people asking about EVs? I suppose it's probably it's probably simpler questions than you might necessarily expect. i mean, at the at the start when when EVs first came out, I think one of the truisms was that if you were a salesperson in a dealership, the customers coming into you back in 2014, 2015 would know more about the cars than you did. Yeah.
01:03:58
Speaker
these days uh you tend to get people who might see the reno 5 they might think it's great they might say but i heard it's electric will that work for me and and it's really a question of of a lot of people simply not knowing much about evs and sometimes not even knowing the questions they need to ask but people tend to want to know about ah range They tend to know, want to know what it's like to charge the car at home and what they need to charge the car at home.
01:04:27
Speaker
And then people say, well, what happens if I have a long journey? And, you know, fortunately, the guys who who work in the store here are EV drivers themselves. They know inside out what it's like to live with an EV, so they're well able to reassure people. And I think hopefully convince a few people that maybe we're accidental EV skeptics, that maybe it it could work for them.
01:04:50
Speaker
It's a car that we've obviously both driven, you you more than than me. How would you describe it for people who are a bit more into their cars? To me, it is. It's a fun car to drive. It's 150 brake horsepower the bigger battery. It's front wheel drive.
01:05:04
Speaker
it's a little It can be a little bit lively to maybe describe it like that through through the front wheels with all well are the torque. Do you think it's a car that you would kind of take out for a Sunday spin in the mountains or wherever? Absolutely, absolutely. and I had one for a weekend a little while ago um and took it to Bray Cars and Coffee and I came home the scenic route.
01:05:23
Speaker
It's a really fun car to drive, as you say. i think what really stands out for me is the level of refinement it has. Its ride quality is very good. It's very quiet. And I know people say EVs are quiet. What happens when you take out engine noise is all the other noises are highlighted.
01:05:40
Speaker
And the suspension noise, the tyre noise, the wind noise is very muted in the R5. So I find it a very refined car compared to other cars in the B segment. And then, yeah, it's a lot of fun to drive. It's also 1,449 kilos.
01:05:56
Speaker
Is that the larger battery or the smaller battery? That's the larger battery. So 1,449 is the max weight of the R5. Which is pretty you know pretty decent for and any car weight. It doesn't really matter. Yeah, I mean, I think even when you go back a couple of generations, Renault Clios were 12 to 1300 kilos.
01:06:12
Speaker
um You know, that's without a battery. yeah um So to be able to bring a car out with all the safety features the R5 has, as well as electric power, you know, I think it's pretty impressive.
01:06:23
Speaker
So there's three trims, Evolution, Techno and Iconic. You have noticed, ah well, I don't know if a quirk is is the right word, but if you want it in... Yeah, green, you can't get the... So you can only get... The the top spec gets these lovely, bolstered, retro-looking seats with a bit of yellow splashed on the five-digit as well.
01:06:44
Speaker
But you're not sure if Renault will let you mix that with the green exterior. I think i think the people in charge of design have decreed that green exterior and yellow interior don't mix, which...
01:06:55
Speaker
which You know, it works for it works for several soft drink brands we could mention. yes So I wouldn't have an issue with it. But that said, you know, you've got a good spec on the Tecno. You've got similar seat design with a kind of ah denim ah fabric instead. So really nice looking interior as well. So I'd be prepared to forgo.
01:07:16
Speaker
heated seats and drive the green one. to have the the green The green does look striking. I mean, look, the yellow is amazing. I think the car I'm going driving in a few weeks in Ireland is is white. It's a pearl colour. Pearl colors purple white with a black roof, yeah. and which Which looks nice. And I love the, look, there's so much personalisation that you can get in the car, whether it's decals on the roof and that strip around the front, the baguette holder, is the bagout does that come as standard or is that an option? The baguette holder is an accessory. Okay. But it clips straight onto the centre tunnel so you can transport your baguette without getting crumbs in the interior. Yeah, and look, people might laugh, but it is something, when you buy in a large baguette and you put it in the passenger seat, there's always a bit that's going to either hit off the...
01:07:57
Speaker
the seat or if you have to brake, it's going to fall on the floor. It's a real solution to a real problem. No need to chop the top of your baguette off anymore. and All models have come with a heat pump.
01:08:07
Speaker
Yeah. yeah Was that something that you had to fight with Renault over? No, that was a decision. um And I think yeah we we've we've only had one car launched without a heat pump in in the...
01:08:21
Speaker
the whole time we've done EVs and I think we did see customers noting a difference between hot weather and cold weather performance. So I think the decision from there was to introduce a heat pump as standard on everything and it just does keep that winter range consistent. That's the way you described it today. So for people that maybe, what the hell is a heat pump? and It uses some of the heat from warming up the battery essentially to heat the the cabin of the car.
01:08:48
Speaker
Pretty much. that the most simple way to explain it? It's technical stuff. And someone described it to me once as like a fridge, but in reverse. And if I knew how a fridge worked, that would be great. It would help me. But I've no idea.
01:08:59
Speaker
but And people sometimes do say, do you need a heat pump in Ireland? you you reckon it's... Obviously, in this car, you don't have pay extra for it, it is something worthwhile. It's worthwhile, yeah, yeah, because you don't get, you know, majorly long periods of minus 10, minus 15 degrees, but really even when the temperatures get down to 5 degrees, 3 degrees, which they do pretty frequently, it makes a difference. Okay, so look, it's it's a nice to have...
01:09:23
Speaker
um So look, a very interesting car. Two battery sizes, as as we said. weve i did have on my notes, what's Jeremy's favourite colour? We've established that it's ah it's green and with a denim interior.
01:09:37
Speaker
ah One last question, actually, that I was interested in today. so a lot of EVs. As you described, um they use regen for the initial part of braking the friction brake, which most cars would have had in the past.
01:09:49
Speaker
And that that can result in a kind of a spongy, a bit of a, just a not very connected brake pedal. It's a lot better than this because... It's a lot better than this because we have a fully by wire braking system.
01:10:02
Speaker
So basically everything is apportioned by the by the ECU for braking. So you get a really consistent pedal feel.
Rejuvenating Interest in Hot Hatches Through EVs
01:10:12
Speaker
It almost sounds counterintuitive when there's no physical link between the pedal and the brakes.
01:10:18
Speaker
But what you do get as a result of this is four... any given level of brake pedal effort you get the same level of slowing down whether your battery is at 100 and you can't regen or your battery is at 20 so it's it's very consistent and again helps with that that driving feel um on a on a not really connected to reno 5 specifically but as we've alluded you are a car fan do you think cars like this now and maybe with the alpine which has been confirmed will come to ireland as well might be january next year but it's coming
01:10:53
Speaker
and Are cars like this going to give a little bit of lease of life to the hot hatch? I know certain cars like the GTIs that exist, but theyre they're few and far between these days. They're few and far between. And between VRT in Ireland and cafe rules in Europe, ah you know manufacturers are shying away from cars with high CO2 emissions. And you know to be fair, that is that the that ah that was the goal of the EU in introducing cafe regulations.
01:11:22
Speaker
ah So the question is, can you have fun in cars that aren't powered by a petrol engine? I think definitely. I mean, talk about the Renault 5. It's not a hot hatch, but it's a car that's great fun to drive.
01:11:34
Speaker
i think when we when we test the Alpine A290, it's a very different character or vehicle, even though it's based on pretty much the same car as the Renault 5. It's got its own bespoke suspension, motor, cooling system specifically.
01:11:49
Speaker
set up for a hot hatch it's a great car to drive and i think you know it's going to be the first of first of many and it's ah it's a different way of of enjoying inverted commas going fast or going around corners maybe but yeah you know it's it's still able to do it yeah and one of the things i liked about hearing about the a290 was that a lot of the testing they've done on the car has been on track and they've done things like seeing how it stands up to you know repeated fast acceleration and heartbreaking and made sure that the car remains very consistent in its performance just whatever the the state of charge of the battery no we briefly mentioned the the new turbo that was unveiled a couple of weeks ago what what are your top line thoughts on it is the car we're going to see here
01:12:36
Speaker
uh i think we will see it here yeah yeah and i think it's a couple of years away in real life uh it's it's a very special car it's it's it's going to be quite exclusive very exciting in terms of the technology and the driving experience that it's going to offer and you know as to your question about whether we're going to have fun EV hot hatches. This is probably not a hot hatch. It's more of a simple car. But, you know, it's very much focused on a driving experience with some drifting capability built in and that kind of thing. So I think it's a remarkable a remarkable car.
01:13:14
Speaker
It shows you what's possible. It shows you what's possible. And I really think it points towards a bright future of exciting EVs.
Renault 5 Launch and Podcast Teaser
01:13:22
Speaker
Well, we're here at Renault, Renault 5 launch. Very exciting launch today. It's on sale in Ireland now from just under 26,000 euro. Jeremy, thank you very much for talking to us. Thank you, Mark. Apparently Google searches are at the highest by the Renault 5 since 1972 in an article this week.
01:13:38
Speaker
I'm just not sure Google were actually around 1972, so... Not sure how that works. Anyway, that is about it for this week's episode on the Drivers Republic podcast. and Next week, we'll be chatting about the new Cooper Taviskan, because that's one of the cars I'll be driving. We'll catch up with Paddy as well.
01:13:54
Speaker
And we'll have the managing director of Kia Ireland, Rowan Flood, on the pod. So see you next time. Thanks for listening.