Fast, not so furious – 2022 Subaru WRX tS review
Synchronous All-Wheel Drive, boxer engine and WRC heritage, it can only be a Subaru WRX, but does the latest ‘more connected’ model still have the model’s animalistic tendencies? Subaru New Zealand let us find out. It’s been a couple of decades since I was last behind the wheel of a WRX, and time has a […]
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 […]
Racy ‘Roc – VW T-Roc R review
With a sharpened exterior design, enhanced technical, safety and infotainment features and a refined interior, much has been done to VW’s ‘facelifted’ compact SUV, the T-Roc. But of NZ’s three new options (Life, R-Line and R) it’s the introduction of the ‘Roc’ into their R performance segment that’s really piqued our interest – lucky for […]
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 […]
North pointing – 2022 Jeep Compass review
Adventure brand Jeep launched their first compact SUV or crossover around 2007 and although produced for a more civilised lifestyle, still came with the ability to go where other compacts would fear to tread. Well this year an all-new Compass has been released, and with its refined design, next-generation technologies and upmarket spec, all roads […]
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, […]
Charismatic Coupe – BMW M240i Coupe review
I have to say, when the offer of the new BMW M240i Coupe came into my inbox, my pulse started racing, after all, I still had fond (albeit violent) memories of being behind the wheel of the previous generation BMW M2 and the ‘softer’ M235 4-door Gran Coupe bouncing around my head – they’re hard […]
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 […]
Family-sized racecar – VW Tiguan R review
Volkswagen has a racing history that spans back over half a century. Formula Vee or Formula Volkswagen is a popular low-cost, open wheel, single-seater junior motor racing formula that has seen some very well-known race drivers compete in, even NZ’s own Scott Dixon. Why am I telling you this? Well VW has expanded its R […]
Gleeful Golf – 2022 VW Golf R review
Every now and then, a car comes along that not only does what it says on the tin, but simply blows it out of the water. Quite frankly, the new VW (Mk 8) Golf R is just such a car. It’s technologically advanced, extremely fun to drive and cements itself as THE goto hot hatch. […]