The Ferrari 296 GTB Launches in the South Island
South Island Ferrari customers and fans have been given a unique look at the new Ferrari 296 GTB at a special launch event in Christchurch. Hosted at the headquarters of renowned Canterbury based automotive detailing business, Avid Group, the chance to finally see up close Ferrari’s first V6 powered production car since the 1974 Dino […]
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 […]
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 […]