Prowling Puma: Ford Puma ST Line Review
Who remembers the original Ford Puma? We sadly never got in New Zealand, but I remember watching many Motoring Journalists on video thrashing this front wheel drive coupe around test tracks and engaging in driving exuberance on twisting back roads. It looked awfully fun. Now the Puma has returned, but this time around, it’s a […]
SV ‘Aha’ day – Jaguar/Land Rover NZ
Jaguar/Land Rover New Zealand invited us to experience their SV day at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, it’s an action packed event with plenty of thrills AND I learnt some stuff too! In Steve Kenchington (CEO Motorcorp) own words “SV day is about enjoying some of the high-performance vehicles that we have on offer. It’s a […]
More power and more Carbon – Range Rover Sport SVR Carbon Edition review
Initially codenamed the ‘Range Stormer’ the Range Rover Sport thrust its way onto the world stage around 2005 and hasn’t looked back since. Two generations and a few facelifts later (for the SUV not me) Land Rover NZ threw me the keys to their latest and greatest version, the SVR Carbon Edition and I’m still […]
Wow to D-Max – Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain review
Since it first launched in early the 2000’s the Isuzu ute has regularly been described as tough, rugged and durable but rarely ever striking, eye-catching or luxurious – that is until now. The all-new D-Max is all of the above and then some, and Isuzu NZ gave us the top of the line X-Terrain Double […]
2021 VW Tiguan Review
Having recently attended the New Zealand launch of the new 2021 VW Tiguan, I was (needless to say) very keen to get some additional alone time with it – as luck would have it Volkswagen NZ was happy to oblige. The statistic that kept bouncing around my head from the launch was that a VW […]
O Captain! My captain! Hyundai Palisade review
O Captain! My captain! Is a poem written by Walt Whiman about the death of President Abraham Lincoln but to me I will remember it being a special feature and conclusion to the movie Dead Poets Society. However, thanks to Hyundai New Zealand’s new Palisade, ‘Captain’ has a whole new meaning due to it’s captain’s […]
Kia’s Cirque du Soleil – 2021 Kia Carnival review
From a European based perspective a carnival is a festival that includes a procession, music and dancing, in North America it’s more of a traveling funfair or circus but for Kia, it’s an 8-seater multivan that’s just full of surprises. Anyway, there’s a new Carnival in town and Kia New Zealand let us test it […]
Yoo-No-Bi – all-new Honda Jazz review
To be perfectly honest, the similarities between Swindon in the South West of England and Nelson in the lush wine region of New Zealand’s picturesque South Island are pretty hard to find. One is by the coast, the other beside a long-since abandoned canal, one is known for its crafts and art, the other has […]
Electric Exec – 2021 BMW 530e review
For me, BMW’s 5-Series is the perfect fit. Sure I still have the ‘old school’ mentality of preferring Sedans over SAVs but in terms of size, function and (when you get up to the M5), ferocity, the 5 has it all. Well now they’ve added a PHEV to the range and BMW New Zealand let […]
Ahhh – Toyota GR C-HR review
For simplicity’s sake, let’s say that GR (Gazoo Racing) is essentially the performance arm of Toyota. It’s the brainchild of their president, driver and petrol head Akio Toyoda who is determined to ensure that GR ‘build better cars’, however, the C-HR is a family compact SUV and despite being a popular model, when powered by […]