Cupra Trooper: Cupra Formentor VZ Review
“What kind of car is that?” That would always be the question passers-by would ask once they clapped eyes on the Cupra Formentor VZ. When I told them what it was, the response was always the same, “what is a Cupra?” It was at this point I delved into the fact the Cupra’s parent company […]
Hammer time – 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S review
For those of us that remember, the 80s was a time of great music, long lunches, dubious fashion and big shoulder pads (for women and men). But It was also a time of big performance engined sedans and Mercedes-AMG released one of the biggest – The ‘Hammer’. Well, now Mercedes-AMG NZ has launched the latest […]
Kick-RS: Renault Megane RS Trophy Review
Angry, fast, sharp, loud and orange. These are just some of the words one could use to describe the new Renault Megane RS Trophy. The Megane RS Trophy is the latest in a long line of Renault Hot Hatches which can be traced back to those original Gallic pocket rockets, the 5 Turbo and Clio […]
Haval Lotta Value: Haval H6 Ultra Review
If there is one brand out there which continues to surprise us in the specialist motoring press, it would have to be Haval. A few years ago, they were no real threat to the established order of Japanese SUVs, but the Chinese company have pulled their finger out and are inching ever closer to being […]
2021 VW Passat Alltrack NZ review
The Volkswagen Passat Alltrack is billed as ‘an adventurous all-rounder’ and with its 173mm ground clearance, 4Motion AWD system and 2L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine it’s easy to see why. However, unfortunately the day after I took possession of the valiant Vdub, Auckland was thrown into level 4 lockdown (seriously not my fault). If I’m honest, […]
2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class – first drive
Mercedes-Benz has just released their sixth-generation C-Class and with it their best selling Sedan has been significantly overhauled. It’s bigger than before, sleeker in style, comes with a full range of mild-hybrid enhanced powertrains and a suite of technical goodies that are straight out of their flagship limo S-Class. In fact, it sounded so good […]
Born in the USA: Toyota Highlander GXL Petrol Review
When Toyota launched the new Highlander earlier this year, there was much fanfare surrounding the popular seven-seater SUV now sporting Hybrid options in the line-up. This is of course not surprising as just about every other Toyota in the range, bar the Hilux has Hybrid tech first introduced with the first Prius all those years […]
The BMW iX3 is magic
Set in the heart of Wiltshire England lies a little town called Swindon. It’s not overly famous for much, Diana Dors was born there, so too XTC (I hail from there as well), however, as many Brits will tell you ‘Swindon, that place with the Magic Roundabout.’ And it was there that my test of […]
To BEV, Or Not to BEV?: Mazda MX-30 BEV Review
The battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment is growing all the time. So much so that any mainstream manufacturer cannot afford to be left behind. Mazda have been a long time coming at jumping into the current electric fray with the MX-30 All Electric. While this is not the first Mazda to be fully electric, it […]
Intens Emotion: Renault Koleos Intens 4WD Review
The Renault Koleos. The resulting lovechild of the partnership, and now merging, of Renault and Nissan, is coming of age. While the earlier versions came short of being a genuine threat to the established order of the mid-sized SUV segment, the completely refreshed Koleos of 2016 changed that. While not without quirks and shortcomings, it […]