GWM Tank 500 Hi4-T PHEV Review – Luxury Meets Off-Road Prowess
If you’re in the market for a large SUV that blends premium luxury with serious off-road credentials, the GWM Tank 500 Hi4-T PHEV might just be the game-changer you’ve been waiting for. As a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) from Great Wall Motors (GWM), this beast promises to tackle New Zealand’s rugged terrains while sipping […]
Leaping from B to C, we test the Leapmotor C10 REEV and B10 BEV back to back
There’s something refreshingly honest about Leapmotor’s approach to electric vehicles. No grandiose promises, no revolutionary claims, just smart, well-executed SUVs that deliver exactly what they promise. We were given the chance to ‘leap’ from the compact B10 and its larger sibling, the C10 REEV, back to back and have come to appreciate how two vehicles […]
Geely Riddara RD6 full review NZ – Ute, electrified
The Geely Riddara RD6 is a ute that’s breaking new ground by combining traditional workhorse credentials with zero-emission performance. Now, having spent more quality time behind the wheel, we can confirm this Chinese manufacturer has delivered something genuinely compelling, albeit with a few caveats worth considering. Exterior Design – Bold and Purposeful The Riddara RD6 […]
Omoda 9 SHS Review – The Frugal yet Fancy, Family SUV
The Omoda 9 arrives with audacious design cues borrowed from ultra-premium marques, a bewilderingly powerful hybrid powertrain, and equipment levels that embarrass established rivals. But does this ambitious newcomer have the substance to match its style, or is it all show and no go? We decided to take it for a football weekend in Taupo. […]
Tarmac Life Xmas Special – Mini 66th. 66 Hours, 6 Cities, 6 British Meals Across NZ
With Xmas looming and Season 1 of our TV Show wrapped up, we decided to do an Xmas special, taking to the road to celebrate Mini’s 66th anniversary. Instead of a simple cake and candles affair, we orchestrated an epic road trip challenge that would take the 3 of us (Dave, Matt and Harry), and […]
Jaecoo J7 SHS Super Hybrid Review – Efficient Adventurer
Chinese manufacturers are making bold moves into territories traditionally dominated by Japanese and European brands, in this case, the Jaecoo J7 SHS Super Hybrid, a name that itself tells a story. Jaecoo, a portmanteau of “Jaeger (hunter)” and “Cool,” is Cherry’s adventure-focused sub-brand, and their J7 represents an intriguing proposition in the increasingly crowded hybrid […]
The BMW iX3 Neue Klasse Sets a New Benchmark for Performance EVs
The sun-drenched coastline of Spain provided the perfect backdrop for what BMW is calling “the beginning of a new era”, the unveiling and first drives of their highly anticipated iX3 Neue Klasse electric vehicle. Against ocean waves and dramatic sunsets, and with the opening introduction by Dr. Mike Reichelt (Head of Neue Klasse), the German […]
Land Rover Defender MY26 review – Subtle Refinement Meets Unstoppable Capability
Five years into its modern incarnation, the Land Rover Defender (or just Defender) has become something of an automotive phenomenon in New Zealand, sales are up 53% year-to-date, which tells you everything you need to know about how Kiwis have embraced this reborn icon. So when Land Rover invited us to the Tahorakuri Forest (Taupo) […]
Ford Ranger Super Duty First Drive Review
Built Ford Tough Gets Even Tougher When Ford slaps a “Super Duty” badge on anything, you know they mean business and it’s a promise that’s been forged over decades. The Super Duty lineage traces back to 1958 with heavy-duty engines, but the iconic truck line we know today launched in 1998 as a distinct series […]
Ticks a Lot of Boxes – Dongfeng Box Review
If you’ve never heard of Dongfeng before, you’re not alone. The name doesn’t (yet) have the brand cachet of Toyota or Tesla in this part of the world, but in China it’s one of the “Big Four” carmakers and has been building cars since 1969. Now they’ve decided they want their own slice of the […]