Kia PV5 Review – The EV Van That Makes Diesel Look Old-School
Kia’s first proper foray into the commercial vehicle market is an all-electric van built on a dedicated platform, and while the idea of an electric commercial vehicle isn’t exactly revolutionary anymore, the PV5 brings something different to the party. It’s modern, clever, exceptionally practical and, perhaps most importantly for a commercial vehicle, designed around the […]
Forthing Taikon Super Hybrid Exclusive Review
There’s no denying that the New Zealand automotive landscape has changed dramatically. Chinese manufacturers have gone from automotive outsiders to serious contenders, bringing increasingly sophisticated vehicles to our shores and forcing established brands to rethink what they charge for their badges. One of the latest arrivals is Forthing, part of the enormous Dongfeng automotive group. […]
Zeekr 7GT First Drive Review – A 500kW Grand Tourer
The Zeekr 7GT is making its way to New Zealand. And as a bit of a ‘sneak peek’ we spent a day pushing this 500kW machine on customised exercises and around the challenging corners of Highlands Motorsport Park. What we discovered was the Zeekr 7GT somehow manages to balance genuine performance credentials with the refined […]
The Kaizen EV – Toyota bZ4X Motion AWD Review
There was a time when mentioning the Toyota bZ4X would almost immediately invite a conversation about the brand’s actual interest in BEVs. Range, charging, power and the general feeling that it wasn’t their best effort were all fair criticisms. But, after my first go at the revised bZ4X, I can say that Toyota has now […]
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 […]
Supercharged Shopping Cart: 2026 Skoda Fabia 130 Review
Skoda seeks to celebrate its 130th birthday with a limited edition Fabia but is the 130 all show and no go?
Some Cars Can Still Be Fun – Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Review
As a car reviewer, there are plenty of chances for us to jump into cars to review from the standpoint of seeing how they can project their brand or segment forward, due to how objectively good they are, and then there are cars that remind you why you liked cars in the first place. My […]
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 […]