Astra(eco)nomical – Opel Astra SRi review
After having a bit of an OE break, the ever-popular Astra hatch is now back in NZ, only this time it comes with an Opel ‘blitz’ badge and a cabinet full of awards. It’s bold, it’s pure and Opel says that it’s autobahn-ready too – so best we found out what all the fuss is […]
Less is so much more – Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC review
Call me old-fashioned, but it wasn’t that long ago that a 2L engine produced 70 kW of power and 148 Nm of torque, well not only does the latest 2L C43 Mercedes-AMG boast over four times that power, but with 310 kW and 500 Nm, the output rivals its very own twin-turbo V6 – oh […]
Audi Q5 TFSIe review – plugged in family favourite
Premium car brand Audi have added an extra touch of electrification to their popular family-sized SUV, and revamped its quattro-ness too. We discover just how smart and frugal the latest Q5 TFSIe really is. The Audi Q5 50 TFSI e S-line (with Ultra and black pack) may sound like a bit of a mouthful when […]
Putting the E in yEEhaw – Ford Mustang Mach-E GT review
To many raised eyebrows, Ford’s longest running and much loved nameplate, the Mustang, has been given a family-sized silhouette and an eco-friendly electric heart. But fear not my petrolhead friends, not only is it more powerful and quicker off the line than a V8, but it’s just as ‘tail-waggy’ too. It’s muscle with a capital […]
Shape Shifter – Hyundai Ioniq 6 Limited AWD review
Not only is the Hyundai Ioniq 6 a triple award winner at the World car of the year awards (just like its 5 sibling) but it boasts being one of the (if not the) lowest production-car drag coefficients out there right now. We get better acquainted with Hyundai’s hyper-fast, all-electric streamliner. Hyundai are one of […]
Field of Dreams – Honda ZR-V e:HEV review
Fieldays is a popular agricultural annual event held in Hamilton. Not only is it filled with everything a farmer could want or dream of, but it’s also become a bit of a car show for NZ distributors to display their wares – farmers drive cars too. Admittedly, Honda’s sleek new ZR-V SUV and Fieldays don’t […]
Less is more – new Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC first drive
Originally launched in 2016, the Mercedes-Benz GLC rapidly became the German luxury brand’s biggest selling SUV. Boasting over 2.6 million happy customers and topping category charts, are certainly milestones that are tough acts to follow, so in short, the second generation has to be good – thankfully, it is. Let me get one thing straight […]
Mahindra’s new Mahal – Mahindra XUV700 review
Namaste. It’s plain to see that I’ve been brushing up on my Hindi recently and aside from learning how to say ‘hello’ and ask ‘how someone was’ (aap kaise hain?), I also discovered that the ‘Mahal’ in Taj Mahal actually means palace, rather fitting since I’ve been behind the wheel of the Mahindra XUV700 AX7 […]
At last, a new Alfa – Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce hybrid review
For the first time in around six or seven years there is a brand new Alfa Romeo nameplate to play with and it’s called the Tonale. Named after a mountain pass, high in the Italian Alps, the Tonale is also the luxury and performance brand’s first move towards electrification – so the Alfristi should be […]
Rocking ‘rolla – Toyota GR Corolla review
The Toyota Corolla has been a crowd pleaser for the masses ever since it first rolled off the production line in 1966. To me it’s a non-threatening nameplate that’s in many ways ‘satisfyingly vanilla’ in its performance and appearance (this is a good thing) and as such an easy choice when looking for a rental […]