Falling for an Audi on the twisting roads high in the Dublin mountains

There is a laneway at the back of our house that separates us from Dalymount, Bohemian Football Club’s stadium and the spiritual home of Irish soccer. Writing this column I face the back of the Jodi Stand – and in happier times it was a mere couple of steps into the stadium or, even closer, the member’s bar.

Those delights will have to wait. However the Boh’s car park at the end of the lane is still regularly used to turn the car. Last Tuesday I spotted that MG had installed an EV charging point there.

Later that day the context was made clear when Bohemians announced it had taken two significant actions in the fight against climate change.

Firstly by signing up, through its climate justice officer Seán McCabe, to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.

And secondly, by announcing MG Motor Ireland would be its official vehicle partner for 2021, which will see club players and manager Keith Long drive 100pc electric vehicles.

The club becomes the first Irish signatory to the UN framework, and joins major clubs, organisations and governing bodies including Arsenal, LA Galaxy, UEFA, World Rugby, the English and German FAs, the International Olympic Committee, Formula 1, and BBC Sport.

I am really pleased about both moves and it comes a week after the go-ahead was given for architects’ plans to be drawn up for the redevelopment of Dalymount, which will be hopefully completed by the 2025 season. However there have been many false dawns already.

In the meantime, it will be good to see the MGs whispering down the lane. It is just another strut in the gradual building of the whole EV network towards meeting the ambitious plans of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.

The electric MGs the Bohemian crew will be driving start at a very competitive €27,645 (after grants and rebates). 

At the other end of the scale is the Audi e-tron GT, which has just been launched at a fairly hefty €102,397 for the 470bhp, 350kW version with a range of 479km and an 0-100km sprint of 4.1 seconds.

Even more eye-watering is the RS e-tron GT, a 440kW, 590bhp piece of magic that will take you to 100km in 3.3 seconds, has a range of 455km and will set you back €140,367.

Now there’s something in which a few lucky people can put their savings which, we are told, some parts of society have made in the 12 months of the pandemic.

I was given an hour or so in the €100k model a few days ago during which I could sweep along the motorway, into the Dublin mountains and back along the coast. I felt immensely fortunate – not just for the freedom of at last getting out for a decent spin, but also for driving a car that I’ll never be able to afford.

It is a real pedigree offering that takes the best of the Audi heritage and mates it to the latest EV technology.

The four-door e-tron GT quattro is a wide, low beast with aerodynamic looks to die for. To add to the driving appeal the Audi engineers have developed a unique sound which burbles and excites as if you were driving a full, throaty petrol model.

However you aren’t, and the acceleration is explosive. I first noted this at a set of traffic lights when, after thinking I had just lightly touched the throttle, I found the cars in my rear view mirror were very fast-fading memories.

Electric engines front and rear mean that the immense power is delivered intelligently and instantly to the individual wheels.

It’s a heavy car (the battery is split fore and aft) but amazingly composed, with a lovely light touch – which gave me real confidence on the mountain roads and sudden bends from which I have been away too long.

Away from the performance, the e-tron GT has ample space for four and good storage throughout, including a boot of more than 400 litres and an useful area under the bonnet as well.

The e-tron GT boasts of a “leather-free design package” but materials and overall spec reflect the price, though I was surprised that a reversing camera was an extra.

Fast-charging technology on board can give the battery 80pc of potential in 22.5 minutes, or a distance of around 100km in five minutes.

The performance and quality of the e-tron GT really puts it up to Tesla and with Audi you have performance-car building heritage to go with the technology.

I admit it: I was smitten. Sometimes these days it doesn’t take long.

I drove to and from the Audi test in a Volkswagen Tiguan – but rather than giving too much to the VW group this week, I’ll keep my views of this very honest SUV, which is now the company’s top-selling model, to another day.

Gowan reunited with iconic Citroën badge 

Meanwhile it has been a busy time in the mammoth Stellantis group, with the Gowan Group here taking back distributorship of Citroën vehicles, having relinquished it in 2009 after 27 years.

The widely respected Colin Sheridan moves over from Peugeot, where he was sales and marketing director, to head the business here. Thirteen staff members from the former Citroën importer have joined the new operation.

Citroën has a lot of new models planned over the next year – and the largest of these had its world premiere last Monday.

The C5X is a mix of saloon, fastback and SUV with a lot of interior room, underpinned by the brand’s ‘advanced comfort’ suspension. We won’t be seeing it until next year and it looks as though it will turn heads.

With fond memories of the iconic DS of the 1950s, anticipation of new Citroëns always excites me a bit. Sometimes it’s a let-down, however I’m still looking forward to seeing the style of the C5X.

Along the corridors in the Gowan Group, Opel has now launched the brand new Mokka over here. Following on from the rather appealing Crossland, the new Mokka is the second new model from the Opel stable in 2021, a year that the company promises to “reshape the German brand”.

Eye-catching and boldly styled, it features Opel’s new Vizor front face and Pure Panel cockpit. Available in petrol, diesel and all-electric, it retails from €23,295 plus p&p, for the SC 1.2 petrol 100bhp model.