Ha-Kona Matata: 2022 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite Review
The Hyundai Kona has made considerable in-roads into a very competitive market. The introduction of an EV variant has only helped sales, but its hefty price tag has put it out of reach for many. What the Kona needed was a mid-way point for those not able to go fully electric just yet. Hyundai responded […]
Punk Roc R – 2022 Volkswagen T-Roc R Review
Volkswagen is going all out with their R performance editions in New Zealand. The Golf R has been with us for a long time, but the addition of R to the Tiguan and the T-Roc has been more than welcome. New Zealand has been a bit behind on the latter, as Europe have had access […]
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 […]
Electric Essence – 2022 MG HS PHEV Review
The MG HS has now joined the plug-in electric fraternity. The mid-sized HS has already proved immensely popular with consumers, now the addition of a plug-in variant is shaping up to becoming another very strong seller in New Zealand. Therefore, thanks to MG Motor New Zealand through CMG Motors in Christchurch, I decided to see […]
Luxury Leviathan – 2022 Lexus LX500d F Sport Review
Dignified Sophistication. This is how Lexus refers to the latest incarnation of its largest SUV, the LX. Now into its fourth generation, the LX is very much a different beast to the ones before it. Petrol variants are now a thing of the past and the old V8 has also been laid out to pasture. […]
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 […]
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, […]