Forthing Taikon EV: Space for the Money
It is no surprise to anyone that the SUV segment is the hottest in many markets, including ours. Add an electric plug to that, and the waters are even more red. So it’s natural that value and space are among the main attractors of new buyers, and the newest player, the Forthing Taikon, arrives in […]
JAC T9 PHEV First Off-Road Drive – In China
The T9 Goes Electric, and Gets Seriously Dirty There are plenty of places to test a new ute. A smooth tarmac road, a motorway, or even a gravel track (if the manufacturer is feeling adventurous). But when JAC decided to let us loose in its new T9 PHEV, it chose something rather more entertaining, the […]
Geely EX2 First Drive and NZ Price
Although relatively new to the local automotive world, (launching the EX5, Starray EM-i and Riddara RD6 last year), Geely has one extra ace in the hole it’s about to reveal. It’s called the Geely EX2 and not only is it a citi-tastic EV Hatch, but it also comes with a ‘World’s Best Selling Small EV’ […]
Ford Ranger Wolftrak Review – Hungry like the Wolf
Forgive the Duran Duran headline, but I liked the band, the tune and enjoyed the Ranger version too. The Ford Ranger Wolftrak occupies an interesting sweet spot in the market. It doesn’t have the outright swagger of the Raptor, the luxury aspirations of the Platinum, or the orange-trimmed bling of the Wildtrak V6. Instead, this […]
Ford Everest Wildtrak Review – Big, Bold and Bright Orange
There are some cars that try desperately hard to convince you they’re adventurous. They have plastic cladding, chunky-looking tyres and enough black trim to make a coal mine look underdressed. Then there’s the Ford Everest Wildtrak. It doesn’t really need to shout about its capabilities, it looks like it could happily spend Monday morning dropping […]
Smart #5 BRABUS Review – Real Wild Child
For years, Smart was the automotive equivalent of a Jack Russell. Tiny, energetic, occasionally hilarious and happiest darting around city streets where parking spaces were measured in millimetres rather than metres. But rather than sticking its lane, someone evidently looked at the sales charts, shrugged, and said, “Let’s build a high-performance electric SUV with enough […]
Forthing Taikon Exclusive Review – Under the Radar But Overdelivers
Let’s be honest, if you mention Forthing at a barbecue and you’ll probably be met with blank stares, followed by someone asking if it’s a new type of fishing lure. But for me, its current anonymity is exactly what makes the Forthing Taikon Exclusive interesting. While many Chinese manufacturers have spent the last few years […]
The Flash of Light – Subaru WRX Senko Review
Whenever I’m starting the write up for a car review, I try to put myself in the shoes of the person that’s likely to buy it. Sometimes, this is incredibly hard, as I can only LARP so much about the life of someone cross shopping 250k luxury vehicles, but some other times, I feel like […]
Honda Super-One First Drive – Small Car, Big Personality
There’s a certain magic to the ‘Kei car’ philosophy. It’s a uniquely Japanese approach to motoring that merges clever, compact packaging, urban agility, and, above all, personality. For over 60 years, Honda has been the master of this craft, turning the humble compact car into a canvas for world-class engineering and (heaven-forbid) genuine fun. Now, […]
Loadsa Qash – 2026 Nissan Qashqai Review
The Nissan Qashqai has long been a cornerstone of the crossover segment since its inception in 2007, and the 2026 model year refresh proves why this Japanese warrior continues to lavish driveways across the globe. With a midcycle update that’s given it “more of everything,” according to Nissan’s philosophy, the new Qashqai arrives as a […]