R For Rapid – 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan R Review
Sometimes you experience a car which greatly exceeds your expectations. The new Volkswagen Tiguan R is one such car. Having been thoroughly impressed with the new Golf R I tested only a fortnight prior to this, I couldn’t imagine an R variant of the popular Tiguan SUV would be as good. In fact, I was […]
R United – 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Review
The Volkswagen Golf R. With the exception of the GTi, for many, this is the ultimate Golf. Eight generations later, the R is still with us and in my view, can easily match, and in some cases surpass, the GTi in terms of performance and cult following. So, when Volkswagen New Zealand allowed me to […]
Duplex Lex – 2022 Lexus NX350h FWD/AWD Limited Review
The previous generation Lexus NX was certainly a half-decent car. However, despite having a number of good points, in some ways it didn’t really feel truly like a Lexus should. Let’s fast forward to what you see here, the new second generation Lexus NX and straight away I am happy to say there is much […]
Urban Chique – 2022 Renault Arkana Intens Review
Whatever you may think of SUVs styled to resemble coupes, you can’t deny that of all the avenues the SUV as we know it has ventured into, this is probably the most popular to date. Say hello to Renault’s offering, the Arkana, and on the face of it, Renault’s foray into this niche seems to […]
Class Act – 2022 Mercedes C 300 Review
I find the older I get, the more appreciation I have for a leisurely and more relaxed way of driving. Sure, getting out onto a twisty road with some million-horsepower asphalt devourer will still get the adrenaline going, but the appeal having just enough power to soak up the miles in quiet and refinement grows […]
In Da Club – 2022 Mini Clubman JCW Review
You can’t think of Mini without thinking of John Cooper. His aptitude turned the Mini from an automotive shopping basket to a rally and track racing legend almost overnight. Probably even more famous than Cooper’s back-to-back F1 World Championships with Jack Brabham, the Mini and the Cooper brand are inseparable. This brings us jointly […]
N Credible – 2022 Hyundai i20 N Review
If there is one manufacturer’s performance arm which seems to be going from strength to strength, its Hyundai’s N-division. First the spicy i30 N, then a performance N version of the Kona SUV. Now to round out their N-division trifecta, we have the i20 N. Billed as the first light hot hatch from the Korean […]
ATTO BOY! – 2022 BYD ATTO 3 Review
Game Changer. How many times have you heard that? To me, it is a rather overused cliché, which nine times out of ten seldom accurately typifies the product it refers to. However, when one considers, on face value, the immediate impact of a company called BYD Auto on the ever-expanding New Zealand electric vehicle market, […]
The Final Curtain? – 2022 Subaru WRX 2.4TS Sedan Review
One can’t quite believe it has been eight years since Subaru lifted the lid on a new WRX. Perhaps more than any other model in the line-up, a new WRX, or “Rex” if you grew up in the nineties and noughties, is always a big deal. The fifth generation WRX has made it to Kiwi […]
Lex Luthor – 2022 Lexus NX450h F-Sport PHEV Review
In the world of comic book villains, Lex Luthor is a formidable foe. His supreme intellect, wealth and access to a barrage of technical weapons and gadgets has kept Superman on his toes on more than one occasion. To keep Supes and his fellow Justice League members at bay, Lex Luthor must constantly upgrade his […]
