New fleet announcement

POGAN · 31-10-2013 6:08pm #1

The Garda fleet is to get 305 new cars before the end of the year, it has been confirmed.

Some five million euro is being spent on new Fords and Hyundais for the force over the next two months while another 4m euro will be invested in new vehicles in the first half of next year.

Alan Shatter, Justice Minister, said 18m euro will have been spent on new vehicles for gardai since 2012.

"A great deal of work has taken place to ensure that these vehicles could be made available quickly and that the tender process was completed without delay," he said.

"It is a clear indication of my commitment to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, An Garda Siochana are provided with sufficient resources to enable them to deliver an effective and efficient policing service."

The 9m euro allocation for the Garda fleet was announced on budget day.

Department of Justice figures have shown that Garda vehicle numbers dropped from 2,814 in 2009 to 2,474 last year.

Mr Shatter said 133 new vehicles had already been added to the fleet this year. More than 200 new vehicles were added last year.

But there has been criticism over the fleet management by Garda representative bodies after dozens of rural and isolated Garda stations were closed and officers told to patrol in vehicles.

The Department of Justice said all the new vehicles would be cars and "in line with the current Garda operational requirements".

Garda cars have to be retired once they reach 300,000km for safety reasons.

The car investment is on top of promises to reopen Garda recruitment in the coming weeks with student officers entering the Garda College in Templemore for the first time since recruitment was frozen in 2009.

Later, the Department of Justice said that all the new Ford and Hyundai cars being bought for the Garda fleet would either be saloon or estate vehicles.

A spokeswoman said it was not possible to disclose a breakdown of the model being bought for the force at this stage.

In the indo

POGAN · 31-10-2013 6:17pm

POGAN wrote: »

The Garda fleet is to get 305 new cars before the end of the year, it has been confirmed.

Some five million euro is being spent on new Fords and Hyundais for the force over the next two months while another 4m euro will be invested in new vehicles in the first half of next year.

Alan Shatter, Justice Minister, said 18m euro will have been spent on new vehicles for gardai since 2012.

"A great deal of work has taken place to ensure that these vehicles could be made available quickly and that the tender process was completed without delay," he said.

"It is a clear indication of my commitment to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, An Garda Siochana are provided with sufficient resources to enable them to deliver an effective and efficient policing service."

The 9m euro allocation for the Garda fleet was announced on budget day.

Department of Justice figures have shown that Garda vehicle numbers dropped from 2,814 in 2009 to 2,474 last year.

Mr Shatter said 133 new vehicles had already been added to the fleet this year. More than 200 new vehicles were added last year.

But there has been criticism over the fleet management by Garda representative bodies after dozens of rural and isolated Garda stations were closed and officers told to patrol in vehicles.

The Department of Justice said all the new vehicles would be cars and "in line with the current Garda operational requirements".

Garda cars have to be retired once they reach 300,000km for safety reasons.

The car investment is on top of promises to reopen Garda recruitment in the coming weeks with student officers entering the Garda College in Templemore for the first time since recruitment was frozen in 2009.

Later, the Department of Justice said that all the new Ford and Hyundai cars being bought for the Garda fleet would either be saloon or estate vehicles.

A spokeswoman said it was not possible to disclose a breakdown of the model being bought for the force at this stage.

In the indo

So far there is Hyundai i40 estates and santa fe's coming in along with transit connect possible mondeos aswell

goldie fish · 31-10-2013 7:54pm

No motorbikes?

POGAN · 31-10-2013 7:59pm

goldie fish wrote: »

No motorbikes?

Edit my last post

Ya There no bikes in this order but possible next year with the 4 million earmarked

Old diesel · 31-10-2013 8:48pm

POGAN wrote: »

So far there is Hyundai i40 estates and santa fe's coming in along with transit connect possible mondeos aswell

Hyundai i40s - are they even up to the job :rolleyes: remember reading a magazine road test on them when they were new - and the article was pointing out how they were driving it - and thought the traction control was unbelievably intrusive and too quick to cut in - they thought - then they turned it off and discovered that it needed to be because the cars overall grip levels weren't great.

Not sure what the new Santa Fe is like though - probably average as has being the Santa Fe norm since around 2001.

Probably buying Hyundai on price - I will say this and I will say this only once - I would love to see what the actual price difference between an i40 and a 320d/A4 2.0 tdi (177 bhp) actually would be when police discounts are factored in.

Could easily see the dopey civil servants over here paying the same price for a Hyundai excluding VRT as the UK police would pay for a BMW 320d or an Audi A4 Quattro - or indeed my fave Focus ST estate

Can't they not get some proper cars in - Focus ST estate is what id like to see

Boaty · 31-10-2013 8:53pm

They need some high powered BMWs for catching the the speeders.

31-10-2013 9:00pm

The BMW's cost price is not the issue. The service costs are.

POGAN · 31-10-2013 9:03pm

Old diesel wrote: »

Hyundai i40s - are they even up to the job :rolleyes: remember reading a magazine road test on them when they were new - and the article was pointing out how they were driving it - and thought the traction control was unbelievably intrusive and too quick to cut in - they thought - then they turned it off and discovered that it needed to be because the cars overall grip levels weren't great.

Not sure what the new Santa Fe is like though - probably average as has being the Santa Fe norm since around 2001.

Probably buying Hyundai on price - I will say this and I will say this only once - I would love to see what the actual price difference between an i40 and a 320d/A4 2.0 tdi (177 bhp) actually would be when police discounts are factored in.

Could easily see the dopey civil servants over here paying the same price for a Hyundai excluding VRT as the UK police would pay for a BMW 320d or an Audi A4 Quattro - or indeed my fave Focus ST estate

Can't they not get some proper cars in - Focus ST estate is what id like to see

Mileage limit is the main thing on the new cars ford won't give over 300,000 km grounding limit, I heard they offered higher on the cars

TheNog · 31-10-2013 10:27pm

This could be bad timing but our car (district hq) will probably be gone next week. Only 3,500km left on.

We are hoping for a Mondeo. Already have a PO van so a connect would be no use

Boaty · 31-10-2013 10:27pm

foreign wrote: »

The BMW's cost price is not the issue. The service costs are.

I didn't factor in that, it would cost alot to repair a bmw. The traffic corps have a few tho.

Old diesel · 31-10-2013 10:45pm

POGAN wrote: »

Mileage limit is the main thing on the new cars ford won't give over 300,000 km grounding limit, I heard they offered higher on the cars

So essentially they are saying that 187,500 miles is not a sufficient lifespan for a garda car.

What are Hyundai offering in terms of a mileage limit

.

Surely going past 300,000 on any saloon or estate is far too much when its being used 24/7 as a garda car.

So really there only concern is how much mileage they will get out of a hard driven garda car

.

I imagine that in order for the Hyundai to make sense purely on mileage limit - the limit on the Hyundai would have to be 250,000 miles plus

That's far too high for a garda car - and I have visions of some bright spark authorising 8 grand worth of repair work :rolleyes: on a Hyundai i40 at 185,000 miles - because they need to keep garda car numbers up.

Rather then putting the 8 grand towards the replacement car that really should be bought.

I wonder is it the case that the Ford 300,000 mile figure is actually the correct figure for a normal car (not just fords) from a safety/reliability viewpoint - and Hyundai are deliberately pushing the mileage limit higher then it should be - just to win the business.

I mean in reality - I cant see how a Mondeo wouldn't do the same ultimate mileage as an i40.

Would love to see what mileage limits BMW, Audi and Merc would come back with - just for the craic.

Would love to know what extra durability Hyundai can demonstrate on the i40 to justify a higher mileage limit.

Mister Jingles · 01-11-2013 1:02am

All diesel I'd imagine ?

Suppose this is how they'll look bar the writing.

jamesr123 · 01-11-2013 3:38am

I don't think hyundai have ever been used by the gardai on a large scale? I'v seen the odd santa fa but not many.

I think the i40 pictured above just looks cheap IMO.

POGAN · 01-11-2013 8:03am

TheNog wrote: »

This could be bad timing but our car (district hq) will probably be gone next week. Only 3,500km left on.

We are hoping for a Mondeo. Already have a PO van so a connect would be no use

Hopefully there releasing that district hq can't use patrol vans there not practal. Only regular I know that got a mondeo this year was drogdeha

POGAN · 01-11-2013 8:09am

Old diesel wrote: »

That's far too high for a garda car - and I have visions of some bright spark authorising 8 grand worth of repair work :rolleyes: on a Hyundai i40 at 185,000 miles - because they need to keep garda car numbers up.

Rather then putting the 8 grand towards the replacement car that really should

This is already happening on the 06/07 fleet money crazy money put in to repairs of cars. It would less go buy another one but saying goes nothing writing off in the AGS anymore

Mileage limits on i40 will prop be 400,000.

POGAN · 01-11-2013 8:11am

Mister Jingles wrote: »

All diesel I'd imagine ?

Suppose this is how they'll look bar the writing.

Honestly I like them battenburg up I understand the deal for all diesel

Zambia · 01-11-2013 9:08am

Not a bad looking car.

flazio · 01-11-2013 11:03am

TBH I wouldn't care if they invested in a fleet of Dacias, just as long as they are capable of the job in hand.

goldie fish · 01-11-2013 11:36am

flazio wrote: »

TBH I wouldn't care if they invested in a fleet of Dacias, just as long as they are capable of the job in hand.

France is full of liveried Dacias at the moment. Every state agency bar the Army seem to be using them there. Not surprising though given the Renault engine.

tuamroadgalway · 02-11-2013 10:55am

They will regret buying those i40s guaranteed.

3fullback · 02-11-2013 11:13am

tuamroadgalway wrote: »

They will regret buying those i40s guaranteed.

Why ?

Zambia · 02-11-2013 11:23am

tuamroadgalway wrote: »

They will regret buying those i40s guaranteed.

Why ?

TheNog · 02-11-2013 3:52pm

POGAN wrote: »

Hopefully there releasing that district hq can't use patrol vans there not practal. Only regular I know that got a mondeo this year was drogdeha

Kells got one too.

I checked carzone.ie for specs.

I40 max speed 118mph, 0-60 in 12 secs. Engine size 1.7 diesel

Mondeo max speed 130mph, 0-60 in 9 secs for a 2l Diesel engine.

Big difference in spec tbh. Would far prefer the Mondeo especially for the motorway runs towards Dublin with the u/ts

Mister Jingles · 02-11-2013 8:01pm

The i40 does however come with decent powered petrol engines.

jamesr123 · 03-11-2013 1:40am

seen an estate i40 tonight. They are actually not a bad looking car. They look very cheapy in the pics though.

SpaceTime · 03-11-2013 1:45am

goldie fish wrote: »

France is full of liveried Dacias at the moment. Every state agency bar the Army seem to be using them there. Not surprising though given the Renault engine.

and the Renault ownership of Dacia.

However, I'm surprised they can get it past the French car workers politically. French state agencies historically drive *FRENCH* cars and nothing else.
Probably illegal to tender that way under EU rules, but it doesn't mean it wouldn't be a political hot potato.

kub · 03-11-2013 10:23am

Just looking at the i40 dash layout and wondering what butcher work will be required for AGS radio/ light controls etc?

http://www.netcarshow.com/hyundai/2012-i40_wagon/800x600/wallpaper_4a.htm

Also here is a review of the i40 Tourer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UPT8m8yyyo

Old diesel · 03-11-2013 1:16pm

Mister Jingles wrote: »

The i40 does however come with decent powered petrol engines.

They do have petrol engines in other markets - think theres a 1.8/2.0 direct injection or some such thing.

Know very little about it because although a car enthusiast - I promptly lost interest in the i40 when the only engine available here was a 1.7 diesel.

I mean look at the size of the car :rolleyes:, I know that's as much down to the marketing approach in Ireland - all diesel.

But mother of god - 12.6 seconds 0 to 60 - hopeless for 999 response - I think anyway.

Especially when there are other options there - and no I don't mean ST Focus estates or 530ds or 3.0 tdi A6s

.

Even looking at VAG group - Skodas for example - gives you options.

VAG tend to have a very wide range of cars - with the option to tool up for practically every operational requirement.

This business of even dealing with manufacturers who cant meet all requirements (Toyota and Hyundai) is a bit nonsense imo.

Would still love to know how the i40 can deliver a higher mileage limit compared to the Mondeos or (presumably) other cars that could be bought.

Personally in the absence of evidence to the contrary - I would be of the view that Hyundai - have probably pushed the mileage limits up - to win business.

However - im happy to be very much proven wrong - and if the i40 is genuinely capable of 200,000 miles plus trouble free operation in Garda use - it would make a fantastic car for normal private motorists - inspite of whatever limitations it has in performance and roadholding for garda use.

Probably not neccessarly a disaster though once we don't start seeing them being used for traffic

.

Still think at the moment theres better options out there - if you won't have Audi or BMW due to servicing and/or purchasing costs theres also stuff like the Vrs from Skoda.

And I imagine the new 177 2.0 tdi in a Passat should move well too - and they do a very nice 160 bhp 1.8 tsi (8.6 secs 0 to 60 in a Passat from memory).

Like I say - theres other options to consider - I think

goldie fish · 03-11-2013 6:10pm

You forget lads, HQ don't want anyone breaking the speed limit. Even when on Blue Lights.

Sgt. Bilko 09 · 03-11-2013 10:05pm

In the UK they made a sizeable contract and order from Hyundai for the fuel capacity (diesel), road performance and reliability.

Forces throughout the UK are expected to get the Hyundai i20, i30, ix35, i40, Santa Fe and iLoad van. Combined order gives a total 7,440, big difference in the budget and also they have an independent watchdog that makes sure the DOJ spend properly. In bold writing in there contract it stated a 5 YEAR MILEAGE warranty which is what they wanted.

I don't know the mileage warranty was with ford but I think its less than 5 years and opel was less is well.

Over here we go a similar way to the UK except we don't have a watchdog to looking at shatters spending.

POGAN · 03-11-2013 10:19pm

Sgt. Bilko 09 wrote: »

In the UK they made a sizeable contract and order from Hyundai for the fuel capacity (diesel), road performance and reliability.

Forces throughout the UK are expected to get the Hyundai i20, i30, ix35, i40, Santa Fe and iLoad van. Combined order gives a total 7,440, big difference in the budget and also they have an independent watchdog that makes sure the DOJ spend properly. In bold writing in there contract it stated a 5 YEAR MILEAGE warranty which is what they wanted.

I don't know the mileage warranty was with ford but I think its less than 5 years and opel was less is well.

Over here we go a similar way to the UK except we don't have a watchdog to looking at shatters spending.

300,000 km on the focus & mondeos purchased this year

New fleet announcement

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