Prestige meets power – Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ review NZ
Since 1972 the Mercedes S-Class or Sonderklasse (Special Class) has been just that, large, luxury sedans that sit at the pinnacle of the German brand in terms of prestige and refinement. But what happens when it’s given an electric heart and handed over to their AMG performance division? Mercedes-Benz NZ let us find out. The […]
Getting Activ – 2022 Mazda CX-5 Activ Review
This year the Mazda CX-5 celebrated its 10th anniversary. Having been with us for a decade, it has managed to carve out its own niche within the vastly competitive mid-sized SUV market. A mix of premium cabin surroundings, refined power units and a price tag not completely out of reach for most has made the […]
First drive of the new 2023 Honda Civic Type-R
And it was on the legendary Pukekohe racetrack! Bitter/sweet would best describe my feeling upon receiving the invite to the NZ unveiling of the 6th generation Honda Civic Type-R. Bitter because this would probably be the last opportunity I’d have to drive on the iconic Pukekohe NZ racetrack, but oh so sweet as this new […]
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 […]
Truckami – Mazda BT-50 gets Takami treatment
The last time we got behind the wheel of Mazda’s new BT-50 ute we headed out to the forest for a bit of rough and tumble (after all, they do plant 5 trees for every vehicle sold). However, since rugged utes are increasingly being used as family wagons, Mazda has handed the BT-50 over to […]
4ORCE Majeure – all-new Nissan X-Trail with e-Power and e-4ORCE first drive
We were invited to Slovenia, the ‘green heart of Europe’ to check out Nissan’s all-new, 4th generation X-Trail, with its new unique ‘hybrid-electric’ powertrain and e-4ORCE AWD system. It is an adventurous combination that delivers an ‘EV-like’ driving experience on all terrains, without the need to plug in. With over 21,000 units already gracing NZ […]
Luxury Express – 2022 Lexus LX500d Limited Review
Over the years, Lexus have been, little by little, moving the LX away from being less of a rebadged Toyota Land Cruiser, to a more bespoke luxury SUV. Fast forward to now, and the fourth generation LX is with us. While it is a bit of a dark horse in the family, the new LX500d […]
Brutal but kind – BMW i4 M50 review
Savage and sustainable are words barely ever seen in the same sentence, yet they perfectly describe BMW’s latest addition to their M-Sport range. For not only does the i4 M50 provide stomach churning acceleration, but it’s also 100% battery powered – is this the new M3/M4? BMW NZ let us find out more. The i4 […]
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 […]
Fresh Focus – 2022 Ford Focus ST-Line X MHEV review
In the automotive world, lower/no emissions and greater fuel economy are the name of the game right now, therefore plug-ins and BEV’s are undoubtedly on the charge. However, what if a full EV isn’t your thing but yet you still want less environmental/wallet impact, decent performance and advanced technology? Well the answer may lie in […]