AccessoRISEd RAM 1500 – God of Thunder
Much has been written about the new RAM 1500, hell I’ve done my fair share. With its new and advanced tech, huge towing capabilities, pop out side steps, its ability to lord over most other NZ traffic and ‘eat other utes for breakfast’, but what happens when you decide to personalise it? Well, RAM trucks […]
Dream weaver – BYD Atto 3 NZ launch and first drive
There’s already been quite a hoorah around the new (to NZ) brand BYD. With its small EV the Atto 3, boasting better battery technology and a wide range of environmentally-friendly vehicles already commanding 30% of the Chinese market and aiming to have models in EVERY market (including vans) within the next 10-years. With big results […]
Refined runabout – new Honda CR-V review
According to Japanese automotive company Honda, CR-V stands for ‘Comfortable Runabout Vehicle’, however the acronym has also been referred to as Compact Recreational Vehicle, either way, this Kiwi family fave model has been upgraded and refined recently, and we (finally) got our hands on it. I have to admit that, for one reason or another, […]
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 […]
Light-footed quinquagenarian – 2022 Honda Civic Mugen review
Honda’s longest-standing nameplate the Civic has turned fifty and to help celebrate this epic achievement, Honda New Zealand has released a Mugen edition and we got to play with it. Despite it not being ‘official’, Mugen is the performance name that’s essentially gone hand in hand with Honda since Hirotoshi Honda (son of Honda’s founder) […]
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 […]