A cut above – VW Golf Mk8 review
Since it first tee’d off on to the motoring landscape, the Volkswagen Golf has essentially been THE benchmark of the Hatch category. Good looks, nippy handling and everyday practicality made it an instant hit and has amassed over 35 Million sales during its near 50-year existence. Now in its eighth generation, we wanted to know […]
A plug for the Mercedes-Benz A250e PHEV
Although much less so nowadays, like many self proclaimed petrolheads, I’m still reticent about EVs. There’s something unnatural about a vehicle that doesn’t roar into life upon start -up, EVs just seem anti-climatic. Same goes when on the move, silence is not what I want to hear when heading towards treble digits. BUT, I must […]
Happily Haptic – 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E200 review
You may or may not be aware that before 1993 the E in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class stood for Einspritzmotor, which essentially translates into fuel-injection motor, and what’s more, its production dates back to 1953 or if you’re looking to split hairs, technically beyond. Anyway, it’s now in its 5th generation AND had a facelift, so […]
Robust and Rugged Renault – Renault Duster Review
With a nameplate that dates back to the 80s and a previous generation of experience to draw from, the French/Romanian love child that is the Duster is now in New Zealand and we took a closer look. If we were reviewing the new Duster in the Northern Hemisphere then the badge on the nose would […]
Generation 8 Golf and 2021 Tiguan – first drive
According to Volkswagen NZ, albeit for different reasons both the Golf and the Tiguan sit high up on their food chain of vehicle importance. They have both recently been significantly revised and revamped (and next gen’d for the Golf) so we were very keen to take a look. The benchmark Golf requires very little by […]
A hive of activity – 2021 Kia Stinger GT review
It seems like only yesterday (actually it was 2018) that Kia unveiled their all-new front-engine, rear wheel drive sports car, the Stinger GT. Not only was it far removed from their regular line-up of SUVs and compacts but it also filled the hole left by the category-exiting Falcon and Commodore, and we loved it. Well […]
BMW’s Coupe de Grille – BMW 420i review
Aside from saloons, EVs and SUVs, something BMW does very well are Coupes. The E9 Coupe from ‘68 that evolved into the 6-Series, the 8-Series that has been around since 1990 and the 4-Series, introduced in 2014 as a Coupe evolution of their highly successful 3-Series. Well now the 4-Series is in its 2nd Generation […]
One happy mixer – Kia Stonic review
A close friend of mine suggested that I title this piece Super-Stonic and in many ways Kia New Zealand’s plucky new compact hatch fits this label, it’s crammed full of modern tech, handles nicely and is easy on the eye so very super. But I do have some reservations about the engine. Stonic is a […]
Family Favourite – 4th Gen Hyundai Santa Fe review
Whether it’s for Christmas, Easter, special occasions or just ‘because’, when the Cadbury Favourites are broken out there’s a guaranteed treat for the whole family. And that’s exactly what sprung to mind when Hyundai New Zealand gave me the keys to their 4th Generation Santa Fe. Ok, so it’s not ‘bite-sized’ but it’s a treat […]
Edgy Eclipse – Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Review
Cards on the table, it’s been quite some time since I’ve piloted a Mitsubishi of any kind and I must admit to overall being a little excited when I was given the keys to their new Eclipse Cross, I looked forward to introducing it to my family and maybe see if we could explore some […]