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 […]
Style Statement: 2022 Renault Arkana Intens Review
The bold new diamond is entering unchartered waters for Renault, so how does it fare?
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 […]
The Swedes made it even better – Volvo XC40 Recharge
New Zealanders have been buying more of the Volvo XC40 compact luxury SUVs than anything else in the segment by a country mile for the past two years. Everyone knows it’s a great car and deserves its top spot. Now there’s a new variant of the Volvo XC40 making its way to New Zealand and […]
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. […]
I drove the ‘coolest EV’ the Opel Manta GSe ElectroMOD
Launched over 50 years ago and originally with a four-cylinder petrol engine, the Manta A (whose name was derived from the Manta Ray) was a competitor to the awesome Euro Ford Capri thanks to its two door coupe styling. The Opel Manta nameplate lasted two generations and alas, hung up its boots in 1988, but not […]
Mighty yet mini – Hyundai i20N review NZ
Compact hatchbacks, hot or otherwise are becoming increasingly rarer to spot on NZ roads and don’t get me started about manual gearboxes, so when a car company releases a new high-performance hatch that has a clutch and gear stick too, it had better be good – thankfully the new Hyundai i20N is really good, and […]