A Mighty Grand Adventurer – 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee review

The fifth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee is here and it’s grander than ever. It’s got a new chassis, smoother looks, a more refined drive and swifter tech – plus, unlike its reviewer, has lost a few pounds too. Let’s face it, Jeep has been an iconic name in the motoring landscape for around eight decades, and […]
Born Star – Cupra Born first drive NZ

Spanish automotive brand Cupra has released its all-new and all-electric hatch, ‘Born’ and it’s finally arrived in NZ. The attractive, hardcore sports hatch has a sizable battery that offers plenty of endurance, while its handling and performance makes it certain to be one of the stars in the current Cupra line up. The NZ launch […]
A Spirited Compact Hatchback – 2023 Honda Jazz RS review

Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda is famous for saying ‘if Honda doesn’t race then there is no Honda’ and that emphatic statement is the core ingredient (albeit not exactly F1) of the new Jazz RS e:HEV. The brand’s popular hatchback has been given some RS treatment and I got to spend some time with […]
Ride like the wind – Maserati Grecale first drive

As with the many of their nameplates as far back as the ‘60s, prestigious Italian automotive brand Maserati’s all-new Grecale is named after a famous Mediterranean wind. But more importantly, whichever model you find yourself behind the wheel of (GT, Modena or Trofeo), this terrific SUV is like riding a tornado. The Grecale may be […]
X and Y Z – Lexus RX and RZ first drives

There is something rather special about driving around the deep dark south of New Zealand, the endless flowing curves, the unpredictable gradients and cambers, and the long stretches of traffic-free tarmac that head towards a backdrop of the snow-peaked southern alps. In fact, the only thing that can make the experience better is when you’re […]
Feeling Cross – Toyota Corolla Cross Limited AWD Review

For some time, Toyota have been getting very cross with their own range. By “cross” of course I don’t mean seething with anger at their own models, but by adding crossover SUV variants of their already immensely popular superminis and family hatchbacks. You only need look at the likes of the C-HR and recent Yaris […]
Amped up Mustang Muscle – Ford Mustang Mach-E first drive NZ

Ford has taken their beloved Mustang and turned it into an electric pony (and when it comes to the GT), a pony on steroids! They call it the Mustang Mach-E, and it’s here to conquer both the EV and SUV segments. To help showcase its unbridled (get it) performance, the NZ launch had us for […]
Adventure boost – Subaru Outback XT 2.4T review

They say that ‘getting there is part of the adventure’, and if that’s true then Subaru’s new 2.4T GOOAT (Greatest Outback Of All Time) has just taken about a third off your ‘getting there time’. But don’t worry, it’s also added a heap more fun to your adventure too. The Subaru Outback XT 2.4 T […]
All-new VW Amarok – first drive

The long-awaited and much-anticipated new VW Amarok has finally arrived on New Zealand shores and we couldn’t be happier. It’s bigger, bolder, more refined, better connected and more capable. Not only did the NZ launch have us test the all-new ute’s mettle on an challenging off-road trek, but the weather gods opened up the floodgates […]
Xtra-large and Xtravagant – BMW X7 M60i xDrive full review

Big, bold and beasty, are just a few of the words that can sum up the new, ‘refreshed’ X7, but it’s somehow elegant too. BMW’s mammoth 7-seater has a new face and increased technology taking its extravagance to the Xtreme. In what is rapidly becoming an over-congested world, space is becoming […]